| Provider | Play'n GO |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.21% - Compare RTPs |
| Volatility | High |
| Reels | 5 |
| Paylines | 10 |
| Bet Range | £0.01 - £100.00 |
| Max Win | 5,000x |
| Features | Wilds, Scatters |
Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead is one of the most played online slots in the UK. Developed by Play'n GO and released in January 2016, it has aged better than almost any other slot from that era - still appearing in the top 10 at most UK casino lobbies a full decade after launch. If you've spent any time around online casinos, you've almost certainly come across it.
This is a 5-reel, 3-row slot with 10 adjustable paylines. The theme follows Rich Wilde, an archaeologist in the Indiana Jones mould, hunting artefacts through ancient Egypt. The art is clean and atmospheric, the soundtrack fits without being grating, and the core mechanic - a single feature that can deliver big consecutive wins - is exactly what high-volatility slot fans are looking for.
Book of Dead Slot: Key Facts
| Provider | Play'n GO |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 2016 |
| RTP | 96.21% (standard) |
| Volatility | High |
| Reels / Rows | 5 x 3 |
| Paylines | 1-10 (adjustable) |
| Min Bet | £0.10 |
| Max Bet | £100 |
| Max Win | 5,000x stake |
| Free Spins | Yes - 10 spins with expanding special symbol |
| Wild Symbol | Book of Dead (also acts as scatter) |
RTP and Volatility
The standard RTP is 96.21%, which sits just above the UK online casino average of around 96%. Worth knowing: many operators configure lower RTP versions of Book of Dead. The alternatives include 94.25%, 91.25%, 87.25%, and 84.18%. If the RTP matters to you - and it should - check the game information panel in your casino lobby rather than assuming you're playing the 96.21% version.
Volatility is high - Play'n GO rates it 10 out of 10. This is the defining characteristic of Book of Dead and the main reason it appeals to experienced slot players. You will regularly go 30, 50, even 100+ spins without a meaningful return. The wins are clustered and often come through the free spins feature. Playing this slot with a small bankroll is genuinely difficult - the variance will grind you down before the feature has a chance to hit.
The maximum win is 5,000x your stake per spin. At the £100 maximum bet that is £500,000, though in practice the slot is mainly played at £0.50 to £5 per spin by most UK players.
Symbols and Payouts
Book of Dead uses a classic Egyptian symbol set. The premium symbols are:
- Rich Wilde - the explorer himself, pays up to 5,000x stake for 5 on a line
- Pharaoh - pays up to 2,000x
- Anubis - the jackal-headed god, pays up to 750x
- Eye of Horus (Wadjet) - up to 500x
- Scarab - up to 400x
Low-value symbols are the standard playing card ranks 10, J, Q, K, A - these pay 150x maximum for five of a kind. The gap between Rich Wilde and the low symbols is significant, which is part of why the free spins feature matters so much. Landing a full-reel expand on Rich Wilde during free spins is what produces the slot's biggest returns.
The Book of Dead symbol is both wild and scatter. As a wild, it substitutes for all other symbols. As a scatter, three or more anywhere on the reels triggers the free spins bonus - and it pays scatter wins on top of that (up to 1,800x for five books).
Bonus Features
Free Spins with Expanding Symbol
This is the only bonus feature and it is the heart of the slot. Land three or more Book of Dead scatter symbols anywhere on the reels and you receive 10 free spins. Before the spins begin, one symbol is randomly selected as the "special symbol" for that round.
During the free spins, whenever the special symbol appears on any reel, it expands to fill the entire reel. All expanded positions are evaluated together, so a single special symbol landing in the right place can complete a full-width win covering all five reels. The payouts in this scenario are substantial - five of Rich Wilde, expanded, at a £2 stake returns £10,000.
Free spins can be retriggered. Landing three more books during the feature grants another 10 spins, with the same special symbol continuing. There is no fixed cap on retriggers, so in theory a single free spins session can run for a very long time.
The special symbol is chosen at random before each free spins round. This adds a layer of luck beyond just triggering the feature - landing the feature with Rich Wilde as the special symbol gives significantly higher potential than landing it with the Ace. High-volatility players who are used to Book of Dead develop an intuitive feel for when a session is running "cold" on special symbol selection.
Gamble Feature
After any base game win, you can gamble your winnings. The gamble option offers a double-or-nothing card colour guess (red or black) or a four-way suit guess (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) for 4x your win. Guessing correctly doubles or quadruples the win; guessing wrong loses the entire amount.
The gamble feature is purely optional and has no bearing on the main RTP. Most experienced players skip it on meaningful wins and use it selectively on small returns. It is straightforward and adds a brief moment of decision-making to what is otherwise a fully automated slot.
How to Play Book of Dead
The controls are clean and simple. Set your bet using the coin value and lines selector at the bottom of the screen. You can play between 1 and 10 paylines - most players use all 10, since reducing paylines lowers your chances of forming wins. The spin button starts a single spin; autoplay lets you set a fixed number of automatic rounds.
Lines run left to right only, starting from the leftmost reel. You need matching symbols on consecutive reels from reel 1 onwards to form a win - no right-to-left or scatter-style line wins (except the Book symbol itself, which pays anywhere).
For bankroll management, the rough guidance used by experienced players is to have at least 100x your spin bet available before starting a session. Given the high volatility, 200x is more comfortable. At £1 per spin, expect to need £100-200 to give the feature a reasonable chance to trigger.
