AU
Overview
Spin the reels, hunt for the Book, and chase a free-spins round that can reach 5000x the bet. That is the whole pitch of Book of Dead, a slot released by Play'n GO in 2016 and still a fixture in lobbies read by players in Australia.
The game sends the explorer Rich Wilde into an ancient Egyptian pyramid in search of treasure. The grid is 5 reels by 3 rows with 10 fixed paylines, and the maths run on high volatility. Wins can be rare, and the big ones depend on a single bonus feature.
Players know the game for its stripped-back design. The Book symbol works as both Wild and Scatter, the free spins add one expanding symbol, and there is no jackpot or bonus buy to dilute the plan. Anyone who wants to check the pace first can open a Book Of Dead Demo and watch a few hundred spins before staking real money.
Key facts
- Studio
- Play'n GO
- Released
- 2016
- RTP
- 96.21%
- Volatility
- High
- Grid
- 5×3
- Paylines
- 10
- Bet range
- 0.01 – 100
- Max win
- 5,000×
RTP compared with the usual 94–98% range
Egyptian Reels: Rich Wilde and Four Relics
Pick the quiet option or the loud one: the game rewards players who like a calm, low-clutter screen, yet it still delivers the drama of a tomb raid when the bonus lands. The backdrop is a dim pyramid interior, and the symbols sit on carved stone, so nothing competes with the reels.
The high-paying icons carry the theme. Rich Wilde, the adventurer in the fedora, is the top symbol. Behind him come the Pharaoh Mask, Anubis and the Eye of Horus, each drawn as an ancient relic. The lower symbols are card ranks styled to match the tomb walls, which keeps the board readable at a glance.
The Book of Dead itself is the centrepiece. It glows when it lands, and a cluster of them on the reels signals that the free-spins round is close.
What the player sees on a spin
Each spin stops left to right across 10 lines, and winning lines are highlighted so the payout is easy to trace. A Book landing as a Wild fills gaps in a line, while three or more anywhere switch the screen into the bonus.
Mood and pacing
The soundtrack leans on low, tense Egyptian-style tones that build around the bonus trigger. The pace stays steady because there are no cascades or extra animations between spins, so players can run a long session without visual fatigue.
Key Figures: 96.21% RTP and 5000x Max Win
Spin Controls: Bet, Reels, Gamble
The bet panel sits under the reels in the game window, and every control is within reach of the spin button. The steps below follow one round from stake to result.
- 1Set the total bet
Open the bet panel under the reels and choose a total stake per spin, from 0.01 up to 100. The figure covers all 10 lines, so a bigger number raises every payout in proportion to the stake.
- 2Spin the reels
Press the spin button to start the round. The 5x3 grid stops from left to right, and the game checks the 10 fixed paylines for matching symbols. Wins pay in that direction only.
- 3Read the result
Look for highlighted lines and the win amount shown on screen. The Book acts as a Wild inside a line, so a gap that looks dead can still complete a payout.
- 4Decide on the Gamble
After a win, the optional Gamble feature offers a chance to double or quadruple the payout. Take it only if the extra risk fits the session, since a wrong guess removes the win.
- 5Watch for the Scatter
Three or more Book symbols anywhere on the reels start the free-spins round. The game then picks the expanding symbol and moves into the bonus without further input.
Controls on the 5x3 reels, from bet to Gamble
Read each row left to right: the control, the effect on the next spin, and the moment it pays to reach for it. Only the bet size, the spin button and the Gamble choice change how a session runs.
| Control | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Bet selector | Sets the total stake per spin, from 0.01 to 100 | Before every spin, sized to the bankroll |
| Spin button | Starts one round across the 10 fixed paylines | Once the stake looks right |
| Autoplay | Repeats spins at the same stake | Only in the demo, to watch many rounds |
| Gamble | Offers a double or quadruple on a win | Rarely, since a miss removes the win |
| Collect | Banks the win and skips the Gamble | After most wins on a tight bankroll |
| Paytable | Lists the symbol values and rules | Before the first real-money spin |
The free demo lets a player watch the Book symbol act as both Wild and Scatter, so the first goal is to land 3 Books and trigger the 10 free spins. It uses play money and the same maths as real play. A Book Of Demo session also shows how long the base game can run without a feature, which says more about high volatility than any figure.
