Hand of Anubis Slot Review: Explore Hacksaw's Egyptian Adventure
Hand of Anubis Slot Review: Soul Orbs, RTP, Bonuses and Demo
Hand of Anubis takes players into a dark interpretation of ancient Egyptian mythology, where cascading gemstones, mysterious Soul Orbs and accumulating multipliers determine the outcome of each spin. Developed by Hacksaw Gaming, this high-volatility slot offers two very different bonus rounds and a maximum payout of 10,000x the stake.
If you're exploring Egyptian-themed games at Aslot, understanding these mechanics is particularly useful. This review explains how the Soul Orbs work, what separates Underworld from Judgment, and why trying the demo is a sensible starting point.
Hand of Anubis: Game Overview and Key Features
Released on April 21, 2022, Hand of Anubis uses a five-reel, six-row grid with Cluster Pays mechanics.
Instead of following traditional paylines, the game rewards groups of at least five matching symbols connected horizontally or vertically. Winning symbols disappear, allowing new ones to fall into the grid and potentially create additional combinations.
Key Features
Developer: Hacksaw Gaming
Release Date: April 21, 2022
Game Layout: 5×6, with 30 symbol positions
Winning System: Cluster Pays and cascading wins
Standard RTP: 96.24%
Alternative RTPs: 94.32%, 92.28% and 88.41%
Volatility: Very high (5/5)
Maximum Win: 10,000x the stake
Hit Frequency: 36.92% in the standard configuration
Main Features: Red and Blue Soul Orbs, accumulating multipliers and cascading clusters
Bonus Rounds: Underworld and Judgment
Bonus Buy: Available in supported markets
The atmosphere is noticeably darker than that of traditional Egyptian slots. Glowing gemstones contrast with imposing statues of Anubis, while the soundtrack emphasizes the game's supernatural setting.
However, the most important differences appear in its mathematical features rather than its visual design.
How Cluster Pays and Cascades Work
The Hand of Anubis slot doesn't use fixed paylines.
A winning combination forms when five or more identical paying symbols connect through adjacent positions. Diagonal connections alone don't count.
After a cluster pays, its symbols disappear. The remaining symbols fall downward, and new ones enter the grid from above.
If another qualifying cluster forms, the game awards an additional payout and repeats the process.
This allows a single paid spin to produce several consecutive wins without an additional wager.
Cascades also interact with the game's multiplier Wilds, making them central to its larger potential payouts.
Red and Blue Soul Orbs Explained
The defining mechanic in Hand of Anubis is the Soul Orb system.
Two different Soul Orbs can appear during regular gameplay. Both act as Wild symbols, substituting for ordinary paying symbols, but they accumulate multipliers differently.
Red Soul Orb: Multiplier by Cluster Size
The Red Soul Orb increases its multiplier by 1x for every symbol involved in a winning cluster.
For example, a cluster containing seven symbols contributes seven increments to the Orb's multiplier.
This makes the Red Orb particularly significant when large clusters form during a sequence of cascades.
Blue Soul Orb: Multiplier by Cluster Count
The Blue Soul Orb increases its multiplier by 1x for each winning cluster.
Unlike the Red Orb, its progression depends on how many winning clusters occur rather than how many symbols they contain.
Several smaller clusters appearing during consecutive cascades can therefore increase its multiplier.
What Happens When Both Soul Orbs Connect?
When both Soul Orbs participate in the same winning cluster, their multipliers are multiplied together.
For example, a Red Orb with a 6x multiplier and a Blue Orb with a 4x multiplier produce a combined 24x multiplier for a qualifying win.
These multipliers accumulate during the current round, including its cascades, but reset when a new paid round begins.
This distinction is important: the Soul Orb multipliers don't carry over indefinitely between regular spins.
Underworld Bonus: Free Spins and Global Multipliers
The Hand of Anubis slot features two separate bonus rounds.
The first, Underworld, activates when three Free Spins Scatter symbols appear during the base game.
Players receive 10 free spins, with a new multiplier system positioned below the five reels.
How Underworld Multipliers Work
Each reel has its own multiplier.
Whenever a winning cluster forms, the corresponding reel multiplier increases by 1x for every winning symbol appearing on that reel.
Special Anubis Skull symbols can then multiply an individual reel's accumulated value by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x.
However, the accumulated multiplier isn't immediately active.
A Green Soul Orb must land on the corresponding reel to activate it.
Once activated, that reel's multiplier becomes global, contributing to qualifying cluster wins across the entire grid.
If multiple reel multipliers are active, their values are added together.
Every newly activated reel multiplier also awards three additional free spins.
Each individual reel multiplier can reach 9,999x, although the game's total payout remains subject to the 10,000x maximum-win limit.
Underworld therefore rewards sequences where winning clusters increase reel multipliers before Green Soul Orbs activate them.
However, a free spins round can end before the most valuable multipliers become available.
Judgment Bonus: Three Refilling Respins
The second bonus in Hand of Anubis is Judgment, triggered by landing four Free Spins Scatters.
Unlike Underworld, Judgment doesn't use conventional cascading gemstone wins.
Instead, it introduces special blocks, reel multipliers and a system of three refilling respins.
The feature continues as long as qualifying blocks keep appearing.
Multiplier Modifier Blocks
Judgment places a multiplier above each reel.
Different modifier blocks change these values:
Skull Blocks add between 1x and 100x to the multiplier of the reel where they land.
Epic Skull Blocks apply the same additive effect to all five reel multipliers.
Anubis Skull Blocks multiply the corresponding reel value by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x or 10x.
