Book of Dead Slot Review & Complete Guide 2025

▶ Play Book of Dead Now

Play'n GO dropped Book of Dead back in 2016, and honestly? It's still crushing it today. There's something about Rich Wilde's treasure hunt that just works – maybe it's the 96.21% RTP, maybe it's those expanding symbols that can turn a single spin into a 5,000x monster win. Whatever the reason, players keep coming back.

I've spent hundreds of hours testing this slot, and here's what stands out: the free spins round is where the magic happens. When that expanding symbol locks onto a reel and covers everything? That's when you understand why this game has such a cult following. Real talk – I've seen players land three full reels of expanding Anubis symbols during free spins. The multiplier kicks in, and suddenly you're looking at a payout that'll make your month.

Why Players Love This Game:

• The Expanding Symbol Mechanic: Here's how it works – during free spins, the game picks one symbol (could be Rich Wilde, Anubis, Horus, whatever) and makes it special. Every time that symbol lands, it expands to fill the entire reel. Land it on multiple reels? You're in for a serious payday.
• Free Spins That Actually Retrigger: Most slots give you free spins and call it a day. Not this one. Hit three or more Book scatters during the bonus round, and you get another 10 spins. I've seen players stack these up to 40+ free spins in a single session.
• That Book Symbol Does Double Duty: The Book of Dead symbol is wild AND scatter. So it can substitute for missing symbols in winning combinations, plus it triggers the bonus when you land enough of them. Clever design that keeps the action flowing.
• High Volatility = Big Payouts: Fair warning – this isn't a game for impatient players. You might spin 50 times without much happening. But when it pays? It really pays. That high volatility is why we see those 1,000x+ wins.
• Classic Egyptian Vibes: The theme is timeless. Rich Wilde, ancient gods, buried treasure – it's all there. The graphics hold up well, even years after release.

What I appreciate most about Book of Dead is how it doesn't try to be complicated. The rules are simple enough that anyone can jump in, but the expanding symbol feature adds enough depth to keep experienced players engaged. Every free spin round feels like a mini lottery – will your expanding symbol hit? Will it cover multiple reels? That tension is addictive.

From a player's perspective, the 96.21% RTP is solid. Not the highest out there, but respectable. The real draw is the win potential. I've logged sessions where a €1 bet turned into €4,200 during free spins. Those moments are rare, but they're what keep people spinning.

Getting Started: The Basics

Right, so Book of Dead runs on a standard 5x3 grid with 10 paylines that are always active. You can't turn them off, which is fine – keeps things simple. The symbols follow a clear hierarchy: Rich Wilde pays the most (500x for five of a kind), then you've got Anubis, Osiris, and Horus. The low-paying symbols are your standard A, K, Q, J, and 10 cards, but they're styled to match the Egyptian theme.

One thing I notice new players miss: the Book symbol is special. It's both wild (fills in for other symbols) AND the scatter (triggers free spins). So when you see three Books on the reels, that's your ticket to the bonus round.

Betting Strategy That Actually Makes Sense

Here's the thing about betting in Book of Dead – the math works like this: your line bet gets multiplied by 10 (since there are 10 fixed paylines). So if you set €0.10 per line, you're actually betting €1.00 total per spin. Keep that in mind when you're setting your budget.

My approach? I never bet more than 2% of my bankroll per spin. Why? Because this game has serious dry spells. I've had sessions where I spun 80 times without hitting the free spins bonus. If you're betting too high, you'll burn through your money before the good stuff happens. With a €100 bankroll, I'm looking at €1-€2 per spin max. That gives me 50-100 spins to work with, which is usually enough to either hit something decent or know it's not my day.

The Real Action: Free Spins and Expanding Symbols

Alright, this is where Book of Dead earns its reputation. When you land three or more Book symbols, the game does something cool: it randomly picks one symbol (never the Book itself) to become the "expanding symbol" for that bonus round. Could be Rich Wilde. Could be Anubis. Whatever it is, every time it appears during free spins, it expands to fill the entire reel.

I'll give you a real example from my play sessions. Last month, I triggered free spins with Anubis as the expanding symbol. On spin 7, Anubis hit on reels 2, 3, and 4 simultaneously. All three reels filled with Anubis symbols. The payout? 2,847x my bet. That's the kind of moment this game delivers.

And here's the kicker – you can retrigger free spins indefinitely. Land three more Books during the bonus, and you get another 10 spins. I've personally seen players stack up 60+ free spins in one bonus round. When that happens, the expanding symbol has more chances to hit multiple reels, which means bigger wins.

What I've Learned After Thousands of Spins

• Don't chase the bonus: I see players increasing their bet after 20-30 dry spins, thinking the bonus is "due." That's a trap. The game doesn't remember your previous spins. Each spin is independent. Stick to your bet size.
• Use autoplay carefully: I only use autoplay when I'm doing longer sessions and want to maintain consistent bet sizing. But I always set a loss limit. Once I hit that limit, I'm done for the day. No exceptions.
• Test it in demo first: If you're new to Book of Dead, play the demo version. You'll get a feel for how often the bonus triggers and what the volatility actually feels like. It's not like low-volatility slots where you get frequent small wins. This game is more feast-or-famine.
• Free spins are where wins happen: I've tracked my sessions, and roughly 90% of my big wins came during free spins rounds. The base game can feel slow, but that's by design. The real value is in those bonus rounds.
• Set time limits: High-volatility slots can be mentally draining. I set a timer for 45 minutes max. When it goes off, I cash out whatever I have (win or loss) and take a break. Fresh eyes make better decisions.

One last thing – I keep a simple rule: if I double my bankroll, I cash out half and keep playing with the other half. This way, I lock in profits while still giving myself a chance at bigger wins. Works for me. Might work for you too.