Book Of Dead Pros & Cons
Book of Dead delivers brutal high volatility action with massive win potential. Still, you'll need serious patience and bankroll to handle the swings.
- 96.21% RTP beats industry average
- Max win 5,000x can pay life-changing money
- Free spins bonus hits frequently enough
- Expanding symbol mechanic is addictive
- Available at nearly every online casino
- High volatility = brutal dry spells
- Base game pays are weak and boring
- Only one bonus feature, gets repetitive
- Need premium symbol as expander for big wins
- Theme is overdone (another Egypt slot)
Book of Dead Slot Review - Ancient Egypt High Volatility Madness
Book of Dead is Play'n GO's answer to Book of Ra, and honestly, it's become way more popular than the original. Released in 2016, this Egyptian-themed slot hit the sweet spot between classic gameplay and modern features. Here at SlotsGamblers, we've tested it extensively over the past few years, and the 96.21% RTP, paired with high volatility, means you'll either walk away with serious cash or bust trying.
The leading hook is the free spins bonus with expanding symbols - land three book scatters and pick a special symbol that expands to fill the entire reels. Sounds simple, but when you get the explorer (top symbol) as your expander, you can hit wins up to 5,000x your stake. That's €5,000 on a €1 bet.
Rich Wilde, the Indiana Jones knockoff, takes you through ancient Egyptian tombs hunting for treasure. The theme is overdone in slots, but Play'n GO nailed the execution. Graphics still look sharp 9 years later, and the suspenseful music during free spins gets your heart racing when those expanding symbols start lining up.
This slot isn't for casual players. High volatility means long dry spells between wins, so you need patience and a decent bankroll. But when it hits, it hits hard. We've seen players turn €20 into €1,000+ during a single bonus round. We've also watched bankrolls disappear in 50 spins. That's Book of Dead in a nutshell - high-risk, high-reward gambling.
The game works on all devices. Betting starts at €0.10, and the max bet is €100 per spin. It's found at pretty much every online casino because it's licensed globally, and players love the volatility rush.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Developer | Play'n GO |
| Release Date | January 2016 |
| Reels X Rows | 5x3 |
| Paylines | 10 (Fixed) |
| RTP | 96.21% |
| Volatility | High |
| Min Bet | €0.10 |
| Max Bet | €100.00 |
| Max Win Potential | 5,000x stake |
| Hit Frequency | ~28% |
| Default Bet Range | €0.10 - €100.00 |
| Mobile Compatible | Yes (iOS, Android, HTML5) |
Symbols & Payouts
Ten symbols total - 5 themed symbols (explorer, pharaoh, bird god, scarab, sphinx) and 5 card symbols (10, J, Q, K, A). The book acts as both wild and scatter, so technically 11 symbols. Card symbols are adorned with Egyptian hieroglyphics, but remain clearly recognizable.
🎰 Rich Wilde (Explorer) - High Value
The adventurer himself is the top-paying symbol. He's illustrated in that classic adventure-hero style with his whip and confident smirk. Five explorers on a payline pay 500x your line bet (5,000x your total stake), and you only need 2 to trigger a small win. This is the symbol everyone wants as their expanding symbol during free spins because it can fill the entire screen for the max 5,000x payout. The design is sharp, and he animates nicely when winning.
👑 Pharaoh Mask - High Value
Golden death mask of a pharaoh with blue and gold coloring. Five masks pay 200x your line bet, making it the second-best premium. This symbol appears more frequently than Rich Wilde, but still rare enough to keep you hunting. During free spins, getting this as your expander can deliver solid 1,000-2,000x wins if you fill multiple reels. The metallic gold sheen looks great even on mobile screens.
🦅 Anubis (Bird God) - Medium Value
The jackal-headed god is rendered in profile with traditional Egyptian art styling. Five bird gods pay 75x your line bet. This is where payouts start dropping significantly from the top two symbols. It's a mid-tier symbol that pays decently when it expands in the bonus, but won't make you rich. The design is clean and fits the theme perfectly.
🪲 Scarab Beetle - Medium Value
Blue scarab with golden accents, designed in that classic Egyptian jewelry style. Pays 75x for five of a kind, same as Anubis. The scarab was sacred in ancient Egypt, and Play'n GO gave it a polished, gem-like appearance. As an expanding symbol, it's okay but not exciting since the payouts are moderate.
