The delightfully creative protagonist from Charle Chance in Hell to Pay returns in the newest online slot game, Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra. The fact that he was influenced by Max Fleischer’s first animated works—including Popeye and Betty Boop—makes this unique figure all the more interesting. In this latest installment, Charlie has been excavating ancient Egyptian tombs and has accidentally reawakened Cleopatra’s mummy. Now he must try to get away from her before she puts a curse on him in retaliation.
Presentation and Format
Max Fleischer’s animation has a recognizable style, but the transition to color from black and white led to certain changes in presentation. The Charlie Chance video games have also developed similarly. While the setting of the original game, published in May 2020, was black and white, the symbols on the 6×6 grid slot that followed feature a wide variety of colors.
The tombs of Ancient Egypt provide the backdrop. Inscribed motifs on slabs of colored stone represent lower-value symbols, while intricate Egyptian emblems increase your chances of winning more valuable prizes. A scarab beetle made of amber is a scatter, while a Cleopatra figure reminiscent of Betty Boop is a wild card.
To win a prize, you must obtain a cluster of five or more identical symbols. Once you’ve collected your winnings, the symbols that helped you win will vanish and be replaced by others. A multiplier can rise by one, up to a maximum of three times its original value, for every three consecutive cascades.
Surprising Elements
While playing the main game, Charlie Chance and the Curse of Cleopatra may randomly activate some highly helpful bonuses. Included in this group are:
Cleo’s Columns: When this feature is activated, two neighboring reels will become aligned such that their symbols form winning clusters more frequently.
When Cleo’s Columns are in play, a 2×2 Charlie Mega Symbol can occur on the first spin or during a cascade. When he shows there in the middle of a cascade, he stays there until the end. Any low-value symbols that come into contact with Charlie after wins have been awarded will be destroyed, and Charlie will become a Mega Wild.
The Flying Scarab Wilds feature increases your chances of landing a winning cluster by adding anywhere from five to eight Scarab Wilds to the grid whenever it is activated.
The Serpent’s Trail bonus round is activated exclusively on losing spins. A serpent will crawl in a gridded pattern. As it moves along, it will destroy some symbols and change others into identical ones.
Gamble Feature Free Spins
The primary Free Spins feature is activated when three or more Cleopatra scatter symbols appear anywhere on the reels. With three scatters, you’ll receive eight free games; with more than three, you’ll receive four extra for each additional scatter.
In the Free Spins phase, your active multiplier remains in effect, and it continues to increase by 1 for every three successive cascades. The multiplier, however, does not reset, and it can reach a maximum of x10 at this point in the game.
A New Perspective on Ancient Egypt
The Head of Games at Play’n GO, Charlotte Miliziano, recently took a moment to explain why Charlie Chance traveled to Ancient Egypt after visiting Hell and Back.
Our [Rich] Wilde and [Book of] Dead series are fan favorites, and we attribute this to the immersive storytelling they offer. In addition to the stunning visuals and sounds, the wealth and riches linked with the treasures of ancient pharaohs add to the enjoyment of the game.
We’ve had a new experience of Ancient Egypt thanks to the style of the Charlie Chance games. I’m sure gamers will enjoy this new release despite its stark contrast to, say, the Dead series.