Slots adopt the use of themes to make gameplay more entertainment beyond the spinning of reels and landing winning combinations. Some slot machines are crafted around historical figures that continue to be widely studied today. For instance, the Horus you can find when playing Eye of Horus free play game by Merkur focus on the legendary god famed for being falcon-headed god of the sun, sky, war, and kingship.. Many more slot games take players down history to explore influential people, and here is a look at the latest additions to this theme category:
Book of Cleopatra
Book of Cleopatra online slot is a product of the online gaming software developer Stakelogic. The slot machine focuses on the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra, who is often defined as the epitome of beauty and brains. Cleopatra’s family, which was of Greek descent, ruled Egypt for 300 years, and she sat on the throne for three decades of this time. Cleopatra is widely known for being smart and cunning, which is why she was her father’s favourite child. Also, the queen is said to have been so beautiful that she was referred to as the incarnation of the goddess Isis. She is said to have used her wits and allure to seduce two of the most powerful rulers of the time – Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
The fascination with Cleopatra continues thousands of years after her death, especially in the world of entertainment. Book of Cleopatra slot game is one of many that focus on this skilful Egyptian ruler. In the slot, gamers can explore different facets of ancient Egyptian art as they walk through the temple holding its five reels and ten play lines. The set also features a wide range of bonuses, starting with character payouts. Cleopatra stands among the high-value symbols in the game with wins as high as 50,000 credits for a combination of five. Pharaoh is featured as well and pays as much as 20,000 credits. Other incentives in the game include:
- Wild scatter – the brown book with a golden Eye of Ra plays both the wild and scatter in Book of Cleopatra. It can replace others to complete payout combinations, and the appearance of three of them at a go activates the free spin bonus.
- Free spins – ten freebies are awarded for three scatters, and one standard icon is chosen to have expanding features. The selected symbol pays up to 20,000 credits.
- Buy Free Spins – players can purchase the free spin bonus without having to wait for the wild scatter to active it.
- Free Spins Gamble – One can choose to gamble their free spins once they are awarded, which results in either gaining or losing five spins. This feature continues until there are no more freebies or the maximum number of 25 of them is awarded.
Book of Sheba
Sheba often referred to as the Queen of Sheba, is another historical figure recognized for her beauty and wits. Sheba was first mentioned in the books of I Kings and II Chronicles in the Bible, and later in the Quran, Kebra Negast, and Targum Sheni. In all cases, she is said to have travelled to Israel somewhere between 965 and 931 BCE to witness the wisdom of King Solomon for herself before returning to her kingdom. Unlike Cleopatra, the Queen of Sheba’s existence is not backed by archaeological evidence, and any mentions of her are only in the scripture texts. Nonetheless, she is argued to have ruled either Ethiopia or Southern Arabia at some point in history.
iSoftBet imitates the ‘Book of’ series with a feature by this queen in the Book of Sheba slot game. The pokie reflects the stunning beauty the monarch is rumoured to have had as she is presented in stunning gold jewellery hanging from her head down to her neck, bosoms, and waist. In the five by three slot machine, players can meet the queen while using stakes of between ten pennies and ten euros or pounds per round. Sheba showcases her generosity by offering a range of payouts for collecting winning combinations, which pay as follows:
| Icon | Wins for Two | For Three | For Four | For Five |
| 10 | N/A | 5 | 25 | 100 |
| J | N/A | 5 | 25 | 100 |
| Q | N/A | 5 | 25 | 100 |
| K | N/A | 5 | 40 | 150 |
| A | N/A | 5 | 40 | 150 |
| Jewelry | 5 | 30 | 100 | 750 |
| Gold mask | 5 | 30 | 100 | 750 |
| Lion | 5 | 40 | 400 | 2000 |
| Queen Sheba | 10 | 100 | 1000 | 5000 |
Book of Sheba online slot also features a free spin bonus that activates once 3 book scatters land on the grid. Ten free spins are awarded in the round, and one icon is chosen randomly to become an expanding symbol. The golden book character plays the wild in both the base game and free spins. This bonus item only lands on the second through fourth columns.
Arthur’s Gold
Arthur’s Gold slot machine is a 2020 release by Gold Coin Studios in collaboration with the software developing guru Microgaming. The slot machine focuses on the famous medieval, mythical legend King Arthur, who is famed for his prowess in the battlefield and use of magic to defeat his enemies. Considering the first cases of King Arthur tales trace as far back as the fifth and sixth century, it is difficult to tell whether he was real or not. However, numerous accounts show that his character might have been based off a British warrior that played a crucial role in defeating the Saxons by starving off their invasion. His legend has been popularized in films, games, and movies alike, with Arthur’s Gold Slot being the latest instalment.
Arthur’s Gold slot machine invites players to enjoy some of the spoils that the king collects in his conquests. The game carries the unique feature of awarding for combinations of as many as ten characters on its five reels. This is made possible by high-value characters sometimes appearing as double symbols. Punters can collect as much as 4000 times the stake used. The set has a gamble feature as well that is activated after each win, which allows players to double up by choosing correctly between the heads and tails of a flipped coin. A free spin bonus accompanies these winnings and is activated by three treasure chest symbols, which play the scatters. In the free spins, the grid includes an additional special wild on top of the regular one that appears on the second to fourth reels.
Vikings Go to Hell
Vikings Go to Hell slot game focuses on an entire historical tribe rather than a single figure. Vikings are among the most famous tribes in history, and they existed between the eighth and eleventh century in Southern Scandinavia, which is modern-day Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Vikings are often portrayed barbaric, predatory, invasive, and godless people that lived to raid and plunder. While this is somewhat true, they are also credited as expert sailors that sailed on longships to the Middle East, North Africa, and even the Americas.
Yggdrasil Gaming depicts the barbaric nature of this tribe in a slot series, and Vikings Go to Hell slot is the last instalment. The game accompanies four of the fiercest Viking warriors as they face off with demons of the underworld. The showdown takes place on five reels with 25 pay lines that can hold bets between 0.10 and 125 credits. In the set, players can collect a wide range of incentives, including:
- Free spins: The free spins in Vikings Go to Hell slot machine are awarded for landing three to five demon scatters, which grant seven to sixteen bonus rounds. Landing two of them also allows gamers the chance to get more wins by summoning a demon and awarding Rage and Wild bonuses when the player wins.
- Wild: This icon is simply denoted by the word WILD written in gold font, and it can replace any other to complete a winning combination.
- Regular wins: Players collect credit wins for the formation of combinations consisting of three to five similar icons on a bet line from the leftmost reel. The redhead Viking awards the biggest win of 150 times the placed line bet.
Michael Jackson: King of Pop
Michael Jackson is one of the best-selling singers, dancers, and songwriters in human history. The legend, often coined as the king of pop, became a household name as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 and later cemented his success with the solo albums Bad, Thriller, and Off the Wall in his solo career. Michael passed away at the age of 50 in 2009 when he suffered a cardiac arrest from an apparent overdose.
Bally honours the icon with the Michael Jackson: King of Pop slot game, which was released relatively recently in 2016. The game features items that are tied to the popstar such as his legendary shining glove, black hat, and aviator sunglasses. The game pays as much as 500 times the line bet, and the wins are accompanied by wilds, free spins, and a jackpot win of 2500 times the total stake.
Parting Shot
Famous historical figures continue to inspire slot machine themes to date, and they are only expected to get better with time. These games and others that fall in the category are available to players in both free and real money versions.