🏛️ Sphinx Statue - Medium Value
The stone sphinx statue symbol pays 30x for five. This is the lowest-paying themed symbol and honestly the least exciting to get as your expanding symbol in free spins. The design features a weathered stone statue that fits the tomb aesthetic, but it's not visually special.
🃏 Ace (A) - Low Value
Red card symbol with Egyptian hieroglyphic decorations. Pays 15x for five of a kind. Card symbols in Book of Dead are basically filler - they hit frequently in the base game but pay trash. You need the Ace as your expanding symbol during free spins for it to matter.
🃏 King (K) - Low Value
Blue decorated card paying 15x for five. Same story as the Ace - frequent but low-paying. Getting a K or an A as your expanding symbol in the bonus is disappointing, because even a full screen pays only around 150x total.
🃏 Queen (Q) - Low Value
The green card symbol pays 10x for five. Even worse than K and A. This is what you don't want to see expand during your free spins, because the wins will be weak.
🃏 Jack (J) - Low Value
The yellow card pays 10x for the five—second-lowest symbols and is frustrating when it expands during the bonus round.
🃏 Ten (10) - Low Value
Purple card symbol, lowest payer at 10x for five. Getting this as your expanding symbol is basically a wasted bonus round unless you retrigger.
📖 Book of Dead - Special (Wild & Scatter)
The golden book is both wild and scattered, and it's the most critical symbol in the game. As a wild, it substitutes for everything to complete wins. As a scatter, 3+ books anywhere trigger the free spins bonus. The book only appears on reels 1, 3, and 5 in the base game, making it rare but not impossible to hit. During free spins, books can land on all reels and retrigger the feature. Design is a golden book with Egyptian symbols that opens when you land, and it's the sound you'll hear constantly.
| Symbol | 5 of a Kind | 4 of a Kind | 3 of a Kind | 2 of a Kind | Special Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rich Wilde (Explorer)
|
5,000x | 750x | 100x | 20x | Top-paying symbol |
|
Pharaoh Mask
|
2,000x | 400x | 40x | - | Second premium |
|
Anubis (Bird God)
|
750x | 100x | 25x | - | Mid-tier premium |
|
Scarab Beetle
|
750x | 100x | 25x | - | Mid-tier premium |
|
Sphinx Statue
|
300x | 30x | 10x | - | Low premium |
|
Ace (A)
|
150x | 20x | 5x | - | Card symbol |
|
King (K)
|
150x | 20x | 5x | - | Card symbol |
|
Queen (Q)
|
100x | 15x | 5x | - | Card symbol |
|
Jack (J)
|
100x | 15x | 5x | - | Card symbol |
|
Ten (10)
|
100x | 15x | 5x | - | Card symbol |
|
Book of Dead
|
2,000x | 200x | 20x | - | Wild + Scatter (triggers bonus) |
Bonus Features
One main feature: free spins with expanding symbols —simple concept, massive potential.
| Feature Name | Trigger Method | Description | Max Potential Win | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Free Spins
|
3+ Book scatters anywhere | 10 free spins with 1 randomly selected expanding symbol | 5,000x stake | Medium (1 in ~200 spins) |
|
Expanding Symbol
|
Automatic during free spins | Chosen symbol expands to fill entire reel, scattered | pays5,000x stake | Every spin in bonus |
|
Gamble Feature
|
After any base game win | Double-or-nothing card color/suit gamble | 2x to 4x win (up to limit) | Optional after wins |
RTP & Volatility
96.21% RTP is solid and above average for the industry. High volatility with 5,000x max win potential.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
|
Min Bet
|
€0.10 |
|
Max Bet
|
€100.00 |
|
Max Win (at max bet)
|
€500,000 |
|
Max Win (multiplier)
|
5,000x stake |
|
RTP
|
96.21% |
|
Volatility
|
High (9/10) |
|
Hit Frequency
|
~28% |
Mobile
Works perfectly on mobile. We tested on iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy, and iPad—loads fast, runs smoothly, zero issues. Play'n GO built it in HTML5, so it automatically adjusts to any screen size. Touch controls are responsive, and all features work identically to the desktop. Battery drain is minimal, and it plays fine on 4G connections without lag or stuttering.