Epic Anubis Skull Blocks apply those multiplication effects across every reel.
These modifiers can significantly change the value of subsequent blocks.
Ice Blocks and Crusher Blocks
When an Ice Block appears, it breaks and is replaced by a Multiplier Block carrying the current value of its reel multiplier.
These Multiplier Blocks fall to the bottom of the grid and remain in place, stacking as additional blocks appear.
Crusher Blocks introduce another interaction.
A Crusher travels down its reel, destroying Multiplier Blocks in its path. Once it reaches the bottom, it transforms into a new Multiplier Block carrying the combined value of the destroyed blocks.
How Judgment Ends
Every qualifying Multiplier Block, Modifier Block or Crusher Block resets the remaining respin counter to three.
If three consecutive respins pass without any of these blocks appearing, the bonus ends.
The final payout equals the sum of all collected Multiplier Block values multiplied by the selected stake.
Unlike Underworld, Judgment focuses on building and consolidating fixed prize values rather than multiplying ordinary cluster wins.
Hand of Anubis Bonus Buy: Costs and RTP
The hand of anubis bonus buy option provides direct access to either bonus round, where permitted by local regulations.
The two purchase prices are:
Underworld Bonus — 129x the stake. This immediately activates the 10-free-spin feature with accumulating reel multipliers. Its published theoretical RTP in the standard configuration is 96.29%.
Judgment Bonus — 200x the stake. This activates the three-refill respin feature. Its published theoretical RTP in the standard configuration is 96.18%.
At a $1 base stake, these purchases would cost $129 and $200 respectively.
Although the Underworld purchase has a slightly higher theoretical RTP, neither option guarantees a profitable result.
A purchased bonus can pay considerably less than its cost, including a very small return.
Bonus Buy also doesn't make the game's maximum payout more predictable. Operators may disable purchases entirely or offer different RTP configurations.
Hand of Anubis RTP, Volatility and Maximum Win
The standard RTP of Hand of Anubis is 96.24%, but Hacksaw Gaming supplies four configurations.
The available percentages are 96.24%, 94.32%, 92.28% and 88.41%.
RTP, or Return to Player, describes the theoretical average return over a very large number of wagers.
For example, an RTP of 96.24% corresponds to a theoretical long-term return of $96.24 for every $100 wagered. It doesn't predict the outcome of an individual session.
The developer rates the game's volatility at 5/5, its highest category.
Although the standard configuration has a reported hit frequency of 36.92%, many qualifying payouts may be smaller than the original stake.
What Is the Maximum Win?
The maximum advertised payout is 10,000x the stake.
At a $1 bet, this represents a theoretical maximum win of $10,000.
Such outcomes are rare and depend entirely on random combinations of symbols, multipliers and bonus features.
Hand of Anubis doesn't include a progressive jackpot. Its maximum payout is determined by the game's mathematics.
Increasing the stake changes the potential payout in currency, not the probability of reaching the maximum multiplier.
Hand of Anubis Demo Play and Free Play
The hand of anubis demo play experience allows newcomers to explore the game using virtual credits instead of real money.
Hacksaw Gaming provides an official practice version, although availability through individual casinos may vary.
Demo mode is particularly useful for observing how Red and Blue Soul Orbs behave differently.
You can also explore the interactions between cascades and multipliers, see how Green Soul Orbs activate reel multipliers, and understand why Judgment functions differently from ordinary free spins.
Players searching for hand of anubis free play can use the practice version to learn these rules without financial risk.
Keep in mind that demo outcomes remain random and cannot predict future real-money results.
Responsible Gaming Tips
Hand of Anubis has very high volatility, so understanding the risks is essential.
Set a spending limit you can comfortably afford to lose and establish a time limit before playing.
Start with the demo if you're unfamiliar with Cluster Pays and multiplier mechanics.
Check the active RTP configuration, particularly because the difference between 96.24% and 88.41% is substantial over the long term.
Be cautious with Bonus Buy. Purchasing Judgment costs 200 times the base stake and can result in a significant loss.
Never increase your bets to recover previous losses or assume that a bonus must appear after a long unsuccessful session.
If gambling becomes stressful or difficult to control, stop playing and consider seeking support.
Summary: Is Hand of Anubis Worth Trying?
Hand of Anubis stands out for its 5×6 Cluster Pays grid, two distinct Soul Orb multipliers and contrasting bonus mechanics.
Underworld features accumulating reel multipliers, Green Soul Orb activations and additional free spins. Judgment replaces ordinary cluster wins with a three-refill block collection system.
The standard RTP is 96.24%, volatility is rated 5/5, and the maximum payout reaches 10,000x the stake.
The game's most interesting aspect is how winning clusters contribute to multiplier progression rather than simply awarding immediate payouts.
For beginners, demo play is the most practical way to understand these interactions before considering real-money gambling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play Hand of Anubis for free?
Yes. Hacksaw Gaming offers an official demo using virtual credits. Availability varies by casino and region.
What is the RTP of Hand of Anubis?
The standard RTP is 96.24%. Alternative configurations are 94.32%, 92.28% and 88.41%.
What is the maximum win?
The maximum advertised payout is 10,000x the stake.
How do you trigger Underworld and Judgment?
Three Free Spins Scatters activate Underworld with 10 free spins. Four Scatters trigger Judgment with three refilling respins.
How much does Bonus Buy cost?
Underworld costs 129x the stake, while Judgment costs 200x, where bonus purchases are permitted.
18+ Play responsibly. T&Cs apply.