John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen

Published: wed 9 oct 2019 | Updated: wed 9 oct 2019

New Adventure Slot from Pragmatic Play

Stories about adventurers and explorers have always captured the human imagination. In 1864 Jules Verne gave the world his best-selling novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Robert E. Howard thrilled us with his tales of Conan the Barbarian in the 1930’s. Steven Spielberg introduced us to Indiana Jones in the 1980’s, and almost two decades ago Lara Croft made the successful transition from video games to the big screen.

Intrepid adventurers are just as popular in the world of online slot games, and there are many titles which involve characters exploring far-off places and solving ancient puzzles in order to find priceless treasures. Some of those characters have proven so successful that they have appeared in multiple titles, and one of the big names for development company Pragmatic Play in this genre is John Hunter.

John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen is the third in a series of adventures starring the bearded hero. The first two installments were John Hunter and the Secrets of Da Vinci’s Treasure and John Hunter and the Aztec Treasure. If you have played either of those games then you will be familiar with the overall style of the latest title, but here the action takes place in Egypt, where Hunter must explore the tomb of the titular Scarab Queen in order to grab whatever treasures he can find.

Game Setting and Presentation

There is no shortage of online slot games which are set in Egypt, so it would be unrealistic to expect John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen to take us into unexplored territory. That said, this game does a great job in creating a realistic and immersive environment that even seasoned adventure slot players will love.

Exploring Egyptian tombs is always a bit more exciting when it takes place at dawn or dusk, and it’s probably a lot cooler too, so the background of the main game shows pyramids standing majestically in the desert under a purple sky. The game has five reels which are presented within an ornate frame of gold, and the symbols are both beautifully designed and stand out well against the rich red background of the reels themselves.

You won’t be surprised to find the playing card ranks of J, Q, K and A serving as the lower-value symbols, and other symbols used include a robust leather satchel, a pistol in its holster, the Egyptian god Anubis and the familiar figure of John Hunter. A Scarab Queen symbol appears on the second, third, fourth and fifth reels, and serves as a wild, whilst a golden pyramid symbol appears on the second, third and fourth reels, and serves as a scatter.

The visuals in this game are of a very high quality, and provide a good balance between being vividly colourful and satisfyingly realistic. Animations are nicely employed to highlight wins and other important events (such as getting three scatter symbols) whenever they occur, so be sure to maximise the game window when playing on desktop if you want to fully appreciate those.

The soundtrack of an online slot game can make or break the sense of immersion, and we are pleased to report that John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen boasts a fantastic theme which cleverly combines Egyptian riffs and a relentless driving rhythm to build suspense and excitement to the max. Incident-specific sound effects are also very good, and have a magical quality that accentuates the mystical nature of the adventure as a whole.

Money Collect Feature

The highlight of John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen is its fantastic Money Collect Feature. This feature is triggered by getting three golden pyramid symbols on the reels at the same time – an event which is accompanied by the ringing of bells, just in case you weren’t paying attention. A cascade of golden coins covers the screen and you will be awarded eight free spins.

The free spins round takes place in the Tomb of the Scarab Queen, which is a room full of gold statues, coins and other ancient treasures. Another couple of differences that you will notice here is that the rich red colour of the reels becomes a deep blue, and a Super Respin value is now displayed above the fourth and fifth reels.

Scarab Money symbols appear on the first, second, third and fourth reels during this part of the game, whilst Scarab Collect symbols appear on the fifth reel. The Money symbols will always show a coin value, and if you get one or more of these symbols on the reels without a collect symbol on the fifth reel, the combined value of the money symbols will be added to the Super Respin total.

If you get Money symbols on the reels with a Collect symbol on the fifth reel then you will win a prize straight away. The type of Collect symbol you get on the fifth reel will determine exactly what happens next, with a standard Collect paying you the total sum of the Money symbols shown. Other types of Collect symbol will increase the value of Money symbols before paying you, apply a multiplier, cause the Money symbols to expand or hold existing Money symbols and respin other cells to give you a shot at winning even more.

Additional free spins can be won by getting another three scatter symbols on the reels (unlimited free spins are possible), and the last free spin of all is a Super Spin which give you a chance to win the total value shown in the Super Respin display.

A Superb Adventure

John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen is a superb adventure which will delight fans of the treasure-hunting genre. Visit your favourite venue offering Pragmatic Play titles to explore it for yourself, and may all your scarabs be lucky!