Book of Dead on Mobile
Play'n GO builds all their games in HTML5, meaning Book of Dead runs in any mobile browser without a separate app. The layout adapts cleanly to portrait and landscape orientation. The Egyptian artwork holds up well on modern phone screens - Play'n GO's original design has aged gracefully compared to some contemporaries from 2016. Loading times are fast and the touch controls are responsive.
Book of Dead vs. Similar Slots
Book of Dead arrived as a clear response to Novomatic's Book of Ra - the granddaddy of the "book mechanic" genre. The games share the same basic structure: Egyptian theme, book as wild and scatter, expanding symbol in free spins. Book of Dead is widely considered the more polished version - better graphics, better mobile performance, and an RTP that is slightly more competitive.
Play'n GO have since built an entire series around Rich Wilde and the book mechanic:
- Legacy of Dead - same engine, higher max win potential (10,000x), slightly different symbol set
- Rise of Dead - darker horror aesthetic, 3x3 reels with expanding symbols
- Tome of Madness - cosmic horror retheme, portal mechanic added
- Cat Wilde and the Doom of Dead - female protagonist, modified free spins mechanics
- Book of Dead: Diamond Edition - enhanced version with additional features
If you enjoy the Book of Dead mechanic, Legacy of Dead is the most natural next step - it plays almost identically but with higher variance and a bigger ceiling. If you want something with more bonus variety, Pragmatic Play's Book of Tut or the Greentube Book of Ra variants offer different takes on the same genre.
The Rich Wilde Series
Rich Wilde is Play'n GO's flagship character - an archaeologist who has starred in more than a dozen slots since 2013. Book of Dead is the most famous entry in the series, but the character also appears in:
- Rich Wilde and the Amulet of Dead - medium volatility, progressive multiplier free spins
- Rich Wilde and the Wandering City - Atlantean theme
- Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness - Lovecraftian retheme with portal mechanic
- Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena - Greek mythology setting
The character gives Play'n GO a recognisable brand anchor across multiple release cycles - if you like one Rich Wilde game, the others follow similar design principles.
Why Book of Dead Has Lasted So Long
It is unusual for a slot released in 2016 to still be generating this level of play a decade later. A few reasons explain the longevity:
The mechanic is elegant. One feature, one source of tension, one clear win condition. You want the book to land three times. You want Rich Wilde as your special symbol. You want him to expand across all five reels. The simplicity makes it easy to understand and hard to walk away from during a session.
The ceiling is high enough to matter. 5,000x stake is not the highest max win in the market - plenty of modern slots offer 20,000x or more - but it is achievable rather than theoretical. Players genuinely hit significant wins at realistic bet sizes.
The RTP is reliable. Some of the newer book-mechanic competitors have lower published RTPs or more opaque configurations. Book of Dead's 96.21% standard version is well-known and trusted.
Finally, Play'n GO's decision to keep the game widely available rather than moving it to exclusivity deals has kept it in front of new players at almost every casino. It is one of the few slots that appears across virtually every UK-licensed operator.
Our Verdict
Book of Dead is a benchmark slot - not because it is the most innovative game ever made, but because it executes a single mechanic extremely well and has done so consistently for a decade. The high volatility means it is not for everyone. Players who prefer frequent small wins will find it frustrating. Players who are comfortable with variance and are playing for the feature will find it compelling.
If you have never played it, it is worth understanding before you sit down - particularly the RTP configuration point and the bankroll requirements for high volatility play. Go in with realistic expectations, set a session limit, and the Book of Dead experience is one of the more satisfying in UK online gaming.
Related
What is the RTP of Book of Dead?
The standard RTP is 96.21%. However, some casinos configure lower RTP versions at 94.25%, 91.25%, 87.25%, or 84.18%. Always check the game information panel in your casino lobby to confirm which version you are playing.
How do you trigger free spins in Book of Dead?
Land three or more Book of Dead scatter symbols anywhere on the reels to trigger 10 free spins. A special expanding symbol is randomly chosen before the spins begin, and whenever that symbol appears during the feature it expands to fill the entire reel.
Can you retrigger the free spins in Book of Dead?
Yes. Landing three or more Book of Dead scatter symbols during the free spins round awards another 10 spins. There is no fixed limit on retriggers, so a single feature round can continue for an extended period.
What is the maximum win in Book of Dead?
The maximum win is 5,000x your stake per spin. This is achieved by landing five Rich Wilde symbols, expanded across all five reels, during the free spins feature.
Is Book of Dead available on mobile?
Yes. Play'n GO builds all their games in HTML5, so Book of Dead runs in any mobile browser without downloading an app. It works in both portrait and landscape orientation.
What is the difference between Book of Dead and Legacy of Dead?
Both are Play'n GO slots with the same basic book mechanic - expanding symbol free spins triggered by scatter books. Legacy of Dead uses a higher maximum win (up to 10,000x stake) and slightly different symbols, making it a higher-variance alternative for players who enjoy Book of Dead.
Where to Play Rich Wilde and the Book Of Dead
These online casinos carry Play'n GO games including Rich Wilde and the Book Of Dead. Read our Donbet review or browse all casino reviews.
Rich Wilde and the Book Of Dead RTP and Variance
Rich Wilde and the Book Of Dead has an RTP of 96.21%, which is above average. See our highest RTP slots for the best returning games. High volatility means wins come less often but tend to be significantly larger. Explore our high volatility slots guide.
At the minimum bet of £0.01 per spin, a £10 deposit gives you 1,000 spins with a statistical expected return of £9.62. Read our slot betting strategy guide for tips on managing your bankroll.
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