Tips & Strategy
Here's what we learned at SlotsGamblers after hundreds of sessions:
Bankroll
Start with 200-300x your minimum bet. High volatility will eat smaller bankrolls in minutes during cold streaks.
Bet sizing
Don't bet max unless you've got serious cash. €0.20-€1.00 spins give you runway for the bonus to hit without going broke. The 5,000x multiplier works the same at any bet level.
Free spins strategy
When the bonus triggers and you see your expanding symbol, you can't change it, but you can quit if it's a low-value card. Some players cash out and restart to avoid wasting time on weak bonus rounds—your call.
Retrigger hunting
If you hit a bonus with a premium symbol as the expander (explorer, pharaoh, bird god), keep playing even if the first few spins are dead. Retriggers during these bonuses can deliver total wins of 500x+.
Session limits
Set a loss limit at 50% of your starting bankroll and a win goal at 100-200% profit. Book of Dead will give and take aggressively, so lock in wins when you're ahead.
Gamble feature
Skip it unless you're already in profit and feeling lucky. The double-or-nothing gamble is a pure 50/50 chance and tends to eat wins more often than doubling them.
Similar Games
If you like Book of Dead, check these out:
Legacy of Dead
Play'n GO's sequel with slightly higher RTP (96.58%) and a double-or-nothing expanding symbol feature. Same expanding symbol mechanic, but more volatile.
Book of Ra Deluxe
Novomatic's classic that inspired Book of Dead. Lower RTP (95.1%) but still popular in Europe. Similar bonus, different math.
Gonzo's Quest Megaways
NetEnt/Red Tiger's high-volatility adventure slot with avalanche mechanics and up to 21,000x wins. Different mechanics but similar player demographic.
Dead or Alive 2
NetEnt's western-themed high-volatility slot with sticky wilds. Max win 100,000x makes Book of Dead look tame, but it's even more brutal variance.
Play Responsibly - 18+ Only
Gambling should be entertaining and fun. Remember that slots are games of chance, and there's no guaranteed way to win. Never gamble more than you can afford to lose, and always set limits for yourself. If you feel gambling is becoming a problem, please seek help immediately.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
How do you trigger the free spins in Book of Dead?
Land 3 or more book scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. The book acts as both wild and scatter, so you'll see it often, but getting 3+ at once happens once every 150-200 spins on average.
Can you choose which symbol expands during free spins?
Nah, it's random. The game automatically picks one symbol before your spins start, and you're stuck with it for that bonus round. If you get 10 or J, you're basically screwed unless you retrigger and get lucky on more spins.
What's the best expanding symbol to get?
Rich Wilde (the explorer) hands down. Fill all 5 reels with expanded explorers, and you hit the 5,000x max win. Pharaoh mask is second-best at 2,000x potential. Anything below that and your bonus will probably disappoint.
How often does Book of Dead pay out the max 5,000x win?
Extremely rare, honestly. We tested thousands of spins at SlotsGamblers and only saw it twice. You need Explorer as your expanding symbol, then you need to fill all 5 reels with him during the free spins, and both have to align perfectly. Most players will never hit it.
Can you retrigger the free spins bonus?
Yeah, land 3+ book scatters during your free spins, and you get 10 more spins with the same expanding symbol. We've seen bonuses retrigger 3-4 times in a row, and that's when the most significant wins happen because you get more chances for your symbol to cover the screen.
Is Book of Dead better than Book of Ra?
Yeah, Book of Dead has better RTP (96.21% vs 95.1%) and more modern graphics. The mechanics are basically identical - both use expanding symbols in free spins - but Book of Dead runs smoother on mobile and pays better mathematically.
Why is Book of Dead so popular if it's so volatile?
Because when it hits, it hits massive. Players love chasing that 5,000x max win, and the expanding symbol mechanic is addictive. Plus, it's at every casino, so it's easy to find. The high volatility actually attracts players who hate boring low-variance slots.
What's the minimum bet to play Book of Dead?
€0.10 per spin, but we recommend at least €0.20-€0.50 if you want your bankroll to survive long enough to hit the bonus. At €0.10 spins, you need serious luck or a huge starting balance because the dry spells will drain you fast.