The Book of Dead is an Egyptian-themed online slot developed by Play’n GO, released in 2016. It has since become one of the most popular slots among players and critics alike due to its captivating theme, engaging gameplay, and impressive book of dead free payout potential.

Theme and Design

As mentioned earlier, the game is set in ancient Egypt, a timeless favorite among casino enthusiasts. The design is an excellent representation of this era with majestic pyramids, mysterious hieroglyphics, and stunning visual effects that transport players to the banks of the Nile River. The atmosphere is dark yet vibrant, with warm golden colors and intricate illustrations creating an immersive experience.

The game’s layout consists of six reels, each containing a range of symbols from low-paying Egyptian cards (9-A) to high-paying icons such as the scarab beetle, Eye of Ra, Anubis, and Cleopatra herself. The background is adorned with animated pyramids that rise during free spins, adding an extra layer of visual splendor.

Symbols

The standard reel symbols pay out in accordance with the game’s payout table:

9: x2 – x5
A: x3 – x6
Scarab Beetle: x10 – x20
Eye of Ra: x12.50 – x25
Anubis and Cleopatra: x15 – x30

High-paying symbols are highly rewarding, especially when they appear on a single payline due to the high number of ways they can be combined.

Payouts

Book of Dead offers an impressive payout potential thanks to its unique winning mechanism. The game uses the ‘All-Ways’ system where players receive rewards for each spin regardless of how many active lines or combinations are formed. This system significantly boosts payouts and creates more opportunities for high returns.

The highest paying symbol, Cleopatra, awards 7,500 times the player’s bet when landed on a single payline with six symbols in play. In contrast to other games where players can land up to two or three winning lines at most per spin, Book of Dead offers numerous chances for players to secure high-paying combinations.

Wilds

The Wild symbol is represented by an Egyptian Scroll and substitutes all base game icons (not the Scatter) to create more combinations and boost payouts. When part of a successful combination, it doubles rewards earned from landing those symbols on active paylines.

While its functionality is somewhat limited due to not substituting Scatters, this unique feature still enhances gameplay with unexpected opportunities for bonus wins.

Scatters

The game features two primary Scatter symbols: the Ankh and Book icons.

The first, depicted by a golden ankh, represents life in ancient Egyptian mythology and triggers Free Spins when three or more appear anywhere on reels 1 to 5.

When landing five Scattered Ankhs, you will be awarded ten free spins with tripled payouts during this feature.

The Book of Dead Scatter is represented by the second icon – an old tome bound in leather. It not only triggers Free Spins but also serves as a ‘Wild Symbol’ that can take the place of all base game icons, which further boosts winning potential.

When three to five Scattered Books land on reels 1 through 5 during free spins or normal gameplay, ten additional free rounds with increased multiplier values will be awarded.

Bonus Features

The Book of Dead offers a unique Bonus Game that players can access by landing the Scatter icon in conjunction with an expanding Wild Symbol. When activated:

The chosen symbol expands and takes over its respective reel.

In combination with three to five Scatters, this will award up to ten bonus spins with enhanced winning potential.

However, it’s essential to note that some symbols cannot be part of the bonus game due to their inherent functionality (e.g., Wilds can’t take on new roles).

Free Spins

Book of Dead features multiple ways for players to access Free Spins:

Landing three or more Scattered Ankhs will award ten additional free rounds, with tripled payouts.

In addition, when four or five Books are present during the bonus game, another set of up to ten free spins is triggered.

With various possibilities and enhanced multipliers available throughout gameplay, the Book of Dead’s Free Spin feature greatly increases overall potential for winning large sums.

RTP

Book of Dead has an RTP (Return-to-Player) percentage that ranges between 96.21% when playing at default stakes to 94.25% if increasing bets to max level is chosen by player – ensuring players will be compensated fairly while providing flexibility in setting bet levels according their needs.

Volatility

While detailed volatility information may not have been released officially, we can speculate based on game mechanics and playtests conducted over the years that Book of Dead holds a high-Med to High Medium level. With great reward opportunities from combinations like five-of-a-kind Wilds or Scatters in combination with expanding wild symbols present across both normal mode spins alongside Freespins activation conditions having more frequently occurring chances – player exposure will feel consistently moderate however actual riskiness slightly above average due its potential payouts reaching up hundreds thousands times of initial bet per spin (i.e., a relatively rare event).