Rise and Fall of Ra Slot Review
In today’s Rise and Fall of Ra slot review, we are packing our bags to head over to the popular slots destination of Ancient Egypt. Officially released by big-name developer Yggdrasil as part of their ‘Gati’ network, indie developers Thunderbolt Gaming and Triple Cherry, worked in collaboration to create this 2024 slot release. Played at medium volatility and a 96% RTP the Rise and Fall of Ra slot features a dynamic game grid with win ways ranging from 729–531,441 total ways. The slot machine has features such as a bonus wheel, and free spins, and has a top payout of 10,752x a player's total stake amount. However, with such a collaboration of developers, is this slot the perfect meeting of minds, or a case of too many cooks? Find out in our comprehensive Rise and Fall of Ra slot review.
Rise and Fall of Ra
Rise and Fall of Ra RTP and Wagering
The slot machine Rise and Fall of Ra has six expanding reels, each with a maximum of nine rows. The initial setup of the game is 5x4x3x3x4x5. The number of ways varies according to the number of rows per reel, from 729 to 531,441. Make sure to set your wager by clicking on the coin icon before you start spinning as the game will open with a standard wager of £2.50 per spin. The Rise and Fall of Ra game can be played for as little as 25p up to £20 at most UK casinos, but the full range is up to £125. Auto spins are available for non-UK players, but there are no quick or turbo spins.
Clicking on the three lines at the bottom left of the screen will display useful information. The Pay Table lists the winning combinations as well as the payouts. Combinations of symbols operate from left to right but only need to appear in consecutive columns and will be counted as a winway no matter the position or height of the said column. Winning ways are accounted for before the reels shift. The new symbols that appear will not be counted to make new ways.
The standard RTP for the Rise and Fall of Ra slot is 96% which is exactly the market average, however, it is worth noting that versions with alternate math models of 86.00%, 90.50%, and 94.00%, so make sure you are playing the version with the most favourable RTP. The Rise and Fall of Ra game is a low-to-medium volatility slot game, which bucks the seemingly current trend of super high volatility games. Unlike other low volatility games though, the Rise and Fall of Ra slot boasts a hefty top payout of 10,752x your total wager.
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Rise and Fall of Ra Symbols and Audio & Video Design
The Rise and Fall of Ra has an Ancient Egyptian theme, which is a common one in the online slots market. However, more often than not it is Ra’s son Horus, god of the skies that takes centre stage in gameplay, and while he does make an appearance, the focus is centered around his father.
The sun deity Ra is also the monarch and father of all Egyptian deities. In human form, he is frequently depicted holding an ankh in his right hand, a sceptre in his left, and a golden disc with a serpent on top of his head serving as a crown. While researching this article (as a history buff), I researched tales of Ra and what the ‘rise and fall’ mentioned by the developers could mean. There was nothing specific other than Ra’s battles with the enemy god of the underworld and chaos Apep, waters surrounding the reels (which we can suppose is the Nile) are red, suggesting conflict or disaster.
Maybe the developers are alluding to the rise and the fall of the Ancient Egyptian empire, or are being much more literal, referring to the expanding reel set; either way, it is clear like much of the Egyptians, the answer is lost somewhere in the sands that appear dappled with palm trees in the background of the game.
Overall the visual quality of the Rise and Fall of Ra slot is really good. There are pyramids in the background, and the reels which are decorated with hieroglyphs look like they have been hewn from the same stone. The backdrop of the slot is animated, with the red waters rippling softly, and the clouds drifting across the sky; though these seem to be moving quite fast, and this is a bit visually distracting.
The soundtrack to the Rise and Fall of Ra slot is nothing short of bombastic. While it is a high-quality orchestral score worthy of a clash of gods, it blares in suddenly as soon as the game is loaded, and there is no quick button to turn it off, instead, you have to click the three lines to go into the settings and then toggle it on or off- all the while the soundscape sandblasts your ears. It is worth noting that the game does not seem to remember your preferences, meaning the audio will play every time the game loads - which could be a little embarrassing if you are gaming on the go.
