Book of Dead is the slot most players picture when someone says "Egyptian book game". Play'n GO released it in January 2016 with its adventurer Rich Wilde, and the formula it popularised (a symbol that is both wild and scatter, and one random symbol that expands across the reels in free spins) now appears in dozens of imitations.
The game is easy to learn. The part players skip is the RTP, and on this title that is the most important thing on the page.
How the Game Works
The layout is classic: five reels, three rows and up to ten paylines. You can play fewer lines, although almost everyone plays all ten. The book is both the wild and the scatter, so it substitutes for other symbols on a line and also triggers the bonus.
Three or more books anywhere award ten free spins. Before they start, one regular symbol is chosen at random as the special expanding symbol. During free spins, whenever that symbol lands in enough positions to form a win, it expands to fill its whole reel and pays on every active line, even on reels that are not adjacent. The bonus can retrigger with three more books.
Why the choice of symbol matters so much
If the chosen symbol is a card royal, a full-screen of expanded symbols still pays modestly. If it is Rich Wilde himself, the top symbol, five expanded reels pay the game's maximum of 5,000 times the bet. Most of the game's variance comes from that single random draw at the start of the round.
The RTP Issue: One Game, Several Prices
Play'n GO publishes the theoretical return of Book of Dead at 96.21% in its standard configuration. It also supplies the game at lower RTP levels, and operators choose which one to run. The lower versions are not a secret; they are simply not visible from the lobby tile.
| Configuration | What it means for 1,000 units of spins |
|---|---|
| 96.21% (standard) | Long-run cost of about 38 units |
| A 94% build | Long-run cost of about 60 units |
| A 91% build | Long-run cost of about 90 units |
The figures in the right-hand column are averages over enormous numbers of spins, not predictions for one session, but they make the point: the same game with the same art can cost more than twice as much depending on where you load it. The information screen (the "i" or paytable button) states the RTP of the build in front of you. Read it before your first spin, every time you play at a new casino.
Gamble Feature: Worth Knowing, Rarely Worth Using
After a win you can gamble it on the colour (double or nothing) or the suit (four times or nothing) of a face-down card. The odds are fair for the stated payout, which means it adds variance without adding value. It is a tool for players who want to reach a target quickly and accept losing the win entirely. We leave it alone.
A Budget That Fits the Game
Book of Dead is high volatility with a bonus that can take a long time to arrive. We plan for roughly 300 spins at the chosen stake.
- At 0.10 per spin (all ten lines at 0.01), that is 30 units.
- At 0.50 per spin, that is 150 units.
If that feels like a lot for a lower stake, it is a sign that a lower stake is the right one. Most casinos offer a demo; a quick session there shows how often three books arrive in practice.
Where to Play Book Games Like This
Expanding-symbol book slots are among the most widely stocked games in Europe. You'll find this type of game at the five casinos below. Search the lobby for the exact title, and open the information screen to see which RTP build the casino offers in your country. Welcome codes go in the cashier before your first deposit.