What 96.21% RTP and high volatility mean
A player can chase short, frequent wins or accept long quiet stretches for larger ones. Book of Dead sits firmly in the second camp. The RTP is 96.21%, and the volatility is high.
RTP is a long-run average across a huge number of spins. It does not describe one evening. Over a few hundred spins the result can sit far above or far below that figure, and nothing in the game pulls it back toward the average.
High volatility shapes the rhythm of a session. Many spins return little or nothing, and a handful carry most of the value. The free spins with the expanding symbol are where that value sits, and the 5000x maximum win lives there too.
Some practical consequences follow for anyone planning a sitting:
- A run of dead spins is normal for this maths model and is not a sign of a fault.
- A small stake stretches the bankroll across more spins and gives the bonus more chances to arrive.
- A single bonus round can swing a session either way, because the chosen symbol is random.
- Wins in the base game tend to be modest and mostly keep the balance afloat.
A demo session of a few hundred spins gives a feel for this pattern before any money is involved.
Bankroll habits for a high-volatility slot
Keep going with these habits while spinning. No routine changes the random number generator, but a sensible plan keeps a swingy game from draining a budget faster than intended.
- Split the session budget into many small stakes so dry spells do not end play early.
- Decide a loss limit before the first spin and stop once it is reached.
- Collect after a win instead of using the Gamble, since a wrong guess erases it.
- Expect long stretches without the free spins and size the bet for that.
- Set a time limit as well as a money limit, then check the clock every so often.
- Never raise the stake to win back a loss, because the next spin is independent.
So the last twenty spins returned nothing and the next bet looks tempting to raise. Hold off. Each spin is independent, and a dry stretch does not make a bonus round due. High volatility means long gaps between meaningful hits, so raising stakes to recover only drains the balance faster. Set a loss limit before the session starts and stop when it is reached. Players in Australia who feel pressure to win back money can contact Gambling Help Online for free support.
Mechanics inside the game
The feature set is short and easy to audit before the first spin. Four mechanics are present, and several popular extras are missing, so expectations should match what the reels actually offer.
The Book symbol substitutes for regular symbols, which completes lines that would otherwise miss. A wild at the right moment can turn a near-miss on the 10 fixed paylines into a paid combination.
The same Book symbol also acts as the scatter. Three or more anywhere on the reels start the free spins, with no need to line up on a payline or sit on neighbouring reels.
The bonus awards 10 free spins and picks one regular symbol to expand. This round drives the game's top outcome of 5000x the bet, so most of the volatility lives here.
After a win, the player may risk the payout on a double-or-quadruple attempt. It is a pure coin-flip style add-on, and a lost attempt forfeits the win, so it adds variance without adding value.
The game has no multipliers, no bonus buy, no cascading reels, no jackpot and no hold and win. Access to free spins comes only from landing scatters during normal play.
Free spins: 10 rounds, one expanding symbol
How does the bonus actually start? Land three or more Book symbols in any positions and the game awards 10 free spins. No payline alignment is needed, so scatters can appear on any reel, in any row.
Before the first free spin, the game randomly selects one regular symbol as the special expanding symbol. It stays fixed for the entire round, which makes the draw important: a high-paying pick such as Rich Wilde raises the ceiling, while a low-paying pick keeps the round modest.
Whenever the chosen symbol lands during the free spins, it stretches to fill its whole reel. It then pays on all lines, even when the matching symbols do not touch each other from reel to reel. Several expanding reels in one spin produce the biggest hits.
Retriggers and what to expect
Landing three or more Books again during the round adds a fresh set of free spins. Retriggers extend the round but do not reroll the expanding symbol.
Because the volatility is high, many bonus rounds finish with a small return, and a few deliver far more. Players who judge the game by a handful of bonuses will see a skewed picture. The figures only make sense across a large number of rounds.
Base game payouts on 10 fixed lines
Pay attention to how lines work here. The 5x3 grid carries 10 fixed paylines, and wins count from the leftmost reel toward the right. Lines cannot be switched off, so the bet always covers all ten.
