The Book of Dead Slot is an online casino game developed by Play’n GO that transports players to ancient Egypt in search of treasures and riches. Released in 2016, this slot has since become a fan favorite among online gamers due to its immersive theme, engaging gameplay, and generous rewards.
Theme and Design
As the name suggests, Book of Dead is set against an free demo ancient Egyptian backdrop, where pyramids tower above the desert sands and pharaohs rule over their kingdoms. The game’s design is reminiscent of classic Egyptian art, with intricate hieroglyphics adorning the reels and backgrounds inspired by tomb walls and temple architecture.
The slot features six reels, four rows, and offers 10 fixed paylines that offer plenty of opportunities for winning combinations to form. Symbols include the standard A-9 card values, as well as higher-paying icons like scarabs, pharaohs, mummies, and the Book of Dead itself – a mysterious tome filled with arcane knowledge.
Symbols and Payouts
The payouts in Book of Dead are substantial, with the lowest-paying symbols (A-J) offering between 0.25-2x the total stake for a match of five on an active payline. Higher-paying icons like the Scarab Beetle award up to 50x the bet for six matching symbols.
However, it’s not just these standard symbols that drive wins – special wilds and scatters can also contribute significantly to winning combinations. The game’s Wild symbol replaces any other icon except Scatters and Substitutes itself in payline creations.
The Scatter is depicted as a golden Book with an Ancient Egyptian-inspired design. Landing three or more on the reels triggers a series of Free Spins, which we will discuss further down in this review.
Wilds
In addition to substituting for standard symbols, the game also features two other types of wild icons: Special Expanding Wilds and Wild Expander. These special wilds are active during Free Spin sessions and offer even greater chances of winning by spreading across entire reels or expanding themselves.
When a full stack of matching base-game pays appears on any reel during a spin that initiates 10-12 free spins, then one corresponding Special Expanding Wild is awarded. It remains in place for the duration of those free games; its own paytable offering between 1 to 20 times the bet per wild.
Additionally, with certain winning combinations formed from the full set of matching standard icons on an active line during Free Spins (which we will cover further below), one corresponding Wild Expander is awarded – this symbol has a random chance (determined in advance) of spreading either horizontally or vertically across a single reel to join other regular pays and multiply its original value accordingly.
Scatters and Bonus Features
Three or more Book symbols anywhere on the reels activates Free Spins. During these bonus rounds, players are offered one of two modes:
- 10 free spins with potential for infinite expansion (more info below)
- Alternatively, choose a gamble option – take advantage of an instant ‘Buy Bonus’ function where you pay out your winnings up to five times higher than what the player chose initially before the gamble begins; if it’s not chosen by selecting any of the other options, the amount is returned accordingly after three consecutive rounds.
When initiating either one (Free Spins or Gamble) – once selected a ‘Bonus Buy’ chance that includes an instant 5-reel spin occurs immediately; but note this means there won’t be any winning combos generated in said reel.
A second random wild may appear on the middle reels during these bonus features. This special symbol functions exactly like its single counterpart with only some key differences (read about them below under section ‘Wilds’).
In the course of a regular free spin session, you get an opportunity to win additional chances (max five) through winning combinations made at least every other two spins respectively – this feature can be canceled by simply stopping your ongoing round immediately.
When 10-12 rounds remain left within Free Spins and there is no match for any set occurring yet up until now; or another condition fulfilled when the second spin reaches but isn’t equal to zero prior completing – a randomly appearing golden symbol turns completely white signifying one additional round, potentially with at least ten of its other possible results following later.
During ‘Free Spins’ the Substituting Wild is active in place on middle reels. In case you land any special expanding wild or four winning combinations within that same turn – these symbols move up to two places forward when a free spin takes place right before they completely vanish.
Volatility and RTP
Book of Dead features medium-high volatility, offering players the potential for frequent smaller wins alongside occasional bigger payouts.
The game has an exceptionally high Return-to-Player percentage (RTP) of 96.21%, which is calculated over time from all types of winning combos created by either a player or special bonus games. As you can guess this results in more generous distribution – higher returns during periods of increased volatility due to higher frequency but lower overall values since those who play rarely tend experience greater wins.
Betting Range and Max Win
Players may adjust their stakes from $0.10 per spin upwards, with the maximum possible stake set at $25 per round for a single line (though it is worth mentioning max win amount can be up to ten thousand five hundred fifty six dollars depending solely on the initial betting value).