Book of Dead Slot (Play ‘n GO)

The Book of Dead slot uses 5 reels, 3 rows and 10 paylines. You have the option to play with 1 to 10 paylines, too. With any option, landing 3 or more matching symbols across a payline will reward you with a winning outcome. Symbols need to appear on successive reels and beginning from the far-left reel (i.e. reel 1). With the 4 highest-value symbols, 2 or more are required.

When it comes to bet limits, the minimum bet per spin is 10p. The maximum bet is £5 a spin in the UK or up to £2 if you're under 25: outside the UK, this rises to £100 per spin (or currency equivalent). Being an older slot game, the interface isn’t as slick as newer releases. To change your stake, use the plus/minus arrows on the Coins area and the Coin Value. On mobile devices, use the 3 lines icon. Non-UK players can opt for Auto Play, which allows up to 100 auto spins with balance and single-win limits. There’s also a Fast Play option (lightning bolt icon) for quicker spins.

In terms of returns, the Book of Dead RTP rate is 96.21%. Above the industry average of 96%, this is the highest RTP setting produced by developer Play ‘n GO. In fact, there are 5 RTP versions for this cult favourite: 94.25%, 91.25%, 87.25% and 84.18%. You can check the RTP you’re playing with by opening the Book of Dead’s paytable. Based on a £20 balance and playing at 10p a spin, below is the number of spins you'll theoretically play for each RTP variant before running out of funds:

• 96.21%: 5,251 spins
• 94.25%: 3,461 spins
• 91.25%: 2,275 spins
• 87.25%: 1,561 spins
• 84.18%: 1,258 spins

Moving on, the volatility is in the very high category. With smaller wins on offer most of the time, big wins are certainly possible but will be hard to come by. There is no hit frequency rate information, unfortunately.

As for payouts, the Book of Dead slot can award 5,000 x bet max wins. This can be achieved by filling all reel positions with the Rich Wilde symbol and can occur during a base game or free spin. Finally, the max win probability is 1 in 3.75 million spins.

With an ancient Egyptian theme, the Book of Dead slot game is about Rich Wilde’s most famous expedition to this mythical underworld. Having featured in the Pearls of India and Aztec Idols slots, this time he journeys to the sands of ancient Egypt in search of the elusive book.

Set in an ancient burial chamber, the graphics are high-definition and enchanting. With a ritual-like soundtrack which sets the tone, you’ll see A, K, Q, J and 10 royal symbols on the reels. The higher value symbols include falcon god Horus, god of death Anubis, god of the afterlife and fertility Osiris and intrepid explorer Rich Wilde.

Rich Wilde is a handsome chap who will stop at nothing to uncover hidden treasures. The Rich Wilde symbol pays the most awarding 500 x your total bet for 5 across any payline.

In terms of special symbols, there is the Tomb symbol which is both the Wild and Scatter. Substituting for paying symbols above, 3, 4 or 5 in combination pays 2, 20 or 200 x your total bet. 3 or more will activate the Free Spins feature which is described in more detail further down in my review. Finally, here is a list of all symbol payouts:

• 10/J/Q: 3, 4 or 5 = 0.5, 2.5 or 10 x bet
• K/A: 3, 4 or 5 = 0.5, 4 or 15x bet
• Horus/Anubis: 2, 3, 4 or 5 = 0.5, 3, 10 or 75 x bet
• Osiris: 2, 3, 4 or 5 = 0.5,4, 40 or 200 x bet
• Rich Wilde: 2, 3, 4 or 5 = 1, 10, 100 or 500 x bet
• Tomb Wild/Scatter: Substitutes, pays up to 200 x bet + triggers Free Spins feature

Book of Dead Mobile

Book of Dead may have been released back in January 2016 but it uses HTML5 technology so it’s compatible with laptop, PC, MAC, mobile and tablet devices. Available to play on iOS and Android smartphones, the mobile version is easier on the eye than the desktop version. Changing your bet is simpler too with all bet options available via the 3 lines icon. This makes it perfect for playing at the best mobile casino sites.

With 2 bonus features, the Book of Dead online slot focuses on just the Free Spins feature. Beginning with 10 free spins, there’s a randomly chosen special expanding symbol which can lead to 5,000 x bet wins on every free spin.

Gamble 

When you land a winning combination, there is an optional Gamble feature you can use. Press/click on the ‘Gamble’ button to initiate the feature.

