Mummies reimagined
Two acclaimed indie-style iGaming powerhouses prioritizing quality over quantity have added fresh twists to the Ancient Egypt genre with a pair of vibrant, immersive slots.
Foxium’s Mummy Mania Perks Up Power Combo takes the quirky route and Hacksaw Gaming’s Sand and Ashes the edgy, with both slots taking the afterlife genre to another level.
Stockholm-listed studio Hacksaw took to X last month to give players a preview of the striking, nightmare-dark visuals now available to experience in gameplay:
Much more than just a pretty facade, however, both new releases showcase their studio’s reputation for delivering mechanical and mathematical magic.
Hacksaw’s boom from the tomb
Sand and Ashes’ mechanics are cutting-edge and take the Egyptian slot-horror genre and sticky wild multiplier concept in a wholly new direction.
Desert sands blow through the 5×5 gaming grid to leave Wild Scarab Multiplier symbols sticking to it via respins and free spins. Sandstorms and Firestorms up the value of sticky scarabs and reposition them in potential blizzards of sand.
Once a player’s wins have been evaluated, their Wild Scarab Multipliers activate a respin, sticking in place while other symbols, such as the higher paying Sobek, Anubis, Horus, and pharaoh sigils spin in. If new Wild Scarab Multipliers alight on a respin, fresh respins trigger until the scarabs are gone from the grid, or until there are no more positions available, with payline wins given when each respin ends.
Sand and Ashes offers 19 winning combination-evaluating paylines, with high-rollers able to stake a maximum bet of $100 per spin, and casual players as little as $0.10. The base game includes a Desert Fury bonus round, while the max win of 10,000x is doable in all phases of play across this high-engagement, medium volatility slot with a solid RTP of 96.27%.
designed to spook rather than charm players”
For Ancient Egypt slot aficionados after an edgier angle to their play, trade press were quick to note Sand and Ashes has the hallmarks of a Hacksaw creative team known for games “designed to spook rather than charm players.”
As the red-eyes aglow main character mummy hunts down and attempts to curse tomb robbers, its outstretched, claw-like hand adds to the sense of risk and danger sure to keep all players on their toes.
Foxium’s blast from the past
Foxium takes a far more accessible cartoon slot-horror approach via crisp, clean visuals in Mummy Mania Perks Up Power Combo, where four quirky mummies stand guard over the gold-clad reels.
In this slot, however, the mummies are on the players’ side. Simply bestow special coins on the four ex-pharoahs to upgrade their powers and stand to harvest wins of up to 5,000x the bet, along with extra spins, better coin values, lucrative multipliers, and cash-collecting frames in the bonus game.
triggers a chance to upgrade a corresponding perk
A highlight of Mummy Mania Perks Up Power Combo is its progressive Perks Up mechanic. This feature offers multiple perks presided over by the four mummified color-coded pharaohs. Each time one of the four collect a coin of their color, it triggers a chance to upgrade a corresponding perk.
The innovative perk progression feature, medium volatility and a robust 96.01% RTP ensure balanced gameplay, even if serious players might prefer a higher than $50 main bet maximum.
Ultimately, the Estonia-based boutique studio delivers an engaging, feature-packed adventure that stands out in a cluttered genre.
