Book of Dead — Slot Review

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Overview

Book of Dead is a video slot developed by Play'n GO and released in January 2016. A decade on, it remains one of the most-played online pokies across Australian casinos, and for good reason — it does not try to be everything at once. The game follows Rich Wilde, Play'n GO's signature adventurer character, as he ventures into the tombs of ancient Egypt in search of the legendary Book of Dead. The premise is straightforward, the execution is polished, and the result is a slot that has stood the test of time in a market flooded with new releases every week.

Visually, the game leans into a classic Egyptian aesthetic without feeling dated. The reels sit within an ornate golden frame, hieroglyphic details line the borders, and the symbols — from the falcon-headed Horus to the imposing figure of Rich Wilde himself — are drawn with a level of detail that still holds up against modern releases. The colour palette is warm and rich, dominated by golds, deep blues, and sandy ochres that give the game a cinematic feel. The soundtrack is an orchestral Egyptian score that builds in intensity as the reels spin, and it does a decent job of keeping you in the zone without becoming irritating after a long session.

Performance-wise, Play'n GO has always built their games to run smoothly across devices and connection speeds, and Book of Dead is no exception. Whether you are loading it up on a desktop at home or spinning on your phone during a commute, the game loads fast and plays without lag. The interface is clean and uncluttered — bet controls are easy to find, the paytable is a single tap away, and the autoplay function works reliably. For Australian players who are used to the no-fuss approach of land-based pokies, this kind of straightforward layout feels right at home.

First impressions of Book of Dead are that it is a confident, well-made slot that knows exactly what it is. It is not trying to dazzle you with a dozen bonus features or a complicated mechanic. The appeal is in the simplicity of the core loop and the genuine excitement that comes with high volatility gameplay. When the free spins hit and the expanding symbol starts filling reels, the potential is real — and that is what keeps players coming back.

Gameplay & Mechanics

Book of Dead runs on a 5x3 grid with 10 paylines, and those paylines are adjustable, meaning you can play anywhere from 1 to 10 active lines at once. That said, most experienced players will tell you to keep all 10 active — reducing paylines on a high-volatility slot like this one only cuts your chances of landing the scatter without meaningfully reducing your exposure. The bet range runs from $0.01 to $100 per spin, which gives both casual players and higher rollers room to work with. You can set your coin value, choose your number of lines, and hit the max bet button if you want to go full send.

The symbol lineup is split into two clear tiers. The low-value symbols are the standard card royals — 10, J, Q, K, and A — which pay out frequently but in smaller amounts. These keep the base game ticking over between the bigger hits. The high-value symbols are where things get interesting: Anubis (the God of the Dead), Horus (the Falcon God), and Osiris (the God of Fertility) all appear on the reels and pay out at higher rates, with Osiris capable of returning up to x200 your stake for five of a kind. The Rich Wilde symbol is the top-paying regular symbol, returning x500 your bet for five on a payline.

• Low-value symbols: Card royals (10, J, Q, K, A) that pay frequently but in smaller amounts
• Mid-value symbols: Anubis, Horus, and Osiris (up to x200 for five of a kind)
• High-value symbol: Rich Wilde (x500 for five on a payline, x5,000 for a full reel)
• Book of Dead: Wild and Scatter dual symbol (x200 for five scatters, triggers free spins)

The Book of Dead symbol is the most important icon on the reels. It functions as both the Wild and the Scatter simultaneously — a dual-purpose symbol that is central to the entire game. As a Wild, it substitutes for any other symbol to complete winning combinations. As a Scatter, it pays out regardless of position, with five scatters returning x200 your stake. More importantly, landing three or more scatter symbols anywhere on the reels triggers the free spins feature, which is where the real action happens.

The core gameplay loop in Book of Dead is deliberately simple: spin the reels, watch for the Book symbol, and aim to trigger free spins. There is no complex base-game mechanic to learn, no cascading reels, no multiplier trails. The simplicity is part of the appeal — the game respects your time and gets straight to the point. Wins in the base game come from left to right across active paylines, and the paytable is easy to read at a glance. If you are new to online pokies, this is a solid starting point. If you are a seasoned player, you will appreciate that there is no fluff getting in the way of the main event.

Bonus Features

Book of Dead keeps its feature set lean, with three distinct mechanics that work together to create the game's signature high-variance experience. Each feature has a clear purpose, and together they account for the slot's reputation as a genuine big-win machine when everything lines up.