Your aim is the correctly guess the colour or suit of the face-down card. If you guess the colour correctly, you’ll double your prize. It’s quadruple your prize if you correctly guess the suit. Finally, you can gamble up to 5 times in succession and up to a limit of 500 x your total bet.

Free Spins 

The Free Spins feature is activated when 3 or more Tomb Wild/Scatter symbols land anywhere during a base game spin. With a payout of 2, 20 or 200 x your total bet awarded, you’ll also receive 10 free spins.

Before the free spins play out, the Book of Dead appears with a symbol on each of the pages. The pages will start turning to reveal the feature’s special expanding symbol. When this chosen symbol appears on the reels, it will expand to take over the whole reel it appears on. This occurs when a winning combination will occur.

Your win potential per free spin depends on the value of the special expanding symbol. If you were to get the Q, J or 10 royal, maximum wins of 100 x your total bet are possible per free spin. Land Rich Wilde and wins of up to 5,000 x your total bet are possible. Below is an image showing the maximum payout per special expanding symbol (by filling all 5 reels):

If you land 3 or more Tomb Wild/Scatter symbols during a free spin, you’ll retrigger the feature with an additional 10 free spins awarded. In fact, you can retrigger unlimited times for infinite free spins in theory.

Book of Dead Slot

Rating: 5/5

Book of Dead is by far the most popular 'Book of' slot game around and has inspired countless clones, sequels and spin-offs. An essential and iconic slot, it's stood the test of time with many casinos offering free spins offers.

Chris Taylor

The Book of Dead slot is arguably the most popular online slot game around. Inspired by Novomatic’s Book of Ra Deluxe, Play ‘n GO’s flagship title has become the benchmark for ‘Book of’ and ancient Egyptian-themed slots.

Superbly designed, the gameplay is rather simple. With an optional Gamble feature for up to 500 x bet wins, the focus is entirely on the Free Spins feature. Your success is determined by which symbol is chosen to act as the special expanding symbol. If it’s the Rich Wild symbol, for example, landing 1 of him on each of the 5 reels will result in a 5,000-times bet payout. 

With 5,000 x bet max wins, the maximum win can be achieved by filling the reels with Rich Wilde symbols but it’s much more feasible if the infamous explorer is the special expanding symbol. With an RTP rate of up to 96.21%, it’s important to check which setting you’re playing at. This is because the RTP can be as low as 84.18%!

In conclusion, the Book of Dead slot is a must for players. Offering smooth gameplay, a simple yet engaging bonus feature and 5,000 x bet max wins, it’s a slot game that has stood the test of time since its release in early 2016. What I’m surprise about is that Play ‘n GO haven’t revamped the game to include a Bonus Buy element for non-UK players.

Due to its popularity, it is often the subject of many no wager free spins offers for UK casino and slot sites. As you'll see from the sections below, it has inspired a Wilde slot series and plenty more 'Book of' slots.

Arguably the most popular and famous of slot characters, Rich Wilde features in many Play ‘n GO slots. These include previous releases Pearls of India and Aztec Idols as well as other ancient Egyptian adventures.

Rich has been around so long that his daughter Cat Wilde has grown up and gone on adventures of her own. Even his eccentric uncle Gerard now features in Wilde slot series games to reclaim the honour of the family name. For more details, check out my comprehensive guide to all Wilde slots:

ALSO READ

Ultimate Guide to the Wilde Slot Series (Play'n GO)

With Book of Ra Deluxe (Novomatic) paving the way for ‘Book of’ slots, Book of Dead cemented the popular bonus feature concept into slot folklore. As a result, Play ‘n GO has created various ancient Egyptian-themed slots which are variations of the above. Legacy of Dead is the most popular with a 96.58% RTP rate and up to 9 special expanding symbols. 

Other studios/slot providers have jumped on the bandwagon which has helped take the ‘Book of’ concept further. Read my guide to the best 10 'Book of' slot games from the likes of Nolimit City, Games Global/Microgaming, Quickspin and Relax Gaming: 

ALSO READ

Top 10 ‘Book of’ Slots

The Book of Dead slot review was written by Chris Taylor from our OLBG Expert team who has written over 10,000 slot game reviews in an iGaming career spanning over 2 decades.

Chris Taylor

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Chris Taylor is an industry veteran originally from Gibraltar. Having worked in the online gambling industry since 2004, Chris loves slots and has reviewed over 10,000 online slot games. Running a slots-focused website for 13 years, Chris is the go-to guy for everything slots-related.