Lost Slot
Lost contains all the elements you’ll associate with BetSoft titles, including the signature 3D animations. This game is set in a Victorian-era archaeological dig site in Egypt. It features Mummies, a British explorer and many of the Egyptian clichés like the Ankh and eye symbol. As with many BetSoft titles, there is plenty of action to keep you entertained. This includes respins for every win, a wild reel, an on-reel mini-game involving a monkey and a break out pick-em type bonus round.
As you would expect from BetSoft, the visual elements are stunning – looking more like a console or computer game than anything you’d normally associate with a slot. The frame looks like a set of ruins, with flaming torches on either side. The reels themselves have a mast of Tutankhamun above and a treasure chest below to initiate the spins. The symbols on the reels include the explorer, a fat-faced Egyptian, a golden mast and a swinging pendulum – along with the Ankh and eye symbols. When you hit a winning combination, one of the symbols pops out and becomes animated. The background music for this game is like a film soundtrack and ebbs and flows with the game. There are also plenty of thuds and dramatic sounds when wins come.
All of the features come with their own animations. These are what make BetSoft slots really stand out from the crowd. Only one of them (the Mummy bonus) involves a second screen – the others keep you on the reels while giving you extra ways to win.
Setup and Play for Lost
There are 30 lines over a standard 5x3 grid for this game. You can choose how many lines to play and bet from 2c per line (60c minimum spin for all of them). There is an auto-play option, though this confused me a little by defaulting to 1 line the first time I used it.
Each time you get a win, you get a free respin of the middle reel. At the same time there is an increasing multiplier for the prizes awarded. The second win gets 2x, then 3x and then 5x. If you complete multiple win lines, then the multiplier applies to them all.
Base pay-outs are small, though the multipliers will often make up for this. You’ll get 500 coins for 5 of the explorer (200 for 4), and 200 coins for 5 of the Mummy. The assistant is worth 100 for 5 with the pendulum (75), dog (50), ankh (25) and water bottle coming next.
There are three special symbols in play. These are the eye, which triggers the Mummy bonus with 3 or more on the reels. The Staff symbol, which turns the entire middle reel wild when it lands (this can happen during the respins). Finally the monkey symbol, which triggers the first of the 2 bonus games, will appear on the 4th reel.
Dig for Bonuses
There are two bonus games, the Monkey bonus stays on the reels and the Mummy Bonus is a break out game.
When you get a monkey on the 4th reel, the regular game pauses for a while, and a new feature using the 3rd, 4th and 5th reels starts. The 4th reel is an animated monkey, and the 3 symbols either side become ‘Click Me’ signs. When you click one the monkey jumps up (or down) to it and throws off a wooden covering board with an excellent 3D effect. This reveals a cash prize. One of them will also include a ‘collect’ sign, which ends that particular game. This is a short and entertaining change-up from the main game, and will happen often enough to keep your bankroll topped up nicely.
The other bonus requires 4 of the eye symbols and is a pick-em game where you help the explorer find treasure. You’ll be faced with 3 doors in a beautifully drawn crypt, and click on one of them. You either get a cash prize, or a mummy lurches out to end the game.
A Game to Get Lost In
I’m a big fan of just about everything BetSoft has brought out so far, and Lost is yet another winner. No other slot maker has come close to matching their 3D graphics and animations, which make playing this game a real treat.
The monkey bonus round triggered just a little too often for my liking, though this is a minor gripe in the context of the game. The respins and occasional break-out bonus are what powers this slot – and the wild middle reel is an extra benefit which hits regularly.
I recommend this slot, and will certainly be back for another real money session at some point soon.