Wild/Scatter Dual Symbol

The Book of Dead symbol pulls double duty as both the Wild and the Scatter, and this dual function is the foundation of the entire game. As a Wild, it slots into any position on the reels and substitutes for every other symbol to help complete winning combinations. As a Scatter, it pays out based on the number that appear anywhere on the reels — three pays a smaller prize, four pays more, and five scatters returns x200 your total bet. The real value of the scatter is not the direct payout, though — it is the trigger for the free spins round. Landing three or more Books anywhere on the reels kicks off the main feature, and that is where the x5,000 max win potential lives.

Free Spins with Special Expanding Symbol

The Free Spins feature is the heart of Book of Dead. When three or more scatter symbols land, you receive 10 free spins. Before the spins begin, the game randomly selects one symbol to become the Special Expanding Symbol for the duration of the round. This can be any of the high-value symbols — Rich Wilde, Osiris, Horus, or Anubis — or even one of the card royals, though the premium symbols are obviously the ones you want.

During free spins, whenever the chosen expanding symbol appears on the reels, it expands to fill the entire reel it lands on. Crucially, the expanded symbols do not need to be on adjacent reels to count — they pay out across all positions on active paylines, which is what creates the potential for enormous wins. If Rich Wilde is your expanding symbol and he lands on three or more reels simultaneously, the payout can be significant. If he fills all five reels, you are looking at the x5,000 maximum win. The free spins can also retrigger if three or more scatters land during the bonus round, extending your session in the feature.

Gamble Feature

After any winning spin in the base game, Book of Dead gives you the option to use the Gamble Feature. This is a straightforward card-based gamble where you attempt to double your win by guessing the colour of the next card (red or black), or quadruple it by guessing the suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades). You can gamble up to five times consecutively on a single win, stacking your potential payout — but a wrong guess wipes the win entirely. The gamble feature is entirely optional and can be ignored if you prefer to bank your wins as they come. For players who enjoy a bit of extra risk, it adds another layer of decision-making to the session. The practical advice here is to use it sparingly and only on smaller wins — gambling away a solid free spin payout on a coin flip is a quick way to end a good session on a sour note.

RTP & Volatility Analysis

Book of Dead carries an RTP of 96.21%, which sits comfortably above the industry average of around 95.5% to 96%. In practical terms, this means that over a very large number of spins, the game returns approximately $96.21 for every $100 wagered. It is worth being clear that RTP is a long-term statistical figure calculated across millions of spins — it does not mean you will get back 96 cents from every dollar in a single session. What it does tell you is that Book of Dead is on the more generous end of the spectrum compared to many pokies you will find at Australian online casinos, and that is a meaningful advantage over time.

The high volatility rating is the more immediately relevant piece of information for most players. High volatility means wins come less frequently than in a low or medium volatility slot, but when they do land, they tend to be larger. In practice, playing Book of Dead means you should expect extended dry spells in the base game — it is not unusual to go 50 or even 100 spins without a significant return. The game is designed to front-load its potential into the free spins feature, which means your session can feel flat until the bonus triggers. When it does trigger, and particularly when a premium expanding symbol is selected, the returns can be substantial. The x5,000 maximum win is achievable, though it requires the right expanding symbol and near-perfect reel coverage during free spins.

For bankroll management, the high volatility nature of Book of Dead demands a disciplined approach. A general rule of thumb is to have at least 100 to 200 times your spin bet available as your session bankroll. If you are spinning at $1 per spin, you want at least $100-$200 set aside for that session. This gives you enough runway to ride out the dry spells and still be in the game when the free spins trigger. Setting a clear loss limit before you start is equally important — decide the maximum you are willing to lose in a session and stick to it. The high variance can make it tempting to chase losses, but that approach rarely ends well with a slot like this.

• Bankroll rule: Keep 100–200 times your spin bet available for a session
• Bet sizing: Spin bet should not exceed 1–2% of your total session bankroll
• Loss limits: Decide your maximum loss before starting and stick to it
• Session discipline: Avoid chasing losses by increasing bet sizes during dry spells

Mobile Compatibility

Book of Dead is fully optimised for mobile play on both Android and iOS devices. Play'n GO built the game using HTML5 technology, which means it runs directly in your mobile browser without requiring any app download or plugin. The interface scales cleanly to smaller screens, with the bet controls and paytable remaining easy to access and navigate with a thumb. There is no meaningful difference in gameplay between the mobile and desktop versions — all features, including free spins and the gamble feature, function identically across platforms. Performance is solid even on mid-range devices and standard mobile data connections. For Australian players who do a lot of their gaming on the go, Book of Dead is one of the more reliable options in the Play'n GO catalogue.

