Two slots can show the same symbols on the same 5 × 3 grid and still pay in completely different ways. The difference lies in how the game reads the grid: along fixed lines, along every path between neighboring reels, or as groups of touching symbols. Once you know which system a game uses, every win on the screen makes sense.
Fixed paylines in Treasures of Horus
A payline is a fixed path across the reels that touches one position on each of the five reels. Treasures of Horus has 20 fixed paylines. They are always active, and your total bet is split evenly between them.
The rules for a line win are short:
- 3, 4 or 5 matching symbols, read left to right and starting on the first reel;
- the winged sun WILD can complete a combination, but it never replaces the Pyramid;
- only the best combination on each line pays, and wins on different lines add up.
Worked example. You bet 1,000 coins, so each line carries 50. Five Horus symbols land on one line, and that pays 1,000 × 50 = 50,000 coins, or 50 × the total bet. A WILD can sit in the middle, too: Horus, Horus, winged sun, Horus, Horus still counts as five Horus. Now picture the same symbols on reels 2 to 5 with something else on reel 1: that line pays nothing, because the combination has to start on the first reel.
The Pyramid is the exception. As a SCATTER it ignores lines: three pyramids anywhere on the reels pay 2 × the total bet (2,000 coins in our example) and start 8 free spins.
243 ways in Pharaoh’s Tomb
Pharaoh’s Tomb has no lines at all. A win is formed by matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left, in any row. With three rows on each of five reels, there are 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 243 possible paths, which is where the name comes from.
To count the ways in a win, multiply the number of matching symbols on each reel of the run. Several different symbols can win at the same time, each with its own ways.
Worked example. The ankh lands once on reel 1, twice on reel 2 and once on reel 3, but not on reel 4. That makes 1 × 2 × 1 = 2 ways, and the run ends at reel 3. If the third position on reel 2 were a temple gates WILD, it would count as an ankh as well: 1 × 3 × 1 = 3 ways.
Cluster pays, planned for Gates of Ra
Cluster games drop lines and reading direction altogether. A win is a group of identical symbols that touch each other, usually side by side or one above the other; diagonal neighbors normally don’t count. The larger the cluster, the bigger the win.
Picture six suns joined edge to edge: together they form one cluster of six, wherever they sit on the grid. A seventh sun touching the group only at a corner would usually stay outside it.
Gates of Ra is planned with cluster pays, sun multipliers from ×2 to ×50 and a Gift of Dawn bonus round. It is not playable yet, the features may change, and the exact rules will be published when it is released.
The three systems side by side
| Detail | Treasures of Horus | Pharaoh’s Tomb | Gates of Ra |
|---|---|---|---|
| System | 20 fixed paylines | 243 ways to win | Cluster pays (planned) |
| A win is | 3–5 matching symbols on a line from reel 1 | Matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left, any row | A group of touching identical symbols |
| Highlight | Gift of Horus free spins | Treasury jackpots and golden scarabs | Sun multipliers from ×2 to ×50 |
| Status | Playable | Playable | Coming soon |
Which one suits you?
There is no better or worse system, only a different rhythm. Fixed lines are easy to follow: in Treasures of Horus fire runs along every winning line, so you see exactly what paid. Ways feel more fluid, because a single win in Pharaoh’s Tomb can light up symbols in several rows at once. Clusters will bring a third rhythm when Gates of Ra arrives. Both playable games share one balance, so try each and keep the one you enjoy most.
