The Cursed King

The Cursed King takes Backseat Gaming, a sibling studio to Hacksaw Gaming, into Ancient Egyptian territory, building a 5-reel, 19-payline slot around growing wild symbols that can also walk across the grid between spins rather than relying on a single dominant expanding special symbol.

Theme and gameplay feel

The presentation covers familiar Ancient Egyptian ground — a flaming brazier, stone architecture, statues, carved wall detailing, and a flowing, exotic soundtrack all set the scene. What sets The Cursed King apart mechanically from other genre entries is its growing wild, which can expand in size and shift position across successive spins rather than simply covering a fixed reel, adding a layer of unpredictability to how wilds accumulate through a session.

What the RTP means for you

The Cursed King is confirmed at an RTP of 96.31%, a healthy figure sitting comfortably above the industry midpoint. Over the long run, that means the game is configured to return a fair, slightly generous share of wagered stakes compared with much of the wider slot market.

Volatility and hit frequency

Rated high volatility (4 out of 5), The Cursed King pairs that swingier profile with a confirmed hit frequency of 26%, meaning a winning combination lands, on average, around once every four spins. Winning combinations need at least three matching symbols landing on consecutive reels from the leftmost side, with the growing/walking wild able to substitute for regular symbols and boost the odds of a line connecting.

Max win potential and stakes

The maximum win sits at 12,500 times the stake, a strong ceiling for a title built around wild growth and movement rather than a headline free spins multiplier. Stakes range from 0.10 up to 100 per spin, and a feature buy menu offers three optional routes into the game's bonus mechanics for players who want to skip straight to the action.

Verdict

The Cursed King brings a fresh mechanical twist to a well-worn Ancient Egyptian setting, with its growing, walking wild doing most of the heavy lifting alongside a solid 96.31% RTP and a healthy 26% hit frequency. High volatility means the bigger multipliers take patience to arrive, but the 12,500x ceiling makes the wait worthwhile for players who enjoy this theme. Try the free demo at johnessyslots to see the wild in motion before playing with real stakes.