Player Experience

Playing Book of Dead is a session that tends to follow a recognisable pattern. The base game is steady — wins come and go, the Book symbol teases you from the reels, and you are constantly waiting for that third scatter to land. When the free spins trigger, the atmosphere shifts noticeably. The music builds, the expanding symbol is revealed, and for those 10 spins (or more, if you retrigger), there is a genuine sense of anticipation with every reel stop. Players who have spent time with this game will tell you that the Rich Wilde expanding symbol during free spins is one of the more satisfying moments in online pokies — when he fills multiple reels simultaneously, the win animations and sound effects land with real impact.

The broader player community around Book of Dead is enthusiastic and long-standing. It has a loyal following among Australian pokie players who appreciate its no-nonsense approach and genuine win potential. The game does not always deliver — high volatility means plenty of sessions end without a big hit — but the ones that do deliver tend to be memorable. It is the kind of slot you come back to regularly, not because it is flashy, but because it is reliable in its own unpredictable way.

Playing Strategy

Before anything else, it is worth being straight: slots are determined by a Random Number Generator (RNG), and no strategy can guarantee wins or predict outcomes. Every spin is independent of the last, and the results are genuinely random. What strategy can do is help you manage your bankroll more effectively and make decisions that give you the best chance of still being in the game when a good session comes along.

For a high-volatility slot like Book of Dead, bet sizing is the most important lever you have. Playing at a bet level that your bankroll can sustain through a long dry spell is essential. A practical approach is to set your spin bet at no more than 1-2% of your total session bankroll. If you have $200 to play with, keeping your bets between $1 and $2 per spin gives you the runway to absorb variance without busting out before the feature triggers. Avoid the temptation to increase bets after a losing streak — the RNG does not have memory, and chasing losses by upping stakes is a fast way to blow through your budget.

Regarding the Gamble Feature, the straightforward advice is to use it selectively and only on wins you can afford to lose. Doubling a small win with a colour guess is a reasonable punt, but gambling away a meaningful free spin payout on a 50/50 coin flip introduces unnecessary risk. Setting a personal rule — for example, only using the gamble feature on wins under a certain dollar amount — keeps the feature entertaining without letting it undermine your session. Finally, set a clear stop-win and stop-loss limit before you start spinning, and honour both when you hit them.

Where to Play Book of Dead in Australia

Australian players can find Book of Dead at a wide range of licensed online casinos that accept players from Australia. When choosing where to play, it is worth taking the time to check that the casino holds a valid licence from a recognised regulatory authority — options like the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) or the Curaçao eGaming licence are common among offshore casinos that serve the Australian market. A licensed casino is subject to regular audits and player protection requirements, which matters when you are depositing real money. Beyond licensing, look for casinos with a solid track record, transparent bonus terms, and reliable withdrawal processing.

Responsible gambling should always be part of how you approach any session. Set a budget before you start, use the deposit limit and session time tools that reputable casinos provide, and treat gambling as entertainment rather than a way to make money. If you ever feel like your gambling is getting out of hand, resources like Gambling Help Online (gamblinghelponline.org.au) are available around the clock and are free to use. Playing at a reputable, licensed casino also ensures that the RTP figures are accurate and that the games are not tampered with — another good reason to do your homework before you deposit.

Similar Slots

If you enjoy Book of Dead, there are a few other pokies worth having on your radar. Gates of Olympus 1000 by Pragmatic Play (RTP 96.5%) shares the high-volatility DNA and big-win focus, but takes a very different mechanical approach — it uses a tumble mechanic with multipliers rather than expanding symbols, and the bonus round feels more chaotic and fast-paced. Sun of Egypt 3 by 3 Oaks Gaming sticks closer to the Egyptian theme and will feel immediately familiar to Book of Dead fans, with a similar scatter-triggered free spins structure and expanding symbol mechanic, though it adds a few extra layers to the bonus round that give it a slightly different rhythm.

Big Bass Bonanza by Pragmatic Play (RTP 96.71%) is a different beast altogether — it swaps the Egyptian setting for a fishing theme and uses a Money Symbol collector mechanic during free spins rather than expanding symbols. The volatility profile is comparable, and the max win potential is in a similar range, but the gameplay feel is quite different. Big Bass Bonanza tends to deliver more frequent smaller wins during free spins, while Book of Dead is more all-or-nothing depending on which expanding symbol is selected. Both are worth playing if you enjoy high-variance pokies, but they scratch slightly different itches.

• Gates of Olympus 1000 (Pragmatic Play, 96.5% RTP) — Tumble mechanic with multipliers, Greek mythology theme, high variance
• Sun of Egypt 3 (3 Oaks Gaming) — Egyptian theme, expanding symbol free spins, closest feel to Book of Dead
• Big Bass Bonanza (Pragmatic Play, 96.71% RTP) — Fishing theme, Money Symbol collector, comparable volatility profile