Queen of the Nile: Aristocrat's Egyptian original

A pokie with history

Australians call them pokies, and Queen of the Nile is one of the most famous. Aristocrat's cabinet game came out in the 1990s and has been copied, updated and re-released ever since. The online Queen of the Nile slot keeps the original structure: five reels, three rows and 20 paylines, with Egyptian artwork that looks deliberately old-fashioned next to modern releases.

Symbols include Cleopatra herself, a pharaoh's mask, a scarab, the eye of Horus, gold rings and card ranks. Nothing on the reels moves much. The interest lies in two simple rules.

The Queen and the pyramids

The Queen is the wild. She substitutes for every symbol except the scatter, and any win she completes is doubled. Landing her twice on one line is the base game's best moment.

The pyramid is the scatter and pays anywhere. Three or more trigger 15 free spins, during which every win is tripled. Combine that with the Queen's doubling and wins she helps to form are worth six times their usual value. Pyramids can land again during the round to add more free spins.

How to play Queen of the Nile free

The demo opens with 1,000 virtual credits, with no download and no sign-up. A few ideas for your session:

• Play 300 spins at a stake equivalent to £0.20 and count the pyramid triggers.
• During free spins, look for Queen wilds: they decide whether the round is ordinary or memorable.
• Try the gamble option after a small win to see how the card guess works, using only virtual credits.

Queen of the Nile or the sequel?

The first game is simpler, with one fixed bonus. Queen of the Nile II lets you choose your free spins combination and widens the lines. If you want the classic, unchanged formula, start here. The same game runs for real money at the casinos below.