Shia Safavids is a slot that has a bit of an unusual theme, mostly because Western developers rarely approach this type of subject, based on a bit of history from Persia/Iran that few in the West are aware of. Top Game is the developer which created this game and the theme behind it is based on the Safavid dynasty, the rulers that governed Persia (what is now called Iran) from the beginning of the 16th century until the 18th. A very big part of Middle East was under their control at the time, not just Iran, so they’re an important part of history and they deserve a game like this made in their honor. The Shia part of the name refers to the Shi’a religion that they followed and spread in the region.
A game that comes with 5 reels & 20 bet lines, Shia Safavids gives you a range of good features, including a wild, the bonus game, free spins and the scatter symbol that triggers them. A $12,500 jackpot is on the line inside.
Features of Shia Safavids Treasure
You will discover that three types of features are provided in Shia Safavids. The free spins are favorites of mine, and by extension the scatter symbols which trigger them. They are accompanied by a wild symbol and a bonus game with some interesting prizes.
Even Arabic themed slot machines seem to have Treasure Chests in them, so it’s not just something that the Western world dreams about. In this case, we get a red one, with gold coins overflowing from it. It serves as the wild feature of Shia Safavids and its only role is to act as the substitute for another symbol, when its location allows it to do such a thing. As long as the rest of the line it is on has the needed matching icons, the wild will take the same role as them, so that a combo and a new prize can be formed. As a wild, it can’t take the place of a bonus or scatter.
Free Games Feature
The Gold Oil Lamp, the kind from which a Genie would come out in a famous Arabic story, is the scatter in this game. The name was taken from the ability of the symbol of appearing in scattered positions on the reels, and not having to be on certain paylines in order to do its job. Simply having three to five of these Lamps will be enough to get you 5 to 20 free spins.
Bonus Game
This is another favorite feature for Top Game, and it’s part of this game as well, triggered with the assistance of 3+ Desert Sunset icons, which have to be on a line that is active. During this bonus game you have to pick three pots of gold, and you get rewards from them, going up to 2250 bonus points. The exact amount depends on how many bonus symbols triggered the feature.
Betting options and jackpots
Since you get 20 lines, you can also use just as many coins to activate them all each round. The line wager starts at $0.01 and can reach $5, so you end up with wagers of up to $100 on the entire game.
The slot promises payouts of up to $12,500, the equivalent of 2,500 coins at top value.
Design and symbols
While the design looks good in its own way, it gives you the feeling that it’s an old title, with low resolution images in it, which hurt its appeal considerably. There are also a few too many playing cards on the screen, which tend to be more visible since they pay less and they appear more often than the better looking symbols. There is plenty of gold on the reels and outside them, showing off how rich the Safavids were.
Symbols: Treasure Chest (wild), Gold Oil Lamp (scatter), Desert Sunset (bonus), Woman’s Eyes (2,500 coins), Arab Man (1,000 coins), Peacock (500 coins), Shoes (250 coins), Ace (150 coins), King (100 coins), Queen (75 coins) and Jack (50 coins).
Is It Worth Playing?
It’s an unusual theme, and it’s themed around a topic that nobody else has approached before. It’s normally worth trying because of that alone, but the graphics might put some people off, being of a lower quality than I’d hoped.
You will find Shia Safavids Treasure at any online casino which chooses to use software from Top Game, playable either for free or for real money.
