Book of Dead is a cult Egyptian slot machine from Play'n GO
6.2/10
JoyFactory rating
96.21%
Max RTP
x5000
Max win
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Book of Dead is an Egyptian-themed slot machine from the Swedish studio Play’n GO, released on January 14, 2016. Ukrainian players also search for it by its Cyrillic transliteration. The main character is the explorer Rich Wilde, and the mechanics follow the same “book” formula as Book of Ra Deluxe, only more polished.
A grid of 5 reels and 3 rows, ten lines, a maximum of x5000 the stake and high volatility. The book here is both the wild and the scatter, and all of the potential is concentrated in free spins with a random expanding symbol.
But the key thing about Book of Dead is not the mechanics, it is the return figures. Play’n GO supplies the game in five RTP versions, and the gap between the best and the worst is more than twelve percent. The JoyFactory editorial team looked into which versions exist and which one you are most likely to get in practice.
| Provider | Play'n GO (Sweden) |
|---|---|
| Release date | January 14, 2016 |
| Other names | Cyrillic transliteration used by Ukrainian players, “the Rich Wilde book” |
| Grid | 5 reels × 3 rows |
| Paylines | 10, adjustable |
| Max RTP | 96.21%, but there are five versions, see below |
| Lowest RTP version | 84.18% |
| Volatility | High |
| Hit frequency | About 26% according to player tracking data |
| Max win | x5000 the stake |
| Free spins | 10 free spins, can be retriggered |
| Special symbol | Expanding, chosen at random |
| Bonus buy | No |
| Gamble feature | Yes: double on colour or quadruple on suit |
| Bet range | 0.10 to 100 per spin |
| JoyFactory rating | 6.2 / 10 |
| Checked on | 18.09.2026 |
Book of Dead is the benchmark of the genre and the basis for dozens of later games. But you should judge Book of Dead not by its base return figure, but by the version your operator has actually installed. The difference between them is bigger than any welcome bonus.
Play'n GO
Play for real money
You can play Book of Dead for free in demo mode, with no registration and no deposit. The demo runs on play credits and mirrors the paid version: the same paytable, the same free spins, the same gamble feature.
For Book of Dead, the demo is especially useful. Because of its high volatility, the game produces about 26% winning spins, so long streaks without payouts are normal here, not a glitch. A free session shows you the real pace before any money goes into your account.
But there is an important caveat. The demo usually launches in the base 96.21% configuration. Your operator may have set the 94.25% version, 91.25% or lower, and then real play will differ from the free version, even though it looks identical.
Book of Dead was tested by Oleksandr Petrov, JoyFactory’s casino author.
The test was carried out in demo mode. We launched the game, opened the paytable, and checked the book’s dual role, how the expanding symbol is chosen, the free spin retrigger conditions and both versions of the gamble feature.
Separately, we collected data on the RTP versions. The list of five configurations is confirmed by several independent sources that checked it against Play’n GO materials. Data on which Book of Dead versions actually appear in casinos comes from scans by third-party services. This is not our own count, and we say so plainly.
| Dual role of the book | Confirmed: wild and scatter at the same time |
|---|---|
| Free spins trigger | 3 or more books anywhere on the screen |
| Expanding symbol choice | Random, before the round starts |
| Free spins retrigger | Works within the round |
| Gamble feature | Two options: colour (x2) and suit (x4) |
| RTP versions | Five configurations, listed below |
If you read only one section of this review, make it this one.
Play’n GO supplies Book of Dead in five different return configurations, and it is the casino, not the player or the provider, that decides which one to switch on.
| 96.21% | Base configuration, above the market norm |
|---|---|
| 94.25% | Reduced version, the most common one according to scans |
| 91.25% | Reduced version |
| 87.25% | Reduced version |
| 84.18% | The lowest: the casino's edge is four times higher than in the base version |
| Gap between the extremes | More than 12 percentage points |
| Who chooses | The casino operator, during integration |
Now for the unpleasant part. According to services that scan real casino settings, the 96.21% version is rarely found in lobbies. The most common configuration among the operators checked is 94.25%, and the worst one recorded is 87.25%.
This means that the 96.21% figure, which almost every review site quotes as a feature of Book of Dead, does not reflect reality for most players. You are playing a visually identical game with different maths.
How to check your version. Open the paytable inside the game at the casino where you plan to play and find the line with the RTP figure. Nothing on the reels will tell you the version; only the information panel will.
Do this every time and at each casino separately. The same operator may use different settings for different regions, and in a high-volatility game a difference of a few percent adds up quickly.
