Atem, also known as Atum, is an Egyptian god – the finisher of the world. Everything including other deities is believed to be made out of the flesh of this god. At the end of a cycle, he turns all created into watery chaos.
Book of Atem is a 5-reeled slot with 3 rows and 10 fixed pay-lines. The latter grant you wins when 2 to 5 identical symbols land from left (reel 1) to right. Bet sizes start from 0.10 and can reach to 25 credits per spin. You can win from the top-paying symbol – the Pharaoh. It gives you up to 500 times your stake for 5 of a kind combination. There are 3 other premium and 5 low-value card symbols.
The book is a wild and a scatter at the same time and as the latter gives you good payouts. When you trigger the free spins you will win from 2 to 200 times your stake initially, according to the number of scatters. Then, you will have a random symbol chosen to be the expanding one. Book of Atem is a high volatility slot with an RTP of 96.45%. The jackpot prize you can score is 5,400 times your stake or £135,000.
The background of the slot is semi-transparent and in light colours. On the grid and around it you can see a serene pool in prevailing light turquoise, green and blue. On the left stands the palace with palm trees on both sides of the grid. The colours of the symbols and the setting behind and around the grid are light and with a lot of gold. The cards are all made of gold with jewels. The picture symbols include a bright pink lotus flower, a striking cobra, a falcon and the Pharaoh.
The soundtrack is melodic, enticing and oriental in Egyptian style. The free spins are in warmer palette and colour tones with more dynamic music playing. The whole atmosphere of the game is intimate. The design and soundtrack of Book of Atem are fresh, light, pleasant and original. It is much more different than the graphics of most Egyptian-themed slots. Typically, they are dark with heavy temples and dimmed light coming from torches.
The symbols part of the Egyptian-themed slot includes 5 cards at the low end and 4 premium ones. Starting in a progressive order, the 10, J and Q pay equally. They bring you 0.5, 0.25 and 7.5 times your stake for 3, 4 and 5 symbols on a pay-line. The Q and A have a reward of 1, 4 and 15 times your stake for 3, 4 and 5 identical ones on a pay-line.
The high-value symbols include a pink lotus and a striking cobra. Both of these pay 0.5x, 2.5x, 10x and 75x stake for 2, 3, 4 and 5 matching symbols in a combination. The lanner falcon gives you 0.5x, 4x, 40x and 200x stake for 2 to 5 symbols, respectively. The top-paying symbol is the Pharaoh, of course. Landing 2, 3, 4 or 5 of it on a winning line grants you 1, 7.5, 100 or 500 times your stake.
Each of the low-value and premium symbols can be chosen to be the expanding one in free spins. The Pharaoh can ensure you the highest payout in case it is the chosen one.
The book symbol is a double one acting as a wild and a scatter. The wild can substitute any missing symbol except such in expanded symbol combinations. The latter happens during free spins. Scatters pay in any position and are multiplied by the total stake. Their wins are added to normal pay-line wins.
Landing 3 or more scatters in a spin trigger 10 free spins and gives you payouts according to their number. The rewards are:
On entry of the free spins feature, a random symbol will be picked to be the expanding one. This can be any symbol except the wild/scatter book. When the chosen symbol lands, it can expand to fill a whole reel after you get paid for regular winning combinations. The special symbol will expand only if it forms a win and gives you a payout. So, once it does, you can be sure that you will get a win from it.
Wins from the expanding symbols will be paid in addition to regular payouts. Expanding symbols don’t have to be adjacent or start from reel 1 to pay like the rest of the symbols. Wilds can’t substitute expanding symbols only. So, they will help you score more and better combinations from the standard symbols. You can re-trigger free spins and win more from the scatters and 10 free rounds.
Book of Atem is a compelling game with a nice design and musical background. It also has well-rewarding features. The main attraction is the free spins with the expanding symbols. But even the normal winning combinations pay well. It is a dynamic game that will attract mainly high rollers due to its high volatility. The highest possible win is 5,400 times your stake or £135,000 at the most. It is more than a reason to take your chance and at least try the game. Book of Atem is available for free play, but for real you can spin the reels since January.
About the Author
| Software Developer: | Microgaming |
| Theme: | Ancient Egypt |
| Bonus: | Yes |
| Rating: | 9.52 |
| Progressive: | No |
| Paylines: | 10 |
| Wild | Yes |
| Columns: | 5 |
| Name: | Book of Atem | Neptune’s Riches: Ocean of Wilds | Branded Megaways | Fruit Snap | Gold ‘N’ Rocks | Madame Ink |
| Provider: | Microgaming | Microgaming | Iron Dog Studio | Red Tiger Gaming | Golden Rock Studios | Play'N Go |
| Paylines: | 10 | 20 | 117649 | Cluster pays | 5 | 243 |
| Bonus: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Free spins: | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wild | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Jackpot: | 135.000 | 25,000x bet | 40,000x bet | 70 000 | 6,094x stake | 5,000x |
