Book of Dead Slot Review

Introduction

Book of Dead is a high-volatility video slot from Play'n GO with a 96.21% RTP, a 5-reel, 3-row, 10-payline layout, and a maximum win of 5,000x the stake, available to play at Chips.gg. Released in January 2016 under its full title Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead, it went on to become one of the most played slots in history and the game that defined the modern book mechanic. The premise is pure adventure serial: explorer Rich Wilde raids an Egyptian tomb where the golden Book acts as both wild and scatter, and the free spins round hinges on a single randomly chosen expanding symbol that can fill entire reels.

Quick Facts

Facts verified July 2026 against the live Chips.gg game configuration.

Game Features and Bonuses

Book of Dead concentrates everything into one dual-purpose symbol and one legendary free spins round.

• Layout: 5 reels, 3 rows, and 10 paylines. Wins pay for matching symbols on adjacent reels starting from the left.

• Special Symbols: The golden Book of Dead is both the wild and the scatter. As a wild it substitutes for every paying symbol; as a scatter it pays from anywhere and unlocks the bonus. Rich Wilde himself is the top premium, with Anubis, Osiris, and card royals filling out the paytable.

• Free Spins: Landing 3 or more Book scatters triggers 10 free spins. Before the round begins, one symbol is randomly selected as the special expanding symbol. When it lands in a winning position during free spins, it expands to cover its entire reel and pays across all 10 lines regardless of adjacency. Landing 3 more Books during the round retriggers another 10 spins.

• Bonus Rounds / Mini-Games: There is no separate mini-game. The expanding-symbol free spins round carries the entire bonus load, and the 5,000x ceiling lives inside it, most realistically with a premium symbol expanding across all five reels.

• Unique Features: The random expanding-symbol draw is the game's genius. Getting Rich Wilde as your symbol is the dream scenario, while a low royal makes the same 10 spins far less exciting, and that lottery is what keeps the trigger moment tense a decade after release.

Gameplay Mechanics and Strategies

Book of Dead plays as a classic left-to-right payline slot where the free spins draw defines the session.

• Unique Mechanics: The base game is straightforward: 10 fixed lines, a 30.67% hit frequency, and the Book doing double duty as wild and scatter. Everything builds toward the three-scatter moment.

• In-Game Dynamics: Once free spins begin, the expanding symbol changes the math. Full-reel expansions ignore normal line adjacency, so two or three expanded reels of a premium symbol produce the hits the game is famous for, and retriggers can stack rounds together.

• Player Strategy: No bet strategy changes the 96.21% RTP, so treat bankroll depth as your real lever. High volatility means long stretches between meaningful bonuses; size bets to survive a few hundred spins, and accept that the quality of your expanding symbol, not your staking pattern, decides the big sessions.

Comparison with Similar Slots

Book of Dead is the founding title of Play'n GO's book family, and its own studio siblings are its closest rivals. Legacy of Dead polishes the identical formula, keeping the 5-reel, 10-payline layout and 5,000x ceiling while letting retriggers add extra expanding symbols, up to several at once. Myth of Dead is the modern remix, swapping expanding symbols for Instant Prize collection and boosters with a 3,000x max win. Book of Dead remains the purest version of the mechanic: one symbol, one draw, no boosters, and the original Rich Wilde adventure that the entire genre still copies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RTP of Book of Dead?

Book of Dead has a 96.21% RTP as deployed at Chips.gg, which is Play'n GO's full flagship build. This game famously ships in multiple reduced builds, with versions as low as 94.25% in circulation, so the deployed figure matters more here than on almost any other slot.

Is Book of Dead a high volatility slot?

Yes, Book of Dead is a high volatility slot. Its 30.67% hit frequency keeps small wins ticking over, but the payouts that matter are concentrated in the expanding-symbol free spins round.

What is the max win in Book of Dead?

The maximum win in Book of Dead is 5,000x your stake, achieved in the free spins round when a top-paying expanding symbol covers the reels across all 10 paylines.

How do you trigger free spins in Book of Dead?

Landing 3 or more Book scatter symbols in Book of Dead triggers 10 free spins with one randomly chosen expanding symbol. Landing 3 more Books during the round retriggers an additional 10 spins.

Can I play Book of Dead for free in demo mode?

No, Book of Dead does not currently offer demo mode at Chips.gg, so sessions are real-money only. The simple 10-line format makes it quick to learn regardless.

What slots are similar to Book of Dead?

Legacy of Dead and Myth of Dead, both by Play'n GO, are the closest matches: 5-reel, 10-payline Egyptian slots built on the book mechanic. Book of Dead is the original that both games iterate on.

Who makes Book of Dead?

Book of Dead is made by Play'n GO, the Swedish studio behind the Rich Wilde adventure series, and was released in January 2016 as Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead.

Conclusion

Book of Dead earned its icon status honestly: a clean 10-line game, one of slots' most dramatic bonus mechanics, and a 96.21% RTP that holds up a decade later. The drawbacks are equally well known: no multipliers, no modern feature layers, a 5,000x ceiling that newer slots triple, and a bad expanding-symbol draw can waste a hard-earned bonus. It suits players who want the definitive high volatility classic and anyone curious why the book genre exists; feature-hunters raised on modern mechanics may find it spartan.