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John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen Review & Demo
Explore the third instalment of Pragmatic Play’s John Hunter slot series, with the Tomb of the Scarab Queen. The game engine is based heavily around the Money Collect feature, which can result in extra spins, Multipliers worth up to 25x, and more. There’s an additional Free Spins game too, where unlimited free games are possible, complete with the Money Collect feature in play.
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John Hunter Scarab Queen Slot Explained
John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen is the third in a growing line of slots based on the Indiana Jones-esque protagonist. In fact, at the time of writing, Pragmatic Play now have ten John Hunter-themed slots in their portfolio. The most recent being John Hunter and Galileo’s Secrets, released in February 2025.
As the Tomb of the Scarab Queen is now several years old, there’s no denying the game is starting to show its age. However, the Money Collect feature is what keeps things engaging. The heart-pounding soundtrack adds a sense of drama and mystery to every spin, with 25 fixed paylines and a conventional 5×3 reel grid set in the vast expanse of the Egyptian desert.
Quick Facts on John Hunter and the Scarab Queen
John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen Symbols
There are nine base game symbols to work with – four low-value playing card symbols from Jack to Ace, followed by satchels, revolver holsters, the Egyptian god Anubis, and latterly the highest-paying John Hunter.
You’ll need a minimum of three matching symbols on any of the 25 paylines to win an instant Multiplier. The Scarab Queen herself acts as this game’s Wild symbol. She can appear anywhere on reels 2 to 5. She can also act as any base game symbol to help improve winning paylines.
The pyramid Scatter symbol is the golden ticket to this slot’s Free Spins stage. It can only appear on the middle three reels.
John Hunter Scarab Queen Features
- Money Collect Feature
The Scarab Beetle acts as the Money symbol in this slot. It can appear only on the first four reels. Each Money symbol will have a different Multiplier attached, worth between 1x and 35x.
There are five different types of Collect symbols in play. The yellow Collect retrieves all visible Money symbols immediately. The blue Collect adds extra value to visible Money symbols. The purple Collect multiplies all visible Money symbols by the random value of the purple Collect symbol, worth up to 25x.There’s also the red Collect symbol that encourages all reels with Money symbols to be full of Money symbols. Finally, the green Collect symbol triggers a respin with all existing Money symbols locked in place. - Free Spins Feature
Land a trio of pyramid Scatter symbols on the middle three reels to win eight Free Spins. All Money and Collect symbols are active during your free games. You can re-trigger this feature an unlimited number of times, which is great news in our opinion.
John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen Winning Potential
How much can you expect to win and how frequently on the reels of John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen? Below, we’ve lifted the bonnet to see what this slot is all about.
John Hunter Tomb of the Scarab Queen Max Win
The maximum possible payout on Tomb of the Scarab Queen is capped at 10,500x your initial spin. This can only be achieved when you’ve triggered the Money Collect feature. The addition of purple Collect symbols can bolster standard Multipliers by up to 25x, which helps to create these monster wins.
Interestingly, the max win is nowhere near the size of the original Da Vinci’s Treasure slot, although the high volatility meant that the 48,000x max payout was rarely achieved. At 10,500x, this feels like a credible level, especially since slots of a similar age like Valley of the Gods (5,800x) and Legacy of Dead (5,000x) have max wins at half the size.
John Hunter Tomb of the Scarab Queen Volatility
Do you want more good news? Tomb of the Scarab Queen is also marketed as a low-volatility slot game. This means that you can expect more frequent wins than in any other slot within the John Hunter slot series.
Tomb of the Scarab Queen is the only one with low volatility, with the rest either medium, high or very high in volatility. We road tested this slot for 50 spins and found 18 wins, which felt like a competitive session all told.
John Hunter Tomb of the Scarab Queen RTP
The return-to-player of the John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen slot is offered to casinos across three levels. Sites can choose from 96.50% RTP, 95.50% RTP, and 90.02% RTP versions. In an ideal world, you’d want the 96.50% RTP version to play, which is great combined with the inherent low volatility.
Jettbet offers players the 96.50% RTP version, so this is a good place to start. SpinsBro is another that offers Tomb of the Scarab Queen with a theoretical RTP of 96.50%.