Low-value symbols pay modestly and arrive often enough to keep the balance moving. The premium symbols, led by Rich Wilde, pay far more but land rarely, which is why the base game can feel quiet between hits.
Three things make an ordinary spin worth watching:
- The Book wild can complete a line that was one symbol short.
- Two Books on screen signal a near-miss for the free spins.
- A mid-sized win opens the choice to gamble or collect.
The Gamble option is the only decision inside the base game. Collecting is the safer habit, since a failed attempt erases the win. Players who use it should decide in advance how many attempts they allow.
The base game rarely produces large wins on its own. Its main job is to feed the scatter chase, so a session usually revolves around waiting for the bonus rather than collecting steady returns.
Random number generator versus hot-machine myths
- Remember that each spin on the 10 paylines is generated independently, so earlier results leave no trace on the next one.
- Judge the game by its published 96.21% RTP, which describes returns over a huge number of spins.
- Expect long dry stretches, because high volatility means wins arrive unevenly and the large ones are rare.
- Set a session budget before the first spin and stop when it is used up.
- Treat the free spins as a chance event that can land at any moment from the first spin onward.
- Assume a machine is due a bonus because the Book symbol has missed the reels for a long time.
- Believe that raising the bet after a cold run improves the odds of landing the free spins.
- Read a recent big win as proof that the game has gone cold and will now pay less.
- Count spins or track patterns in the hope of predicting when 3 Scatters will appear.
- Trust anyone who claims a timing trick or betting pattern changes what the random number generator decides.
Book Of Dead Demo and phone play
The free demo runs the same maths as the real-money game. It pays with play money and needs no registration, so a player can open it and spin straight away.
A Book Of Dead Demo session shows the same 96.21% RTP, the same high volatility and the same 5x3 grid as a paid session. Wins and losses use virtual credits only. That makes the demo a fair preview of how streaky the game feels, though a short run of spins says little about the long-term return.
The game also runs in a phone browser. No app is required, and nothing needs installing before the first spin.
Playing in the phone browser
The game loads in the browser and adapts to portrait or landscape, so a player can hold the phone either way. Portrait suits one-handed spinning on a commute. Landscape gives the reels more width and makes the symbols easier to read.
The controls match the desktop layout: a bet selector, a spin button and the optional Gamble choice after a win. Check the bet level before each spin on a small screen, because touch taps are easy to mistake. A stable connection helps during the free spins, when the expanding symbol animation plays out.
Demo checks before real money
Use the demo as a rehearsal rather than a casual spin session. The free credits cost nothing, so spend them on learning how the game behaves and how you react when a long dry stretch hits.
- Run a few hundred spins at a fixed bet and note how often the reels go quiet.
- Chase the free spins at least once and watch how the expanding symbol is picked.
- Try the Gamble option after a win and see how quickly it can wipe out a payout.
- Find the bet selector and confirm how the total stake changes across the 10 paylines.
- Switch between portrait and landscape on your phone and check the buttons stay easy to tap.
- Decide your session budget and stop-point while the credits are still play money.
Paytable: Rich Wilde pays 5000x for five
Paytable
| Symbol | x3 | x4 | x5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rich Wilde | 100 | 1000 | 5000 |
| Pharaoh Mask | 40 | 400 | 2000 |
| Anubis | 30 | 100 | 750 |
| Eye of Horus | 30 | 100 | 750 |
Which symbols actually move the balance? Mostly the four top ones, and Rich Wilde leads them by a wide margin.
Wins pay on the 10 fixed paylines from left to right, and the paytable lists multiples of the bet for three, four or five matching symbols. Rich Wilde pays 100x, 1000x and 5000x. The Pharaoh Mask pays 40x, 400x and 2000x. Anubis and the Eye of Horus share the same figures: 30x, 100x and 750x.
The gap between three and five of a kind is steep. Three Rich Wilde symbols return 100x, while five reach 5000x, the same figure as the game's maximum win. Most of the value sits in the long combinations, which explains why base-game wins often feel small.
The Book of Dead symbol works as both Wild and Scatter. As a Wild it substitutes for other symbols to complete a line. As a Scatter it awards 10 free spins when 3 or more land anywhere on the reels. Open the paytable inside the game before betting, as it also shows the lower-paying symbols.
