Sun of Egypt 5

Sun of Egypt 5 Slot Review

Sun of Egypt 5 by 3 Oaks Gaming takes the familiar Egyptian theme and focuses hard on its bonus modes. Most of the big action happens in a Hold and Win style feature with extra modifiers and an expanding grid.

Layout, theme, and basic gameplay

The game starts on a 5 by 3 grid with 20 fixed paylines. You win by landing three or more matching symbols from left to right on one of those lines.

The look is classic ancient Egypt. A blazing sun sits behind the reels, with gold trim and temple style stone around the frame. Regular symbols are made up of card style royals for the low pays and themed icons like scarabs and other treasures for the higher pays.

There are also three important special symbols in the base game:

• Wild symbols that can stand in for regular pay symbols to help complete wins.
• Scatter symbols that trigger free spins when they land in the right spots.
• Sun bonus symbols that are used to trigger the main Hold and Win bonus round.

Hold and Win style Bonus Game

The center of Sun of Egypt 5 is its Hold and Win style Bonus Game. You trigger it by landing at least six sun bonus symbols or special Power symbols anywhere on the reels in the base game. When this happens, all triggering symbols lock in place and the rest of the positions clear.

You then move into a separate bonus screen that uses a grid of symbol spots. At the start this grid is the same 5 by 3 layout as the base game, so there are 15 positions. Only special bonus symbols land during this feature. Each one that lands sticks in place and shows either a cash value or a jackpot label.

The feature runs on a respin counter. You begin with a set number of spins, usually three. Every time at least one new bonus symbol lands, the counter resets back to the starting number. If you spin without landing a new symbol, the counter drops by one. When the counter reaches zero and no new symbol appears, the round ends and you collect the total of all visible values plus any jackpots shown.

Rows unlocking and expanding grid

One of the twists in this version is that the bonus grid can grow during the Hold and Win round. At first you only have the standard 5 by 3 layout. As you land more sun symbols, extra rows above the reels unlock.

Step by step, the grid can expand up to a full 6 by 5 layout, which means up to 30 symbol positions. Each unlocked row gives you more space to land suns and jackpot symbols, so the feature can snowball if you keep hitting new symbols before the respin counter runs out.

If you manage to fill every single position on the expanded grid with bonus symbols, you do not just collect the values. A full screen awards the top fixed prize called the Royal Jackpot, which is worth 5000 times your bet.

Power Feature: Boost, Multi, and Jackpot modifiers

Another big change in Sun of Egypt 5 is the Power Feature that works inside the Hold and Win bonus. Certain special symbols can land that change how the round pays out. These modifiers come in three main types:

• Boost symbols can add an extra amount to some or all of the other sun symbols already on the grid, increasing their values.
• Multi symbols apply a multiplier to the current win or to the values on the grid, making the total grow faster than with regular suns alone.
• Jackpot symbols act as direct triggers for fixed jackpot prizes such as Mini, Minor, Major, or Grand when they appear.

These Power symbols still lock in place like regular suns and also reset the respin counter. Because of that, they not only boost your payout but also help keep the feature going longer.

Fixed jackpots and Royal Jackpot

Sun of Egypt 5 uses a multi level jackpot system tied to the bonus round. During the Hold and Win feature you can land special labelled symbols that award fixed prizes. Common levels in this series are Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand, each worth a set number of times your bet. These are paid on top of the cash values of any other suns on the grid.

The highest level is the Royal Jackpot. Instead of landing as a single symbol, this one comes from filling every position on the grid. On the fully expanded 6 by 5 layout that means 30 symbols. If you manage that, you win 5000 times your bet from the Royal Jackpot, often in addition to any other values shown.

Free Spins with low symbols removed

The game also has a separate free spins mode that focuses on line wins rather than the Hold and Win mechanic. You trigger free spins by landing three scatter symbols on reels two, three, and four at the same time. When this happens you are given a set of free games, usually eight spins.

During free spins, all low paying card style symbols are removed from the reels. Only the high paying picture symbols, wilds, and special icons appear. With the weaker symbols gone, it is easier to line up better paying combinations across the 20 paylines.

The free spin round can usually be retriggered by landing another set of scatters during the feature. If that happens, extra free spins are added to your remaining total, and the high symbol only setup continues.

Wilds and regular line wins

Outside of the bonus rounds, the base game still matters. Wild symbols can land and substitute for regular paying symbols to help form or improve winning lines. They cannot replace scatters or the sun bonus symbols, but they do a lot of work in filling gaps in high symbol combos.

Line wins are paid from the leftmost reel to the right on the 20 fixed paylines. Because low symbols are present in the base game, wins here will usually be smaller and more frequent compared to what you can hit in the bonus features.

Multipliers in the bonus

Multipliers mainly show up through the Multi type Power symbols in the Hold and Win feature. When one of these lands, it can multiply the values of other suns or the total prize for that bonus round. This is one of the main ways to push your bonus win closer to the upper end of the pay range, especially when combined with an expanded grid and several jackpot symbols.

Respins and feature flow

The respin system inside the Hold and Win bonus is what gives the game its tension. Every new symbol feels important because it not only adds value but also resets your remaining spins. Long chains of successful respins are what you are hoping for, since they give you time to unlock extra rows, land Power symbols, and maybe reach the full screen needed for the Royal Jackpot.

How Sun of Egypt 5 compares in the series

Earlier entries in the series already used Hold and Win respins and multi level jackpots. Sun of Egypt 5 keeps that core but adds the Power modifiers and the expanding grid that can reach 6 by 5. It also keeps the popular free spin round where only top symbols appear, so fans of the series will recognize the structure but find more going on in the main bonus.