Golden Ark: Design and Theme
🖼️ Graphics
Golden Ark welcomes you to a dusty tomb where the walls shimmer with both gold and sand. At the centre is a classic five-reel grid framed by ancient Egyptian symbols: scarabs, the Eye of Horus, a pharaoh’s statue, and a mysterious female explorer whose features suspiciously resemble Lara Croft. Visually, the slot stays true to old Novomatic style — minimalistic yet instantly recognisable and full of charm.
🎶 Sound
There’s no background music — only the signature “clicks” and short fanfares typical of old Novomatic machines. For some, that’s nostalgic warmth and a trip back to the arcade hall; for others, a reason to reach for the mute button. Choose your side — the slot won’t mind.
Golden Ark Mechanics
|
🥁 Grid Size |
5x3 |
|
📊 Paylines |
10 |
|
➕ Bonus Game |
✅ |
|
🤑 Jackpot |
❌ |
|
💸 Extra Bet / Ante Bet |
❌ |
|
🪂 Fixed Multipliers |
❌ |
|
♻️ Respins |
✅ |
|
❎ Gamble |
✅ |
Winning Combinations
Bet in Golden Ark = number of lines × bet per line. To get “x of the bet”, divide the payout from the table by 200: 5 Explorers — 100000 ÷ 200 = x500, 3 Book scatters — 400 ÷ 200 = x2, 5 A/K — 3000 ÷ 200 = x15. Payouts change proportionally depending on the bet per line and the number of active lines. All payouts below are shown in coins.
Top Symbols:
|
Symbol |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Explorer |
200 |
2000 |
20000 |
100000 |
|
Pharaoh Statue |
100 |
800 |
8000 |
40000 |
|
Eye of Horus / Scarab |
100 |
600 |
2000 |
15000 |
Base Symbols:
|
Symbol |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A / K |
100 |
800 |
3000 |
|
J / Q / 10 |
100 |
500 |
2000 |
Special Symbols
- Book — Wild and Scatter. It substitutes for all regular symbols (in both the base game and the bonus), helping form winning lines. As a Scatter, it pays in any position: 3 / 4 / 5 books = 400 / 4000 / 40000 coins — and it triggers the free spins feature. During free spins, the Book cannot substitute for the chosen special symbol during its expansion.
- Special Expanding Symbol (free spins only). Before the bonus starts, one regular symbol is randomly chosen. After the normal line wins are paid, this symbol can expand to cover the entire reel and is paid on all active lines, even if the symbols are not adjacent. The expansion activates only if enough symbols appear to form a win.
Bonus Game
- Trigger: The bonus is activated by Scatter symbols.
- Reward: 10 free spins at the same bet and number of lines as in the triggering spin.
- Before the round begins, one random “special symbol” is selected.
- During free spins, the special symbol may expand to cover the entire reel after regular payouts are made.
- The expansion pays on all active lines, even if the symbols are not adjacent (at least the required number of symbols must appear).
- Retrigger: Another 10 free spins are awarded for 3 or more Books; retriggers are unlimited.
Gamble. After any win, you can take a risk — guess the colour of the card to win x2 or the suit to win x4. A wrong choice burns the entire amount, so this mode is pure risk. The option is unavailable for very large wins.
RTP, Volatility, Max Win
The RTP of Golden Ark is 95.1%. Volatility can be considered medium to high: the slot can maintain the balance for a while without major payouts and then suddenly “explode” during the bonus round. The maximum win is not officially stated, but based on our calculations and data from aggregators, it can reach up to x5,000 of the total bet.
Our Verdict
Golden Ark is practically a textbook example of a “book-of” slot — just without the polish. The gameplay is slow, straightforward, and unforgiving: if the bonus doesn’t land, consider it a warm-up spin. But when three Books finally appear, everything clicks into place — the expanding symbol can completely turn the session around, and a chain of retriggers can turn the bonus into a marathon.
This game is perfect for those who appreciate standard Novomatic style — no visual clutter, just solid risk and old-school mechanics. If you want something similar but with a different tone, try Book of Ra (same spirit, tighter pacing) or Plenty on Twenty (for those who enjoy simplicity and symbolism without the pharaohs).
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