The Rise and Fall of Ra’s paytable is full of the standard fayre for a slot of this genre, plus the low-paying playing card symbols 10-A, and a Khufu Ship (the boat to the afterlife), cats (which were sacred to Egyptians), and a stone pendant of Horus are the middle-paying symbols. The two most valuable symbols are the Eye of Horus and Ra’s falcon (Amon-Ra). There are also wilds and scatter symbols, and the full paytable for the Rise and Fall of Ra slot is as follows:
Nine
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.20x, 0.08x, 0.16x, or 0.48x the total stake amount.
Ten
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.20x, 0.08x, 0.16x, or 0.48x the total stake amount.
Jack
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.20x, 0.08x, 0.16x, or 0.48x the total stake amount.
Queen
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.20x, 0.08x, 0.16x, or 0.48x the total stake amount.
King
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.20x, 0.08x, 0.16x, or 0.48x the total stake amount.
Ace
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.20x, 0.08x, 0.16x, or 0.48x the total stake amount.
Khufu Ship
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.20x, 0.40x, 1x, or 2x the total stake amount.
Cat Statue
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.20x, 0.40x, 1x, or 2x the total stake amount.
Ra Pendant
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.32x, 0.64x, 1.28x, or 2.56x the total stake amount.
Eye of Horus
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.32x, 0.64x, 1.28x, or 2.56x the total stake amount.
Amon-Ra
3, 4, 5, or 6 on the reels will award 0.48x, 1x, 1.60x, or 3.20x the total stake amount.
Wild Symbol
Looks like a golden scarab and can stand in for all other non-special symbols to form winning combinations.
Horus Symbol
Looks like a green and gold falcon. When landed on the reels the symbol will expand the size of the reel set.
Bonus Symbol
This is goddess Bastet, who has a cat head and a red colour scheme. This symbol works as a scatter and three or more on the reels grants access to the free spins bonus.
Rise and Fall of Ra Mobile Features
The Rise and Fall of Ra slot machine has been optimised so it can be played on all devices including smartphones and mobile devices operating Android, iOS, and Windows. However, with such tall reels which can expand to a total of 9 reels, plus animations in the background, this is a very visually busy slot, which may make playing the game on a small screen pretty tricky. It is also worth reiterating that the soundtrack of the Rise and Fall of Ra slot is loud and will play as soon as the game is loaded even if you had turned it off in prior gameplay sessions. Therefore, when you load the game, make sure your volume is down!
Rise and Fall of Ra Bonus Features
Just as the Rise and Fall of Ra slots’ reels can expand to offer even more paylines, so too are the bonus features on offer equally as expansive. Each of the bonus features included in gameplay are examined in more detail below:
Bonus Wheel (Base Game)
Every reel in the base game can expand and, upon reaching a maximum size of nine symbol slots. If this happens, then the Bonus Wheel will become active, after which the corresponding reel will contract back to its original size of three after it has finished. One of the following features will be awarded by the Bonus Wheel:
- Low Prize: An instant bet multiplier prize of three to fifty times the total stake is awarded to the player.
- High Prize: An instant bet multiplier prize of 10 and 500 times the total stake is awarded to the player.
- Sticky Stacked Wilds: The first reel will be filled with sticky wilds. These look exactly like the golden scarab wilds seen in the base game but glow brightly. The reel set will shrink one position per spin until it returns to the original size, which takes 7 spins.
- Mini-Link Bonus: This symbol looks like the Eye of Horus with an Ourobourous border (a snake eating its tail) that glows green. A maximum total win multiplier of 273x is awarded during a respin bonus round. All Link symbols that pay out at least 1x, 2x, 3x, 5x, 7x, or 10x will be collected.
- Free Spins Bonus: This symbol looks like the Bastet bonus symbol which is glowing red. This symbol will grant the player Instant access to the Rise and Fall of Ra free spins bonus round.
Free Spins Bonus
Players can gain access to the free spins bonus round by landing the respective symbol on the bonus wheel, purchasing instant access to free spins via the bonus buy feature (eligible regions only), or by landing three of the bonus symbols on the reels in any position within a single spin.
