Game Specifications
| Software | Play’n GO |
| Release Date | 14.01.2016 |
| RTP | 96.21% |
| Volatility | High |
| Max Win | x5000 |
| Bet Range | 0.01 - 100 |
| Reels | 5 |
| Betways | 10 |
| Features | AdventureAncientBooksEgyptianExpanding SymbolsGambleRetriggerSpecial Symbol |
Slot Review
Game Overview
Players enter the Ancient Egypt tomb with one of the celebrity adventurers of the slot world, Rich Wilde. He has found the Book of Dead and is ready to unleash its power. It’s a simple but exciting story, and there’s just as exciting and simple gameplay to match it.
The first step is to spin the reels in the main game, because that’s the only way to get to the bonus rounds. Nothing really happens during this time. Players get regular payouts but can adjust the number of lines and risk winnings to get them multiplied x2 or x4.
It’s when 3 Scatters/Wilds land, that things get more exciting as one symbol gets the ability to expand. This symbol then pays even when there are gaps between icons. So, that’s definitely something to look forward to.
Theme
Play’n GO has sent Rich Wilde to numerous places where any mysteries and hidden treasures are involved. But his expedition to Egypt comes as the most epic one. There, he raids the tomb of the gods to find some riches. But most importantly, he finds the Book of Dead, which is believed to awaken life in the dead.
The story doesn’t end there and carries over to another game, Legacy of Dead. As it later turned out, by opening that book, he didn’t bring anyone back to life. Instead, he released the soul of one dead king who isn’t happy about someone getting their hands on his treasures. And players had to deal with that revengeful soul in the later slot.
Popularity of the Slot
The slots vertical is very fast paced with loads of new titles being launched every month. And it takes a special game to consistently show excellent performance. So, Book of Dead is definitely in the league with a very few other iconic online slots.
Released in 2016, it’s still very much popular with players across the globe. Despite the fact that there are more visually polished games that feature complicated and innovative gameplays. It just has that simple but magical formula that keeps players wanting more.
In our annual slot ratings, Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead has been within the Top 10 for five years straight, from 2020 to 2024. Unlike other widely recognized titles, its popularity doesn’t drop over time. In 2020 it landed 4th and then raised to the 1st position the next year, followed by 8th, 6th and 7th positions in the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively. This is considering that there are usually no other games in the top 10 that would be as old as this game.
Book of Dead Features
The slot is very simple. No fancy artwork and visuals, no complicated features… but it’s so incredibly popular. Considering that a lot of players still enjoy classic fruit machines, the obsession with Book of Dead is understandable. It’s not that primitive but isn’t too complicated as well.
Here’s what it basically offers: 5×3 layout, 10 lines and a round of free spins with an expanding symbol. But this simple formula works magic as players have been playing it for years even though they have plenty of other titles that feature striking visuals and more complicated gameplays.
Lines
It’s a traditional payline slot. And similar to how things used to be in the past, Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead allows players to adjust the number of lines. And it can be any number between 1 and 10. This is something only a few slots today offer.
So, this obviously can make each spin cheaper or allows players to bet more on fewer lines in hope of bigger wins. But on the downside, it’s just a wasted opportunity to grab as many payouts as possible. Ultimately, everyone wants to enter a bonus. And if you enter a bonus game with just one active payline, it isn’t going to be very lucrative.
Symbols
Play Book of Dead for free to explore the gameplay as well as visuals. Since you enter a pyramid, you can expect a variety of Ancient Egypt stuff.
But there’s one more icon that appears on the reels, and it’s the image of the tomb. It serves as both Wild and Scatter. So, if it fails to trigger a bonus, it still can be useful in bridging the gaps between paying icons.
Gamble Feature
Those who want to boost their winnings, can use the gamble feature. Try Book of Dead in a demo to test it. Any payout offers you an option to collect or risk an amount won. And once you choose to take a risk, there are two options: double or quadruple base game or bonus wins.
There will be a face down card, and the challenge is to guess either its color or its suit, depending on how much you want to win. The card is then revealed and you either boost your payout or lose everything.
If successful, players can choose to continue for another gambling round. There can be a total of 5 gambles in one go. But if you lose at any point, you lose all the money. Before you make your pick of a color or a card suit, you can always click Collect to exit the feature.
Bonus Game
Three Tombs in one spin is a combination that opens the door to free spins. And that’s the moment every player is waiting for, because they get 10 spins for free. But unlike spins in the main game, these come with an Expanding icon.
Any of the 9 paying icons can become an expanding one. This is determined randomly before the bonus is activated. And it won’t just cover an entire reel, it pays regardless of a position. As long as you have the necessary number of matching expanding icons on a line, it’s a win.
Gaps or no gaps, players get a win. For cheaper symbols, there must be at least three icons on three different reels to ensure a payout, and for more expensive icons, there should be at least two expansions.
Demo Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead to experience the thrill of the bonus game. Great thing about this expansion feature is that it activates only after other wins are paid, so that the feature doesn’t interfere with other winning combinations.
How to Enter FS
Bonus buys weren’t that common in 2016, that’s why you don’t have the option to speed things up. Moreover, it’s a game from Play’n GO, the studio which vowed to never integrate this option because of the problem gambling issue.
So, the only way Book of Dead is letting you into its bonus round is if you collect 3 Scatters. More of them won’t give you extra spins, but you’ll collect a bigger prize for the combination.
10 spins that are credited initially can be extended if you land the same 3 Scatter combination during FS. This unlocks additional 10 free rounds.
Book of Dead Game Stats
Sure enough, this Play’n GO title has adjustable RTP, and you won’t like the lowest values. The slot can be set to return: 96.21%, 94.25%, 91.25%, 87.25% and 84.18%. But unless the game is delivered to a market that requires RTP to be mentioned somewhere in the game files, you won’t find which figure it is.
Volatility is high and the max payout is x5,000. The way to grab the top prize is obviously through FS. But the bonus is essentially the same as the main game as there are no multipliers. Players can land an entire screen of the highest paying icons in the base game, but it’s just so much more realistic when expansions are available.
Similar Slots
There’s a host of slots that use the same “Book of” mechanic. So, any title that has “Book of” in its name, will have either the entirely similar gameplay or just parts of it. Bonus with an expanding random icon is the signature feature most of them share.
The one that’s released by Play’n GO is Legacy of Dead, which was mentioned earlier in this review. A soul of the dead king escapes once Rich Wilde opens the Book of Dead. But there are also new twists in the gameplay. Players get FS that offer up to 9 Expanding icons. Every retrigger adds one icon to the collection of Expanding ones.
But that added thrill of expansion is compensated by a smaller number of FS that players get. There will be 8 initial rounds and 8 per retrigger.
Conclusion
Book of Dead is an incredibly successful game that managed to stay at the very top of the ratings for a very long time. It features a simple but very effective gameplay that is focused on the bonus with an Expanding Symbol. Its success has triggered a whole wave of “Book of” titles.
The slot doesn’t have any features such as bonus buys, multipliers or a range of boosters. Everything is kept simple so that you can enjoy the beauty of the mechanic. Give it a try, as there’s a chance that you’ll join a huge number of fellow gamblers who love it.
Symbols & Paytable
Screenshots
Frequently Asked Questions
Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead Reviews by Players
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