Book of Dead Slot Review: Gameplay, Free Spins and Demo

Inside the Book of Dead Slot

Swedish developer Play'n GO launched Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead on January 14, 2016. The video slot uses a five-reel, three-row layout with ten paylines that players can adjust. Its Egyptian expedition theme places it firmly within one of online gaming's most established slot categories. Although the studio took evident cues from Novomatic's Book of Ra and the “book” feature it made famous, Play'n GO created a recognisable title of its own through polished visuals, distinctive audio and a different approach to the bonus round.

The story follows Rich Wilde, an Indiana Jones-style archaeologist who appears throughout the Play'n GO catalogue. His other journeys take him from Aztec ruins to the Indian subcontinent, while this adventure leads deep into a pharaoh's tomb. Wilde's goal is the mythical Book of Dead, an ancient artefact believed to reveal the mysteries separating life from death.

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Book of Dead keeps its setup intentionally compact. Ten paylines, one main bonus and a single special symbol carry most of the game's potential, making the rules easy to follow while leaving plenty of uncertainty in each spin.

Playing Book of Dead Online in 2026

Book of Dead uses a clean control panel, so new players can begin without studying a complicated set of mechanics. The instructions below cover the full journey, from opening an account to setting the stake and starting the first spin:

1

Open a licensed online casino, go to the slots section, and use the search function to find a game. You can also browse the available Pragmatic Play titles and select a slot from the catalogue

2

Launch the selected game and adjust the coin value using the controls displayed on the game screen

3

Use the settings panel to choose the number of active paylines. You can select between 1 and 10 paylines before starting the game

4

Adjust the total bet to match your preferred stake. The available betting range is from $0.10 to $100 per spin

5

Press Spin to start a single round. Alternatively, turn on Autoplay and select between 10 and 100 automatic spins

6

After a winning spin, you may get access to the optional Gamble feature. Use it for a chance to double or quadruple your prize, or skip the feature and collect the win immediately

Anyone who wants to practise first can use the Book of Dead demo offered by most major casino sites. It reproduces the full slot, including the free spins round, without putting real funds at risk.

Understanding the Symbols and Payouts

The reels feature two main symbol groups. Rich Wilde, the Pharaoh, Anubis, the Falcon of Horus and the Book form the higher-value Egyptian set. Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten make up the lower-value card symbols; they land more often but return smaller prizes. Premium and card-symbol wins are based on the active line bet. Matching combinations begin on the far-left reel and require at least two identical symbols on a payline.

The table shows how many coins each combination awards at the standard coin value. Book scatter prizes are tied to the total stake rather than the amount placed on one line.

The Book follows its own payout method. Scatter wins use the player's full stake and do not depend on how many paylines are switched on. Three Books appearing anywhere on the reels pay ×2 the total bet, four pay ×20 and five pay ×200.

How the Book of Dead Works as Wild and Scatter

One Book icon performs two separate jobs. As a Wild, it replaces any other reel symbol when that substitution completes a winning combination. As a Scatter, it awards a prize without needing to sit on an active payline: three Books pay ×2 the total bet, four pay ×20 and five pay ×200.

Three or more Books landing anywhere in the same spin also start free spins. The symbol can therefore complete a line win, provide a scatter award or unlock the main game bonus round.

Free Spins with a Random Expanding Symbol

Three or more Book Scatter symbols appearing anywhere on the five reels activate the Book of Dead free spins feature and provide ten free spins. At the start of the bonus, one regular symbol is chosen at random and remains the Special Expanding Symbol throughout the round. Whenever this icon lands where it can complete a win on an enabled payline, it stretches vertically across all three positions on that reel. Matching expanded symbols do not have to occupy neighbouring reels; they simply need to land on the reel positions required by the payline.

The feature awards another ten spins if at least three Book symbols appear during the bonus, with the original expanding symbol remaining in place. Results can vary sharply according to the initial selection. Rich Wilde offers the greatest winning potential but appears across several reels less often, whereas a medium-value symbol such as the Pharaoh can deliver smaller prizes more regularly. That random choice before the first free spin can therefore shape the result of the complete round.

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Use the Book of Dead Demo Before Playing for Money

The free Book of Dead demo is a full recreation of the paid game, not a cut-down preview. It retains the same five reels, prize table, free spins rules and expanding-symbol behaviour, but replaces cash with virtual credit. A demo bonus therefore includes the random choice of a Special Expanding Symbol and the possibility of a retrigger, just as it would in a real-money round.

Free play offers different benefits depending on a player's experience:

• Players new to the slot can see how the Book's Wild and Scatter roles differ, watch expanding wins resolve and experience the gaps that high volatility can create between bonuses;
• Regular players can compare stakes and payline settings without placing pressure on their bankroll;
• Players still deciding whether the game suits them can judge its speed and variance before using real funds.

No separate app is needed for demo play. The free version works in desktop browsers and is also available on iOS and Android devices.

Mobile Gameplay on Phones and Tablets

The HTML5 version of Book of Dead runs on current smartphones and tablets through a mobile browser or casino app. Its five-reel, three-row grid adapts to portrait and landscape screens without sacrificing visual quality or performance. Touch-friendly controls provide direct access to spins, stake changes, the paytable and game settings.

Both browser play and the official Book of Dead application retain the main desktop functions, including Autoplay, Fast Play and demo mode. Players can practise on mobile with virtual credit, then move to a real-money session in whichever format they find most convenient.