One of the most appealing aspects of online slots is the constant stream of new features. Sure, not all of them are paradigm changes that have you questioning the fundamental foundations of existence, but all it takes is a tweak here and a tune-up there to give something somewhat different than what came before. Some innovations fade away to the big feature dumpster in the sky, never to be heard from again, much like hurling mud against a wall. The Bonus Up concept from 4ThePlayer’s numerologists was a complex mechanic that seemed to have gone the way of the dodo.

Betting and Prizes

The way 4ThePlayer stacks their games with metrics and game options is part of their being, um, for the player. To begin with, a table shows when you click on Game Rules, indicating 4 Secret Pyramids’ 95 percent RTP, ‘High’ volatility, a maximum win of 55,000x, and average best wins after 100 spins. It’s all very useful. The same may be said for the betting alternatives. Normal stakes range from 20p to £/€15 each spin, however pressing the x2 Bonus button doubles free spins and boosts the stake by 25%. Additionally, pressing the Xtra Bonus button doubles the chances of actually triggering free spins, which comes at a 25% premium.

4 Secret Pyramids is a 5-reel, 4-row game with 1,024 possibilities to win that spans the entire grid. When matching pay symbols appear in neighbouring reels, starting on the left, players receive a standard win. Five of a kind pays 1-2x the stake when made up of the 10-A card ranks, or 2.5-5x the bet when made up of five Ankhs, Eyes, Anubis’, adventuresses, or Egyptian ladies. Wilds assist in this effort by replacing for all symbols except the scatter symbol for free spins.

Slot Features

Since the Bonus Up function has returned, let’s have a look at how it works. In general, the game offers four bonus round locations, each with rising maximum multipliers and winning chances. If you look at the box above the reels, you can see where you’ll go when the free spins next start. When two scatter symbols appear on reels 1 and 3, players can choose to earn a cash award of up to 50 times their stake or continue on the trail to the next bonus destination by clicking one of them. You can win up to 15 free spins, a maximum win multiplier of x4, and a potential of 12,000x your wager at the lowest level.

Up to 55 free spins, a maximum win multiplier of x15, and a potential win of 55,000x the stake are available at the top level.

When three scatter symbols appear on reels 1, 3, and 5, this feature is activated. A couple of things happen before they begin. One, you can take a chance on moving up the path to the next bonus tier if you are successful, or down if you are failed. After you’ve passed that stage, you’ll be able to use the Pyramid Pick feature. Up to the limit of the current bonus round location, you click blocks to disclose how many free spins you get, what the win multiplier is, and what the stacked symbol is.

After the fourth pick, a ‘X’ appears, ending the picking round and triggering free spins. Landing three scatter symbols during free spins awards an additional 5-10 free spins.

When you click the Buy feature button, you’ll see four options:

• 60x the stake for up to 20 free spins, an x6 multiplier, and a maximum prize of 20,000x the original bet.
• 120x the stake for up to 20 free spins, an x11 multiplier, and a maximum prize of 35,000x the basic bet.
• 120x the stake for up to 40 free spins, an x6 multiplier, and a maximum prize of 35,000x the basic bet.
• 200x the stake for up to 55 free spins, an x15 multiplier, and a maximum win of 55,000x the basic bet.

After purchasing the game, players use the Pyramid Pick function to choose the number of free spins, stacked symbols, and win multipliers they will receive.

Theme and Design

Players should be mentally prepared for a vacation to the sands of Ancient Egypt, with a title like 4 Secret Pyramids. Although there are pyramids in other regions of the world, such as Sudan and even Rome, pyramids are associated with Ancient Egypt, hence we are here. The high graphical level of 3 Secret Cities was one of the game’s strengths, which 4 Secret Pyramids maintains. However, because there appear to be 14,000 other Egypt slots at times, the graphical excitement isn’t as high as it could be if 4ThePlayer had chosen a less touristic site. However, the imagery is difficult to criticise, so Egyptophiles should enjoy all of the pyramids, statues, and animals on display in 4 Secret Pyramids.

Conclusion

When you take away the quest, the extra betting possibilities, and the bonus buy, 4 Secret Pyramids is about as complicated as a standard ‘book of’ slot. Although the lower RTP (relative to its predecessor) is a bit of a disappointment, there is a lot more up for grabs here. At the end of the day, this is a game that is suited for those who want a simple Egypt slot with a large maximum win and plenty of dials to fiddle with.