Book of Dead (Play’n GO) – Review & Demo Play

Book of Dead - Game Overview

I’ve played Book of Dead since its 2016 launch from Play’n GO. It’s a 5x3, 10-line slot with adjustable lines, a high-volatility profile and an RTP that tops out at 96.21% depending on the version. The paytable is top-heavy and the gameplay revolves around the free spins with a special expanding symbol. In my sessions, base-game hits feel modest and streaky, but the bonus can land hefty outcomes. The maximum win is 5,000x your bet, which keeps the risk-reward balance sharp.

Gameplay & Mechanics in Book of Dead

Book of Dead uses a classic 5x3 reel layout with 10 adjustable paylines. I set stakes via Coins, Coin Value and Lines, or pick Bet Max if I fancy a quick jump. The practical range is 10p to £100 a spin, with Auto Play available and configurable stop limits outside the UK. The interface is clean and old-school, so getting from paytable to spin button is instant. It takes seconds to set up a session and get the reels moving.

There are no cascades, no hold-and-spin gimmicks and no multipliers baked into the base game. Wins come from lining up symbols, and the real punch sits in the bonus. Pace can be nudged with Fast Play where offered, but the rhythm remains straightforward. That simplicity is part of the charm: it’s easy to track your balance, spot premium teases, and settle into a measured spin pattern while you chase the all-important feature.

Book of Dead Paytable & Symbols

Book of Dead’s symbols stick to the Egyptian brief. At the low end, 10, J and Q pay up to 10x your total bet for five, with K and A paying up to 15x. Premiums are where the game comes alive: Horus and Anubis pay up to 75x, Osiris pays up to 200x, and Rich Wilde leads the pack with 500x for five of a kind. Premiums also pay from two, which helps during bonus expansions.

The Book symbol pulls double duty as Wild and Scatter. As a Wild it substitutes to complete lines; as a Scatter it pays anywhere and is the trigger for free spins. Five Books can pay up to 200x your bet as listed in the paytable. The structure is extremely top-heavy, so most line wins from royals are small. In practice, you grind through modest returns waiting for symbols that matter to stack or expand in the feature.

Bonus Features in Book of Dead

Three or more Book Scatters in Book of Dead trigger 10 free spins straight away, and the Books pay 2x, 20x or 200x your bet at the same time. You don’t need them on a line; any positions count. Because the Book is also a Wild, it helps set up lines during the trigger too. This dual role gives the symbol real weight during play, especially when you’re teasing with two Books and a gap on the last reel.

Before the round starts, Book of Dead selects one special expanding symbol at random. When enough of that symbol lands to make a win, it expands to cover its reels and pays across all 10 lines, even if the symbols are not adjacent. Low symbols expand more often for smaller totals; premiums are rarer but can swing a session. Land three more Books during the feature to add 10 extra spins, with retriggers stacking and, in theory, continuing without a set cap.

After any win, Book of Dead offers an optional Gamble. Guess the colour of the face-down card to double, or the suit to quadruple. You can press your luck up to five times, subject to a limit stated in the rules. I use it to lift tiny base wins into something meaningful, but it’s high risk and wipes the lot on a miss. It’s a classic touch that suits the slot’s high-variance character.

RTP, Volatility & Max Win in Book of Dead

Book of Dead’s RTP is quoted at up to 96.21%, but this slot ships with multiple settings. I’ve seen versions at 94.25%, 91.25%, 87.25% and 84.18%, so I always check the paytable. Variance is high and the hit rate hovers around the mid-20s, with lots of five-line royal wins that barely move the needle. Most of the game’s return sits inside the feature, which makes base-game play feel sparse compared with the bonus.

The practical ceiling is 5,000x your bet, usually arrived at via expanding premiums in the free spins. In my tracking, the bonus tends to trigger about once every 190 spins, give or take, so session length matters. I size stakes to weather long gaps and let the expansion mechanic do the heavy lifting. If the chosen symbol is Rich Wilde, even a single instance on each reel can do serious work.

Visual & Sound Experience in Book of Dead

Book of Dead’s presentation holds up. The gold-toned chamber backdrop, clean hieroglyphics and crisp symbol art make wins easy to read, with Rich Wilde front and centre. The soundtrack adds tension with measured, cinematic cues, then ramps up when features tease or land. On mobile, the HTML5 build is slick in portrait or landscape, and touch controls are responsive. It’s not flashy by modern standards, but it feels polished and consistent across devices.

Book of Dead - Final Verdict

I keep Book of Dead in regular rotation because the structure is pure, the paytable is punchy, and the expanding symbol free spins can swing a session fast. It’s not about steady value in the base; it’s about holding your nerve through dry patches and letting the feature do the heavy lifting. If you like high-risk slots with clear rules and meaningful peaks, this one still earns its reputation and remains worth a seat at the table.