Stone pillars framing the reels. A golden temple glowing behind the grid. The falcon-headed god Horus standing full height across a reel, expanding to fill the entire column. The Eye of Horus demo drops you into an Egyptian tomb that feels like it was pulled straight from a land-based cabinet in a UK high street arcade, because it was. Originally developed by Reel Time Gaming under the Merkur Gaming banner and distributed online by Blueprint Gaming (all three sit under the Gauselmann Group umbrella), this 2016 Egyptian-themed slot launched a franchise that now includes Eye of Horus Megaways, Eye of Horus Gambler, Eye of Horus Power 4 Slots, and Eye of Horus Rise of Egypt. The original is a 5-reel, 10-payline game with expanding wilds, free spins with symbol upgrades, and a 96.31% RTP. Simple by modern standards, but the foundation holds up.
Feature Breakdown
Expanding Wild (Horus)
When the Horus wild symbol lands on any reel, it expands to cover the entire column, turning it into a full wild reel. It substitutes for every symbol except the scatter. During standard play, this creates immediate payline coverage across all 10 lines that pass through that reel. During free spins, the expanding wild has an additional role: it upgrades symbols on the paytable, pushing lower-value icons up to higher-paying tiers. One Horus wild during free spins also awards 1 extra spin, two wilds award 3 extra, and three award 5 additional spins.
Free Spins with Symbol Upgrades
Landing 3 or more temple scatter symbols triggers 12 free spins plus a scatter payout (20, 200, or 500 coins for 3, 4, or 5 scatters respectively). The defining feature of the round is the symbol upgrade system. Every time an expanding Horus wild appears during free spins, the lowest-paying symbol tier on the paytable transforms into the next tier up. The A/K/Q/J card symbols can upgrade into the ankh, then the fan, then the scarab, and so on up through the Egyptian hierarchy. Over the course of a long free spins round with multiple wild retriggers, the entire paytable can shift upward, making every remaining combination significantly more valuable. Free spins can be retriggered through wild landings, with no fixed cap on the total number of spins.
Scatter Symbol (Temple)
The golden temple doorway serves as both the scatter trigger and one of the highest-paying symbols on the paytable. Three or more anywhere on the reels award the free spins round, while the scatter payout itself can reach 500 coins for five. During standard play, the scatter doesn’t need to land on a payline to contribute to its own payout.
Gamble Feature
After any win, a red/black card gamble is available to double your payout. It works identically to the gamble in Fishin’ Frenzy and other Blueprint/Merkur titles from the same era.
No Bonus Buy
There is no option to purchase the free spins round directly. Like its stablemate Fishin’ Frenzy, the bonus triggers only through natural scatter landings during play.
How to Play
Gameplay Basics
Eye of Horus plays on a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 10 fixed paylines. Wins require 3 or more matching symbols on a payline from left to right, starting from reel one. The Eye of Horus symbol and the scatter both pay from 3 of a kind, while the seagull equivalent here (the highest regular symbol, the Eye itself) pays 500 coins for five. Bets range from £0.10 upward, with the demo running at £2.00 by default. Medium volatility means the game sits between the long dry spells of high-variance modern slots and the constant small returns of low-variance titles. Standard play returns are modest, with most of the game’s payout potential concentrated in the free spins round where symbol upgrades can transform the paytable entirely. Not all operators run the same RTP configuration. The default is 96.31%, but versions as low as 88.26% have been documented at some UK casino sites. Check the in-game paytable to confirm which version your demo is running.
Paytable
All values below are shown in coins. Multiply by your bet per line to calculate payouts at your chosen stake.
Premium Symbols
| Symbol | x3 | x4 | x5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temple (Scatter) | 20 | 200 | 500 |
| Eye of Horus | 100 | 250 | 500 |
| Anubis | 50 | 200 | 400 |
| Falcon | 20 | 125 | 300 |
| Scarab | 20 | 100 | 250 |
Standard Symbols
| Symbol | x3 | x4 | x5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankh | 10 | 50 | 200 |
| Lotus Fan | 10 | 50 | 200 |
| A / K / Q / J | 5 | 20 | 100 |
Demo Screenshots
For a game of a bygone era, the graphics are surprisingly decent, but still, it’s starting to look a bit dated.
The game information table, which shows the various payouts for each symbol
UltimateSlots Verdict
Eye of Horus earns its reputation through one clever idea executed cleanly. The symbol upgrade system during free spins gives the bonus round a progression arc that most slots from this era completely lack. Watching the card symbols transform into ankhs, then scarabs, then falcons as wilds land is satisfying in a way that static free spins rounds never match. The 96.31% RTP is fair, the medium volatility keeps sessions from feeling punishing, and the expanding wild is a visual highlight even by today's standards. Where it shows its age is everywhere else. Dated graphics, no bonus buy, and a 500x max win that feels small next to modern titles. A solid classic that built a franchise for good reason.
✓ What We Like
- The symbol upgrade system during free spins gives the bonus round genuine progression, with the entire paytable shifting upward as wilds land
- Expanding wilds that cover full reels look impressive and create strong payline coverage across all 10 lines simultaneously
- Free spins retrigger through wild landings with no cap, meaning the round can extend well beyond the initial 12 spins
✗ What Could Be Better
- Graphics are visibly dated, with flat symbol art and a static backdrop that lacks the polish of even its own sequels
- 500x max win is modest compared to virtually every modern slot release
- Standard play between features offers limited excitement with no wild symbol active outside the bonus round
Detailed Review
Hands-On Demo Play
If you’ve played Fishin’ Frenzy and wondered what its Egyptian counterpart looks like, this is it. Same developer lineage (Reel Time Gaming, Merkur, Blueprint Gaming), same era, same land-based cabinet DNA. But Eye of Horus has more going on between the reels. The expanding wild is the key difference. Where Fishin’ Frenzy’s fisherman only appears during free spins to collect fish values, the Horus wild appears in both standard play and the bonus round, expanding to fill an entire column each time. It’s a more visually dramatic feature and gives regular spins at least some potential for a meaningful hit, which Fishin’ Frenzy’s standard play largely lacks.
The free play session confirmed the medium volatility feel. Wins land more frequently than in high-variance modern titles like Sweet Bonanza 1000 or Gates of Olympus, but the individual payouts are smaller. The anticipation when two scatters land and you’re waiting for a third to trigger the bonus is where the game generates its best moments. Without a background soundtrack, the silence between spins actually amplifies that tension. When the feature does trigger, the symbol upgrade system immediately changes the texture of the round. Each wild appearance reshapes what the remaining spins are worth, creating a sense of escalation that flat free spins rounds don’t deliver. It’s the single feature that kept us spinning during our review session long after the visuals had stopped impressing.
The series has evolved considerably since this original. Eye of Horus Megaways expanded the grid to 6 reels with up to 15,625 ways to win. Power 4 Slots runs four grids simultaneously. Rise of Egypt refreshed the visuals. Each sequel addressed real limitations in this 2016 original. But the upgrade system that made the franchise viable lives here in its purest form. Can it hold your attention for 200+ spins in a demo session? That depends on whether you find the progression satisfying enough to overlook the dated presentation. If the Cleopatra-era aesthetic appeals to you and you’d rather earn your bonus round than buy it, the Eye of Horus demo still delivers where it matters. Personally, we think some players just won’t have the patience!
