Valley of the Gods

Face some of the most ancient deities in Egypt with Valley of the Gods, the online slot from Yggdrasil. Journey to the land of sand and pyramids to play an atmospheric slot which is packed full of prizes. If you manage to hit the top combination, you could return with x500 in your pockets.  

Yggdrasil is well-known for creating slots that have a real impact, and although this game was released in 2017, it still has a wow factor. The slot game was such a success that Yggdrasil released a follow-up in 2020. The sequel kept many of the unique features but ramped up the prize pot to a more generous x5481. However, this has a higher volatility than the original, so it won't suit every player.  

Valley of the Gods is played on an unusual set of reels as the initial layout is deceptive. The outline suggests the board is 5x5, but there are blocker tiles within, so the area that's available to play from the start is 1-3-5-3-1. But this can increase at times - we'll get onto that a bit later in this review. Betting ranges from 0.25 to 100.00, so there's plenty of access for all budgets. However, with a top payout of x500 and a medium volatility, this is a slot which is likely to appeal more to those on a budget.

As usual, Yggdrasil has created a slot which has beautiful graphics with real depth. The Egyptian theme isn't incredibly complex, but it's executed with aplomb. Two giant carved statues flank the sand-coloured reels - but look carefully, and you'll notice that these are no ordinary sculptures. One bears the likeness of Anubis, and the other one Horus, two of the most revered deities from ancient Egypt. And once the gameplay gets underway, you might just want to keep a close eye on their antics… 

The reels are an abundance of themed symbols; there aren’t any playing cards included in the paytable. The low pays are a series of hieroglyphics including a snake, Eye of Ra, bird, cat, Ankh cross and decorative twist. The premium pays are beautiful renditions of four Egyptian icons: Anubis, Horus, Tutankhamen and Bastet. 

Unlike many other slots, there is no wild, but there's still plenty of action elsewhere. 

Valley of the Gods has plenty to spice up the gameplay, even though it might not be the exact type of features that you're more familiar with.  

As we mentioned above, the configuration of the board is an integral part of the gameplay. Although the reels start out as 1-3-5-3-1, this can change on any spin. If you land a winning combination next to the blocker tiles, they will release, and that part of the board will open up for play - but only on the next spin. After a non-winning spin, the blocker tiles will return, so you'll need to release them again! 

Every time you get a winning match and some blocker tiles are removed, you'll automatically get a respin for free. This will repeat and continue for as long as you are landing more wins. If you manage to open up the full board, you'll be playing with 3125 ways to win. 

If the whole board of blocker tiles are removed, you’ll activate Scarab Collections which animates the statues of Anubis and Horus. Scarab symbols will appear on the board, along with the regular symbols; Anubis collects but scarabs and Horus collects red scarabs. For every five red scarabs you collect, Horus will reward you with an extra life. Every life gives you an extra spin before the blocker tiles return. Anubis will give you multipliers, increasing it by +1 for every five blue scarabs received.  

There are no scatters or free spins, but with all the other features going on you’ll be kept very busy!

Valley of the Gods from Yggdrasil offers rich gameplay and a handful of fascinating features which you won’t find elsewhere. It’s rare to find a slot that has something unique but that’s what Yggdrasil are offering. No wilds, free spins or scatters may sound disappointing but the truth is that you’ll be kept so busy with other features, you’ll barely notice!