Book of Dead Review
Book of Dead is Play'n GO's best-known slot: Rich Wilde, 5 reels, 10 lines, a book that is both wild and scatter, and 10 free spins with one symbol that can fill whole reels. The top prize is 5,000× your bet.
About the game
Play'n GO released Book of Dead on 14 January 2016. It follows the classic book-slot idea: 3 books start the free spins, and before they begin one symbol is picked to expand over its reel.
The rules are short and the game hasn't changed much since launch, which is part of why it is still in the most-played lists ten years later. Rich Wilde, the explorer, is also the hero of other Play'n GO games such as Scroll of Dead and Secret of Dead.
Book of Dead Features
The book
The tomb book is the scatter and the wild. On a line it replaces any other symbol. As a scatter it pays anywhere on the screen: 2×, 20× or 200× your total bet for 3, 4 or 5. Scatter wins are added to line wins.
Free spins with an expanding symbol
3 or more books give you 10 free spins. Before the first spin, one normal symbol is chosen at random as the special expanding symbol for the whole round.
After the normal wins are paid, the special symbol grows to cover all 3 positions on its reel, but only when that creates an extra win on the played lines. The expanded reels don't need to be next to each other. 3 more books during the round add another 10 spins.
Gamble
After a win you can open the gamble round and guess a face-down card. The right colour doubles the win, the right suit multiplies it by 4. You can gamble up to 5 times in a row, up to a limit of 2,500 coins.
How to play
Pick 1 to 10 lines, 1 to 5 coins per line and a coin value. In the demo the coin value goes from 0.01 to 2.00, so a spin costs between 0.01 and 100 credits. Lines are always switched on in order, 1, 2, 3 and so on.
Symbols and payouts
Rich Wilde is the top symbol. He, the pharaoh, Anubis and Horus already pay for 2 on a line. Card letters need 3.
| Symbol | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rich Wilde | 5,000× | 1,000× | 100× | 10× |
| Pharaoh | 2,000× | 400× | 40× | 5× |
| Anubis | 750× | 100× | 30× | 5× |
| Horus | 750× | 100× | 30× | 5× |
| A, K | 150× | 40× | 5× | – |
| Q, J, 10 | 100× | 25× | 5× | – |
Line wins are paid left to right and only the highest win per line counts.
Maximum win
The paytable says you can win up to 250,000 coins. At the top bet of 50 coins (5 coins on 10 lines) that is 5,000× the bet. It needs the explorer as the expanding symbol in the free spins, covering all five reels.
RTP and volatility
The demo's rules don't print an RTP or a volatility rating, so check the game info at your casino. The game pays most of its value in the free spins, and how much depends on which symbol is chosen to expand: a card letter brings small wins, Rich Wilde or the pharaoh can bring very big ones.
Similar games
Other book slots work the same way, for example Book of Ra Deluxe from Novomatic. Inside the Rich Wilde series, Scroll of Dead and Secret of Dead change the bonus rules.
Book of Dead Pros and Cons
Strengths
- Simple rules you learn in one spin
- Expanding symbol pays on all lines
- Free spins can be won again
- Up to 5,000× the bet
Limitations
- RTP not shown in the demo
- Long quiet stretches in the base game
- No bonus buy
Our Verdict
Book of Dead is a straight, well-made book slot. Everything depends on the free spins and on which symbol expands, so expect long waits and the odd big round.
If you like this style, the demo is the easy way to get a feel for how rare the good expanding symbols are.
Book of Dead FAQs
How do you get the free spins?
Land 3 or more books anywhere. You get 10 free spins with a special expanding symbol.
What does the book do?
It's wild and scatter at once. It pays 2×, 20× or 200× your total bet for 3, 4 or 5.
What is the maximum win?
Up to 250,000 coins, which is 5,000× the top bet of 50 coins.
Can the free spins be retriggered?
Yes, 3 more books add 10 spins.
What is the RTP?
The demo doesn't show it. Check the game rules at your casino.
When did Book of Dead come out?
Play'n GO lists 14 January 2016.