Volatility is high: that is how Play’n GO itself classifies it, and all sources agree. Some analysts give it the top score on their own scales.
According to a service that collects statistics on real player spins, the hit frequency is about 26%, meaning roughly every fourth spin is a winner. Most of these wins are small, though: the base game on ten lines rarely delivers anything significant.
The practical takeaway. All the value of Book of Dead is concentrated in the free spins, and you have to last long enough to reach them. Your session has to survive a long run of spins without a bonus, otherwise you simply will not see what the game was built for.
The most typical mistake with this slot is to start with a small amount, make two or three dozen spins, get no bonus and decide that the game “doesn’t pay”. It does pay, but with such a wide spread that a short session shows nothing.
The reels carry two tiers of symbols.
| Rich Wilde (explorer) | The highest-paying symbol in the game |
|---|---|
| Osiris, Anubis, pharaoh | High-paying Egyptian symbols |
| A, K, Q, J, 10 | Low-paying card symbols |
| Book of the Dead | Wild and scatter at the same time |
The book performs two functions at once, and this is the core mechanic of the genre:
A win is paid for three or more identical symbols in a row from left to right, starting from the leftmost reel. The exact multipliers for each symbol are shown in the in-game paytable; they depend on the bet per line.
This is the game’s only bonus round and, at the same time, the only realistic route to a big win.
What determines the value of the bonus most is which symbol becomes the special one. The difference is huge: if it is a ten or a jack, the round will almost certainly be empty even with good spins. If it is Rich Wilde, the same bonus can deliver the game’s maximum.
That is why experienced players look not at the fact that free spins have been triggered, but at which symbol the book has drawn. Knowing the paytable matters more here than the event itself: you immediately understand what to expect from the round.
How the x5000 maximum is reached. Rich Wilde has to become the expanding symbol and fill all five reels with ten lines active. Formally this is possible in the base game too, but realistically it happens in free spins.
In Book of Dead, it is available after any win and, unlike most classic slots, offers two options.
| Guess the card colour | The win is doubled, with a chance of about 50% |
|---|---|
| Guess the card suit | The win is quadrupled, with a chance of about 25% |
| Wrong guess | The win for that spin is lost entirely |
Both options are mathematically neutral: the higher payout is offset by a proportionally lower chance, so the feature does not affect the long-term return.
It does noticeably increase variance, though, and in a high-volatility game this is more dangerous than it seems: you are risking a win you may have waited several dozen spins for.
The Book of Dead bet range is 0.10 to 100 per spin. Limits in hryvnias are set by the operator. The number of active lines is adjustable, up to ten.
Is it worth reducing the number of lines? It does not affect the long-term return; the RTP stays the same. But fewer lines mean free spins trigger less often, and all of the game’s potential sits in them.
For a high-volatility slot this is doubly unprofitable: you already wait a long time for the bonus, and cutting lines makes the wait even longer. If you need to lower the cost of a session, it is better to reduce the bet per line rather than the number of lines.
These are the two best-known representatives of the “book” genre, and players constantly choose between them. Book of Dead from 2016 is built on the formula that Book of Ra Deluxe established back in 2008.
| Base RTP | Book of Dead: 96.21% · Book of Ra Deluxe: 95.10% |
|---|---|
| Lowest version | Book of Dead: 84.18% · Book of Ra Deluxe: list not published |
| Max win | Both: x5000 |
| Grid and lines | Both: 5×3 and 10 lines |
| Free spins | Both: 10 spins with an expanding symbol |
| Gamble feature | Book of Dead: colour and suit · Book of Ra Deluxe: colour only |
| Volatility | Both: high |
Mechanically, they are almost the same game. The difference comes down to two things: Book of Dead has a higher base return and a richer gamble feature, but Play’n GO openly supplies an 84.18% configuration, which has never been officially documented for the original of the genre.
The verdict: on base figures Book of Dead wins, but only if your operator has really installed the base version. Checking the paytable decides more here than choosing between the two games.
Rich Wilde is a recurring Play’n GO character, and a whole line-up of games is built around him.
| Book of Dead | 2016, base RTP 96.21%, max x5000: this review |
|---|---|
| Legacy of Dead | Base RTP 96.58%, up to two expanding symbols |
| Tome of Madness | Different mechanics, not a “book” slot |
| Book of Shadows | A darker variation of the formula |
Legacy of Dead deserves special attention. It is the same format from the same provider, but with a higher base return (96.58% versus 96.21%) and the chance to get two expanding symbols instead of one. If the numbers matter more to you than the Book of Dead name itself, it is worth comparing.
