Book of Dead Slot Review

Book of Dead slot is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and most played online slots of all time. It’s one of the pioneering titles in the ‘Book of’ genre and is known for its high volatility, dual scatter/wild symbol, and a free spins bonus with expanding symbols.

The action takes place across a standard 5×3 reel configuration with 10 paylines. The slot has a top RTP of 96.21% and a maximum win of 5,000x the stake, which is meagre by today’s standards.

Editor’s Verdict

A few years ago, Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead would have earned a 5 out of 5 rating from me. However, while it’s such an iconic slot, its age has slowly caught up with it. I don’t think many would argue with me when I say it is starting to look dated compared to more modern releases. These days, I’d probably pick many other slots rather than play Book of Dead, although I can see myself playing now and then for old times’ sake.

For that reason, it gets a strong 4 out of 5. I cannot ignore its popularity and longevity in the online casino space. It’s also a title that everyone should check out at least once at a casino online Ireland.

Music and Graphics in Book of Dead

The theme used on Book of Dead is one most players will have come across dozens, if not hundreds of times before. We follow an intrepid explorer, this time by the name of Rich Wilde, as he bravely scours ancient tombs and pyramids, hoping to find some ancient artefacts. Of course, we’re also hoping to find some treasure of our own.

Graphically, Book of Dead is starting to look dated, which is a shame. It still holds up compared to some modern titles, but you can easily tell it’s an older slot when playing. The audio fits the theme well, but I usually turn off the audio when playing slots unless there’s a soundtrack I can get into.

How to Play Book of Dead

If you’re new to Book of Dead and want to give this legendary slot a try, there are just a few simple steps to follow. Before you get started, you’ll need to choose a Book of Dead casino. Luckily, you’ll find many of the best here.

1. Sign up for your chosen online casino
2. Make a deposit if you want to play for real cash
3. Alternatively, try out the Book of Dead demo for free
4. Load the Book of Dead slot
5. Choose a spin bet and spin the reels!

Payout Symbols

Before spinning the reels, I always like to get familiar with a slot’s combination wins and the payouts that will come when they land. On Book of Dead, there are 11 regular symbols and a dual scatter/wild symbol.

As per the paytable on Book of Dead, these are the 5-symbol combination payouts you’ll win when they land across a payline.

Paytables and Winning Combinations

I should mention that when testing the Book of Dead slot, I noticed most winning combinations required three or more matching symbols. The exceptions are the high-value symbols, which are Rich himself, the Pharaoh, and Anubis.

Winning combinations must start from the first reel and move along a payline on adjacent reels from left to right. The only exception is the expanding symbol in the bonus game, but I’ll get onto that later.

Book of Dead Bonus Features

Book of Dead only has a few bonus features, but they have the potential to help you create some impressive payouts.

Dual Wild Symbol

Unlike most slots that have separate Wild and Scatter symbols, Play’n Go has combined them into one on most of the studio’s Book of Dead slots. The dual wild/scatter will substitute for regular symbols if a winning combination is possible. On top of that, if three or more land anywhere in view, the free spins bonus game triggers.

Book of Dead Free Spins Bonus

Speaking of that free spins bonus, it is what most players like most about the slot. It offers a ton of potential, primarily due to the randomly selected expanding symbol. Once free spins are triggered, one regular symbol is randomly selected as your expanding symbol for the duration of the bonus. The higher the value, the better.

You receive 10 free spins, and when that randomly chosen symbol lands, it can expand to fill its reel. When it expands, winning combinations will form even if the matching symbols are not on adjacent reels.

You receive an initial 10 free spins, but you can re-trigger the bonus from within to win another 10 spins.

Gamble Feature

The final bonus feature is a risk game that you can opt to use after landing a win. You risk what you’ve won in the hope of doubling or even quadrupling that amount. If you want to try to double your winnings, you must guess the correct colour of the next playing card. As for boosting your winnings by four times, you need to guess the suit.

Book of Dead RTP and Volatility

I’ve already mentioned the high volatility of Book of Dead. ‘Book of’ slots are generally known for high variance, and this was one of the first slots within that genre.

As for the RTP, it depends on which casino with Book of Dead you’re playing at. The default version of the game has an adequate RTP of 96.21%, putting it above the average for online slots. However, the slot does have variable RTPs, meaning online casinos could opt to set up the slot with an RTP of 94.25%, 91.25%, 87.25%, or 84.18%.

Mobile Usability and App

As with every slot review, I put Book of Dead through its paces on multiple mobile devices. I also played it both through the web browser and using a casino app. To be honest, I see very little difference between the two. Both methods gave me a solid experience.

You can switch between playing in landscape and portrait, although I’m not sure why anyone would prefer the latter. You also have the option of setting up automatic spins or even faster spins.

How to Win Playing Book of Dead

• Make use of bonus offers: If you can win using bonus funds instead of your own money, what’s not to like? Check out some of the online casinos we’ve reviewed and rated, and you’ll find Book of Dead free spins no deposit bonuses, welcome bonuses, and more.
• Play sensibly: Always ensure you have created a playing budget and that you never use any additional money on top. Treat gambling as entertainment and not for profit. If you struggle with sticking to limits, some online casinos allow you to set them up in your account.
• Play the slot demo first: Why most slots are fairly straightforward and easy to understand, it never hurts to play for free before risking real money. For one, you want to know if you enjoy playing, while having a better understanding of the bonus features always helps.

Other Book of Dead Slots

Play’n Go has released numerous slots in the Rich Wilde series, which is understandable considering the success of the original. In fact, there are so many that the studio has had to introduce new characters to keep the theme fresh. Most notably, his daughter appears in several Cat Wilde online slots.

In my opinion, some of the better slots in the series were some of the older titles. Such as:

Legacy of Dead: The sequel to Book of Dead, Legacy of Dead ramps up that infamous free spins bonus round. Multiple expanding symbols can appear to increase the winning potential, although the maximum quin is the same at 5,000x.

Rise of Dead: This slot offers a darker than usual theme in the series, while it also has additional features such as stacked symbols and mega stacks.

Scroll of Dead: Another of my favourites, Scroll of Dead takes the ‘Book of’ genre a step further by enabling up to six reels during its free spins bonus.

Conclusion

Book of Dead is one of the all-time greats that helped pioneer the ‘book’ genre, which remains hugely popular today. It offers a combination of high-value symbol payouts, a hugely lucrative free spins bonus, and a theme that has always been a best-seller.

Even though I prefer more modern slots with a better variety of features these days, this is still a title that I have enjoyed for many years and still do on occasion. It has a nostalgia that takes you back to some of the earlier days of online slots, but always packs a punch with its payouts and features.