Pharaoh's Fortune

If you’ve ever walked through a casino floor in Vegas or Niagara Falls, chances are you’ve seen the bright, quirky cabinet for Pharaoh's Fortune. Loading this game up on my laptop felt like stepping into a time machine—in the best way possible. It’s not trying to be one of those hyper-realistic, cinematic slots that look like a video game. Instead, it leans hard into a fun, cartoonish Egyptian vibe that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Visually, it’s got that classic retro charm. The background is a wall of hieroglyphs, and the reels are packed with symbols like owls, snakes, wolves, and Egyptians doing… well, things Egyptians probably didn’t actually do. The art style is colourful and flat, almost like a comic strip. It’s distinct and easy on the eyes, which I really appreciate during a long session.

But the real star here is the atmosphere. In the base game, you get these standard slot clicks and whirs, but the moment you hit a winning combination, the symbols do a little dance. And just wait until you trigger the bonus—the soundtrack switches to the iconic "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles. I honestly found myself bobbing my head while playing. It’s rare that a slot game makes me laugh, but the animations here are just cheeky enough to keep a smile on my face.

Let’s talk about how this thing actually plays. When I first started spinning, I noticed the setup is pretty standard for a classic video slot. You’re looking at a 5-reel, 3-row grid. In the base game, there are 15 paylines. If you’re new to slots, paylines are just the specific patterns where matching symbols need to land to give you a win. 15 is a bit of an odd number (most modern games are 20 or 25), but it works fine here.

The symbols are all theme-related, which is nice—no generic playing cards (like A, K, Q, J) clogging up the screen. You’ve got various animal gods and hieroglyphs as the lower and medium-value symbols. The Pharaoh's Fortune Logo is the Wild symbol. Think of the Wild like a Joker in a deck of cards; it substitutes for everything else to help you complete a winning line, except for the Scatter symbol.

Speaking of the Scatter, look out for the green Pharaoh face (some people call it the Bug). This is the key to the game. One thing I noticed while playing is that the base game can feel a little "dry" at times—meaning you might go a few spins without much action. It’s very traditional in that sense. There aren't any cascading reels (where symbols drop like Tetris) or expanding grids in the main game. It’s pure, old-school spinning. However, the anticipation of landing those green Pharaohs kept me hooked because I knew that's where the real game begins.

Okay, so here is the tricky part. The specific stats for RTP (Return to Player) and Volatility aren't officially disclosed for this version, which can be a bit frustrating for stats nerds like me. However, after putting in a solid session with my own bankroll, I can give you a pretty good idea of how it feels.

Practically speaking, this game feels like it has medium-to-high volatility. Think of volatility like the weather: low volatility is a steady drizzle of small wins, while high volatility is a long drought followed by a massive thunderstorm. Pharaoh's Fortune feels like the latter. I went through periods where my balance dipped steadily, only to be saved by a really decent win or a bonus round.

For Canadian players, this means you need to be a bit patient. You aren't going to win on every other spin. If the industry average RTP is around 96%, I’d guess this sits somewhere in that range, maybe slightly lower because it’s a land-based classic adapted for online play. The "hit frequency" (how often you win anything) felt a bit lower than modern games, so don't panic if you have a streak of dead spins—that's just the nature of this beast.

This is it—the reason this game is legendary. The Bonus Round is genuinely one of my favourites, mostly because it’s interactive. To trigger it, you need to land three Green Pharaoh Head symbols on a payline. Once that happens, you are transported inside the Pharaoh’s Tomb.

The Tomb Pick Feature

Before the free spins start, you get to play a mini-game. You’re presented with a screen full of stone blocks. You click on them one by one. Each block reveals either:

• More Free Spins: You start with 3, but can rack up way more.
• Multipliers: This boosts your wins. You start at 1x, but I managed to get it up to 4x during my test.

You keep picking until you hit a "Start Spins" block. It feels a bit like a scratch card, and it’s super exciting hoping you don't hit the "Start" button too early.

The Free Spins Round

Once the picking is done, the actual spins begin. And here is a cool twist I wasn't expecting: the paylines increase from 15 to 20 during the bonus! Plus, the symbol designs change to completely different characters, and that famous "Walk Like an Egyptian" song starts blasting. I found the payouts here to be way more significant than the base game. Plus, every spin is guaranteed to be a win of some kind because each spin pays out 3x your line bet even if you don't match symbols (a quirky rule, but I'll take it!).

Since we've established that this game can be a bit of a rollercoaster, you need to manage your Canadian dollars smartly. Here is how I approached it.

The "100 Spins" Rule: Because it can take a while to trigger that Tomb Bonus, I recommend having a bankroll that can cover at least 100 to 150 spins at your chosen bet level. If you have $50 to play with, don't bet $2 a spin—you might burn out before seeing the fun stuff. Stick to smaller bets, maybe $0.20 or $0.40, to maximize your playtime.

Patience is Key: Unlike some modern games where you can just "Buy the Bonus" for a fee, you have to earn it here. This is a marathon, not a sprint. I suggest setting a strict loss limit. If the game is running cold, take a break. Also, keep an eye on your bet size—since the paylines are fixed, your total bet is always a multiple of the line bet.

The great news is that because IGT is such a massive provider, Pharaoh's Fortune is available at almost all the major online casinos accessible to Canadians. You don't have to look hard to find it.

When I’m looking for a place to play, I always check if they accept Interac. It’s just the easiest way for us to deposit directly from our bank accounts without messing around with credit cards. Most reputable sites will have this option. The game also runs surprisingly well on mobile. I tried it on my phone, and even though the graphics are older, the buttons are big enough to tap easily.

Pro Tip: Before you bet real Loonies, look for the "Demo" or "Free Play" mode. It’s the perfect way to see the "Stone Block" picking game in action without risking a dime. Once you get the hang of it, you can switch to real money play.