Play John Hunter Scarab Queen Here
Casinos with John Hunter Scarab Queen Free Spins
At the time of writing, there aren’t any sites within our latest casino list that offer Free Spins on the John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen slot. It’s not overly surprising considering the game has been around since 2019.
Bear in mind that most casino bonuses will let you use bonus funds towards spins on slots like Tomb of the Scarab Queen.
John Hunter Game Variations
There are no fewer than nine alternative slots within the John Hunter series from Pragmatic Play. Here’s a quick round-up of our favorites:
| Title | Release Date | Max Win | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen | 26th Sept., 2019 | 10,500x | The third adventure introduced money symbols up to 35x, plus a money collect feature. |
| John Hunter and the Book of Tut | 28th Oct., 2020 | 5,500x | John Hunter’s second Egyptian outing, where the book acts as both a Scatter and Wild, and grants access to 10 Free Spins with expanding symbols. |
| Da Vinci’s Treasure | 7th Aug., 2018 | 48,000x | This first adventure still reigns with 25 paylines and a massive 48,000x max win. |
| John Hunter and the Aztec Treasure | 25th Jul., 2019 | 10,804x | This sequel takes players to a jungle with 7,776 ways to win and 25 free spins. |
| John Hunter and Galileo’s Secrets | 20th Feb., 2025 | 5,000x | This newer sequel goes back to the Renaissance with respins and money symbols up to 5,000x. |
John Hunter and the Book of Tut
This alternative adventure of John Hunter in Egypt has him exploring the Sphynx for the eponymous Book of Tut. The book in this title plays a shared Scatter/Wild, providing free spins and special expanding reels.
Da Vinci’s Treasure
As the original John Hunter slot, we wanted to shine a spotlight on this release. The Map Quest feature is a fun addition here. You can spin a Multiplier wheel to land instant wins worth up to 100x your spin. A Progressive Multiplier Free Spins feature also increases Multipliers with every win during Free Spins.
John Hunter and the Aztec Treasure
The successor to Da Vinci’s Treasure, Aztec Treasure sees John Hunter trek into the lush Central American jungle for this five-reel slot. Featuring up to 7,776 ways to win, the main Bonus here is the Free Spins round. Random potential Multipliers worth 2x-10x are applied to each Free Spin, giving you a chance to magnify base game wins.
John Hunter and Galileo’s Secrets
The most recent John Hunter slot release, Galileo’s Secrets is marketed as a very-high volatility slot. The Full Mystery symbols can create reels full of Money or high-value symbols, while the Respin feature is triggered when six or more Money symbols land on screen.
Find John Hunter Alternatives
If you like adventurous slots with Ancient Egyptian themes, check out the Rich Wilde slot series from Swedish slot studio Play’n GO. There are huge similarities between John Hunter and Rich Wilde, who are both heavily inspired by Indiana Jones. Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead is the go-to alternative for slots within the John Hunter series.
The Czech studio Mancala Gaming also offers an Indiana Jones inspired slot series. Check out the review of Book of Wealth III to learn more. You can also try the free demo.
Our John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen Rating
John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen is a fun version of the John Hunter slot series, with a distinct focus on the Money and Collect symbols. With a variety of Collect symbols to watch out for, this creates a sense of intrigue every time you lock in Money symbols on the reel grid. Although it’s several years old now, the Money Collect feature is by no means outdated. We’re happy to give this slot a 4.5 out of 5 rating.
John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen FAQ
What is the theme of the John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen slot?
As the name suggests, there is more than a hint of Ancient Egypt to this slot. It’s an all-action, adventure-themed slot too, heavily inspired by Hollywood protagonists and intrepid explorers such as Indiana Jones.
How do I land the max win in the John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen slot?
The 10,500x maximum win available in the John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab slot can only be won in the Money Collect feature. The trick is to try and lock in the biggest Multiplier Collect symbols for the best payouts.
How does the Money Collect feature work in John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen?
The key is to keep a look out for the Money symbols. These have instant-win prizes attached. If the Collect symbol appears on the fifth and final reel, you’ll recoup all visible Money symbols at once. You can bag further prizes too, with up to 25x applied to all wins and expanding Money symbols also triggering more prizes and respins.
