Book of Golden Sands (Pragmatic Play) – Review & Demo Play

Book of Golden Sands Online Slot Review

I went in expecting yet another 'book of' clone, but Book of Golden Sands surprised me under the bonnet. The 6x3 layout with 729 win ways shifts the pace, and symbol values sit lower to balance things. Scarab wilds carry x2 or x3 multipliers in the base game and bonus, which keeps spins lively. The free spins use a special expanding symbol with a collect meter that grows future expansions. It all ties to a capped 10,000x max win that feels within reach on a hot run.

How to Play the Book of Golden Sands Slot Machine

You’re on six reels and three rows, paying left to right across 729 ways. I set stakes between 0.20 and 100 per spin and adjusted via the simple plus and minus controls. The paytable tracks payouts at the chosen stake, and you can use Autoplay and Quick Spin where permitted. Outside the UK, Bonus Buy costs 100x the bet and drops in 3 or more scatters on the next spin. The visuals lean into temples and statues, with a punchy soundtrack.

Wins land frequently enough to keep balance swings readable, yet the slot has bite. Wilds substitute for pay symbols and apply a random x2 or x3 when part of a win. That applies across base and feature, so stacked wild hits can snowball. The book scatter drives progress and appears in any position. I found the rhythm clear: chip away in the base, then chase a setup in free spins where the board can open up.

Book of Golden Sands Free Spins & Other Features

The scarab wild is the headline in the base game. When it lands and helps form a win, it applies x2 or x3 to the payout. More than one wild in a way can send the return higher, which can turn modest ways hits into tidy results. It isn’t a jackpot maker on its own, yet it bridges gaps while you wait for the books. On the right spin, wilds across the middle reels can produce sharp uplifts, especially with premium clusters.

Three to six book scatters trigger 10 free spins and pay 2x, 10x, 50x, or 500x the stake up front. A random pay symbol becomes the special expanding symbol. When enough of that symbol lands, it expands to cover the reel and pays without needing adjacency. This is where Book of Golden Sands sets itself apart, because expansions are tracked above each reel. Every expansion adds a position for the next time it triggers on that column.

You start with three rows, and collected positions can build up to ten on a reel, which ramps up ways and payouts fast. Retriggers add 10 more spins with the same chosen symbol. The feature has an organic hit rate close to 1 in 204 spins, and the optional Bonus Buy is priced at 100x the stake in eligible regions. I rate the tension this creates: each trigger tends to improve the board, so later spins can explode if the right symbol repeats.

Book of Golden Sands Symbols and Paytable

The book is both scatter and bonus trigger, while the wild is a gem-studded scarab. Low pays are coloured tablet signs in green, yellow, purple, blue, and red. High pays are a scarab, diamond lotus, snake, Cleopatra, Horus, and a golden pharaoh. Six of a kind on premiums pays between 2x and 5x the stake, with Cleopatra capping the table at 5x for six. Scatters pay 2x to 500x for three to six anywhere.

The mid-tier symbols sit around 4x, 3x, and 2.5x for six, while the small symbols range from 1.25x to 1.5x for six of a kind. Payouts scale with the current stake. Wilds do not pay on their own; they substitute and apply their multiplier when included in a win. The paytable is clear and updates to the staked value, which helps when mapping what an expansion or wild chain might amount to on a given spin.

Book of Golden Sands Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	Scatter
	6	x500
	5	x50
	4	x10
	3	x2
	6	x5
	5	x2.5
	4	x1.75
	3	x1
	6	x4
	5	x2
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.9
	6	x3
	5	x1.75
	4	x1.25
	3	x0.75
	6	x2.5
	5	x1.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.6
	6	x2
	5	x1.25
	4	x0.75
	3	x0.45
	6	x2
	5	x1.25
	4	x0.75
	3	x0.45
	6	x1.5
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.35
	6	x1.5
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.35
	6	x1.25
	5	x0.75
	4	x0.35
	3	x0.25
	6	x1.25
	5	x0.75
	4	x0.35
	3	x0.25
	6	x1.25
	5	x0.75
	4	x0.35
	3	x0.25
	Wild

Book of Golden Sands RTP, Max Wins & Volatility

I clocked the default RTP at 96.46%, with alternate settings of 95.42% and 94.05% in some builds, so I always check the info panel. Volatility is high, with a capped 10,000x max win that ends the round when hit. Community stats point to a hit rate near 1 in 4.15 and a bonus rate around 1 in 203 spins, with observed top wins over x5,000. Adjustable RTP ranges exist, so pick the higher model where possible.

Review Summary for Book of Golden Sands

I started sceptical, as the Ancient Egypt wrap is standard, yet the 729 ways, multiplier wilds, and expansion collect twist made this one stick. Yes, symbol values are toned down, but x2 and x3 wilds keep the base game honest. Free spins build nicely as columns grow to ten high, and that layering can lead to table-turning screens. The 10,000x ceiling is attractive, and the maths felt fair for a high-volatility book slot. I’m happy to keep spinning it.