It all changes during the free spins bonus round, as the reels flip (literally) signalling to us that are now in the underworld. The reels now have an eerie red and purple hue, and the base game symbols have all been given an ominous makeover with red and purple tones. The cat statue symbol undertakes the biggest change, now being a skeletal totem.
As everything is flipped, with each appearance of the free spins Horus symbol, which is a skeletal and glowing version of the icon seen in the base game, the reels expand downward by one to three spots. The row configuration at the beginning is 3-3-3-3-3-3.
The Bonus Wheel feature remains active during free spins, and is triggered in the same way as before; when the reels are fully expanded. However, this time the Bonus Wheel features modified, higher-value prizes:
- Low Prize: A multiplier prize win prize worth between 3x, 4x, 5x, 8x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, or 50x is awarded.
- High Prize: A multiplier prize worth between 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 30x, 50x, or 100x the entire wager.
- Sticky Stacked Wilds: Function in a similar way to the base game.
- Instant Prize Bonus: Pays out 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, or 50 times the total bet as an instant prize bonus.
There is no preset number of free spins awarded to players and instead, the feature is ended when the Instant Prize Bonus is awarded.
Bonus Buy and Bonus Boost (Non-UK Only)
The Rise and Fall of Ra offers a Bonus Boost that demands a 20% increase in total stake. In exchange, players have increased opportunities to trigger a Bonus on any spin in the standard game.
Non-UK players in eligible regions can also make sure of the Bonus Buy feature, the cost ranges from 55.12x to 59.60x the stake, depending on the RTP version you choose to play. The Bonus Buy feature will grant players instant access to the free spins bonus round.
Rise and Fall of Ra Final Thoughts
There is plenty to love about the Rise and Fall of Ra slot. The range of winways from 729-531,441 blows even the modified Megaways slots with over 200,000 paylines out of the water. The RTP is on par with the market average at 96%; (just look out for the 86.00% and 90.50% versions). One thing I particularly like about the Rise and Fall of Ra slot is that it bucks the current trend for super high volatility slot games, bringing players a low-to-medium volatility slot experience that still boasts decent symbol payout values and a punchy top prize of 10,752 times a player's total wager.
The game offers a decent selection of bonus elements, and highlights are the payouts for matching symbols across columns regardless of height, and the inversion of the reels during free spins, complete with the cat statue which turns to bones when we head to the underworld.
Less successful is the soundtrack, which explodes your ears as soon as the game loads in a cacophony of orchestral sound. Though high quality, there is no build-up to the full score seen in other games, and players need to enter the settings menu to turn it off, even if this had been configured in a prior session. Also of note are the animations on screen; while the rippling water is nice and subtle, the clouds in the backdrop zoom by which is an irritating distraction from the reels.
Everything looks good on paper, with a strong math model, and a decent selection of bonus features, with even a little twist thrown in - so why do I feel so uninspired by the Rise and Fall of Ra slot? As a self-declared paragon of honesty and transparency, I took some time to consider and I have the answer.
I think it all comes down to personal taste. Developers like ELK Studios and NetEnt have been killing it lately with their immersive storytelling featured in their games, and Yggdrasil, (who oversaw the development of this slot), has shown such finesse with the recent release Ghost Father. I feel some extra effort to depict some of the rich mythos of the Ancient Egyptian culture, would have made this slot a home run within the crowded Egyptian slot genre.
Instead, so much developmental input (Thunderbolt Gaming/Triple Cherry/Yggdrasil), may have watered down the concept, leaving them achingly close to something special, seen in elements such as the inverting reels suggesting the underworld, and the feature of lesser-known deities like Bastet. Instead, the game falls at the final furlong, slipping into the easy-to-replicate tropes which plague a genre with such hyper-exposure.
Still, the core components of a good slot are present in the Rise and Fall of Ra game, and if you are not too fussed by storytelling and immersive theming, then this slot is sure to keep you well entertained. Which is why I rate the Rise and Fall of Ra slot at 7/10.
Rating: 7.0
If you like Rise and Fall of Ra, then check out these other Egypt Theme slot games
Rise and Fall of Ra FAQ
Here are some of the most common questions we get asked about The Rise and Fall of Ra.