Choosing a casino for Book of Dead
A licence number in the site footer is the first rule: check the regulator named there and confirm the operator actually holds that licence. A casino that hides the issuing body, or names none, gives a player no recourse if a dispute comes up. Play'n GO supplies the game to many operators, so the title is easy to find. The quality of the casino around it varies far more than the slot does.
Payments come next. A player in Australia should look for deposits and withdrawals handled in Australian dollars, because conversion fees quietly shrink every cashout. A casino that quotes limits in euros only forces a currency switch on both legs of the trip. Check the minimum deposit and the withdrawal methods before registering, not after.
Bonus terms decide whether an offer is worth taking. Read the wagering requirement, the maximum bet allowed while a bonus is active, and the list of excluded games. High-volatility slots like this one can burn through a bonus balance fast, so a heavy wagering multiple leaves little room to finish.
Withdrawal times and verification
Look for the stated processing window and the ID check rules. Pending periods, weekly caps and document requests all slow a cashout. A regular who values payout speed should pick a casino that lists these figures plainly and has support that answers in chat.
- Confirm the licence and the regulator behind it.
- Compare deposit and withdrawal methods in Australian dollars.
- Read the wagering rules before accepting any bonus.
- Note the pending period and weekly withdrawal limits.
- Test the demo version of the game before depositing.
Depositing and claiming a bonus safely
- Start with a small first deposit to test the cashier, then decide whether the casino earns a bigger one.
- Read the wagering requirement and the maximum bet rule before you press the claim button on any offer.
- Check that the offer counts spins on Book of Dead toward wagering, since some casinos exclude certain slots.
- Set a deposit limit in your account first, so a high-volatility run cannot drain more than planned.
- Skip the terms because the headline bonus looks large, as the fine print sets the real cost of clearing it.
- Raise your bet to the maximum while wagering a bonus, because breaking the stake cap can void the winnings.
- Chase a dry spell with a second deposit, since this slot can stay quiet for long stretches.
- Assume a bonus changes the odds, because the 96.21% RTP stays exactly the same.
Strengths and weaknesses at a glance
- The player gets a large ceiling of 5000x the bet, delivered through a single expanding-symbol free spins round.
- The rules stay simple, with 10 fixed paylines on a 5x3 grid and one symbol doubling as Wild and Scatter.
- Stakes run from 0.01 to 100, so cautious players and high rollers can both set a comfortable bet.
- The optional Gamble feature lets a player try to double or quadruple a win, or skip it entirely.
- The free demo uses the same maths as real play, so a regular can test the volatility without risk.
- High volatility means long dry runs, and a modest bankroll can empty before free spins arrive.
- The game has no bonus buy, so a player cannot skip ahead to the feature round.
- Most of the big wins depend on the free spins round, leaving the base game fairly plain.
- The Gamble feature adds risk to a win that was already banked, which tempts some players into losing it.
Book of Dead questions players ask
Is there a Book Of Dead demo to try first?
A free demo is available at many casinos and plays with the same maths as the real version, using play money and no registration at some sites. Use it to watch how often the Book symbol lands, and to judge how streaky the game feels before staking anything.
What is the RTP of Book of Dead?
The RTP is 96.21%, a long-run average across a very large number of spins. It does not predict a single session. A short run can finish far above or well below that figure, particularly with high volatility in play.
How volatile is the game?
Volatility is high. Wins can be spaced far apart, with most of the real payout potential locked in the free spins round. A regular who wants steady small returns will find the pacing uneven, while a player chasing a big hit may like it.
How do the free spins work?
Landing 3 or more Book symbols anywhere awards 10 free spins. One regular symbol is picked at random as the expanding symbol before the round starts. When it lands, it covers its whole reel and pays across all lines, and 3 more Books retrigger the round.
Can the game be played on a phone?
The slot runs in a mobile browser in both portrait and landscape, so no app is needed. The reels, bet controls and Gamble option all fit a smaller screen, and the demo works the same way for a test before real play.
Where can a player in Australia play it?
Pick a licensed casino that carries Play'n GO titles, accepts Australian dollars and states its withdrawal times clearly. Compare bonus terms before depositing. If gambling stops being fun, Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858 offers support.