Play’n GO is integrated into the game libraries of Ukrainian operators holding a valid PlayCity permit, so you can play Book of Dead for real money legally.
| SuperGra | Confirmed on 18.09.2026 |
|---|---|
| GGBet | Confirmed on 18.09.2026 |
| Slots City | Confirmed on 18.09.2026 |
| Gorilla | Confirmed on 18.09.2026 |
Licensed Ukrainian operators are required to disclose the actual value on request, so if it is not shown in the panel, contact support.
Book of Dead is available in the libraries of casinos without a Ukrainian license. But for this particular game, an offshore site is the worst possible choice.
The reason is directly linked to the RTP versions. The operator chooses the configuration on its own, and the only thing stopping it from installing 84.18% is regulatory oversight. A licensed Ukrainian casino has such oversight; an offshore one has none at all.
Add high volatility to that: waiting for free spins takes hundreds of spins, which means a long session on a platform you will have no recourse against in a dispute. In our section on unlicensed casinos, we have recorded payout limits and delays of up to 45 days.
Offshore operators are rated on a separate scale: the safety ceiling here is about 3.0 out of 10, even with a valid certificate.
The full ranking of licensed operators is on the licensed casinos in Ukraine page.
The benchmark of the genre with a good base RTP that most players never get. The score depends not on the game, but on the version the operator has installed.
Maths: 4.5. A paradoxical case. The base 96.21% would deserve a high score, but five configurations with a gap of more than twelve points, and the fact that the base version is rarely found in practice, cancel out this advantage. You are buying a pig in a poke until you open the paytable.
Win potential: 7.0. x5000 is a solid ceiling for a “book” slot, on par with Book of Ra Deluxe. It is reachable through a full screen of Rich Wilde during free spins.
Features: 5.5. One bonus round, an expanding symbol and a gamble feature with two options. In 2016 this was the standard that dozens of games copied. Today it is the bare minimum: there is no bonus buy and no multipliers.
Interface and usability: 8.0. A wide bet range, adjustable lines, autoplay and smooth performance on mobile.
Availability: 8.0. Play’n GO is present in the libraries of Ukrainian operators with a PlayCity permit, though not at every one of them.
The rating was assigned on September 18, 2026 using the JoyFactory methodology. You can see who worked on this review on our editorial team page.
The base configuration is 96.21%, but Play'n GO supplies the game in five versions: 96.21%, 94.25%, 91.25%, 87.25% and 84.18%. The casino decides which one to install. According to scans of real lobbies, 94.25% is the most common, not the base value. You need to check it in the in-game paytable.
The slot machine is available in demo mode with no registration and no deposit. The demo fully mirrors the paid version, but it usually launches in the base 96.21% configuration, while your operator's version may be different.
The maximum is x5000 the stake. It is reached when Rich Wilde becomes the expanding symbol in free spins and fills all five reels with ten lines active. Formally this win is possible in the base game too, but realistically it happens in the bonus.
You need three or more books anywhere on the screen; their position and the lines do not matter. This awards 10 free spins. Three new books during the round add another 10.
Which symbol becomes the expanding one. The difference is huge: a ten or a jack will give an almost empty round even with good spins, while Rich Wilde can bring the game's maximum. So look not at the fact that the bonus has triggered, but at the symbol that has been drawn.
High: that is how Play'n GO itself classifies it. According to tracking of real player spins, the hit frequency is about 26%, meaning roughly every fourth spin is a winner, mostly for small amounts. All the value of the game is concentrated in the free spins.
Mechanically, they are almost the same game: the same 5×3 grid, the same 10 lines, the same x5000 maximum and the same bonus with an expanding symbol. Book of Dead has a higher base return (96.21% versus 95.10%) and a richer gamble feature with quadrupling on suit. But what decides is not the name, it is the RTP version your operator has installed.
Yes, the same provider offers Legacy of Dead with a base return of 96.58% and the chance to get two expanding symbols instead of one. Same format, better numbers.
12.10.2026 — scheduled update: content refresh and fact-checking.
09.10.2026 — scheduled update: content refreshed and data fact-checked.
18.09.2026 — first publication of the review. Oleksandr Petrov tested the slot machine in demo mode: he confirmed the book’s dual role as wild and scatter, how the expanding symbol is chosen, the free spin retrigger conditions and both versions of the gamble feature. Separately, we compiled the list of five RTP configurations from 96.21% to 84.18% and third-party scan data on which versions operators actually install. We checked that the slot is available in the libraries of licensed casinos. The next scheduled check is in three months, or earlier if the line-up of operators changes.
