Book of 99: Ancient Greek Mythology Pokies

What Makes Book of 99 Stand Out Among Australian Pokies?

Book of 99 isn't your typical Greek mythology pokie. Developed by Relax Gaming, this slot delivers an unprecedented 99% RTP (Return to Player), making it one of the fairest pokies available to Australian players. While most online pokies hover around 94-96% RTP, Book of 99's exceptional return rate means more of your wagers come back to you over time.

The game is built on a classic 5-reel, 3-row grid with 10 fixed paylines, but the similarity to traditional pokies ends there. The standout feature is the Wild Collection Mechanic — a unique progression system where every Wild symbol (represented by the ornate golden Book) that lands during base gameplay is permanently tracked on a vertical Collection Metre running alongside the reels.

The 99 Wild Collection Journey

As you spin, each Wild Book symbol increments your Collection Metre by 1. The metre tracks your progress from 0 to 99, displaying your current count at the bottom of the stone column interface. Once you hit 99 collected Wilds, the game automatically awards 10 Free Spins. What makes this genuinely strategic is that the bet size for these collection-triggered Free Spins is calculated as the weighted average of all the bets you placed while collecting those 99 Wilds.

This means if you've been playing at $2.00 per spin for most of your collection and occasionally bumped it to $5.00, the Free Spins will play at a mathematically averaged bet level. The game uses stochastic rounding if the average isn't a clean multiple of the minimum bet, adding another layer of fairness to the mechanic.

Dual Free Spins Trigger System

You can trigger Free Spins in two ways:

• Instant Trigger: Land 3 or more Wild Book symbols anywhere on the reels in a single spin. This awards 10 Free Spins played at your current bet level.
• Collection Trigger: Accumulate 99 Wild symbols in the Collection Metre. This also awards 10 Free Spins, but at the weighted average bet as described above.
• Simultaneous Trigger: If you land 3+ Wilds AND complete the 99 collection in the same spin, both Free Spins rounds are awarded — the Wild-triggered spins play first, followed immediately by the collection-triggered spins.

Expanding Symbol Free Spins Mechanic

When Free Spins begin, one of the 9 regular symbols (Male Hero, Female Prophetess, Cyclops, Dark Sorceress, or any of the five card symbols A, K, Q, J, 10) is randomly selected as the Special Expanding Symbol. During each Free Spin:

• All standard payline wins are evaluated and paid first
• If enough of the Special Symbol lands (2+ for premium character symbols, 3+ for card symbols), those symbols expand to fill their entire reels
• The expanded symbols then pay on all 10 paylines based on the total count visible, regardless of their horizontal position on the reels
• Wild symbols are ignored when calculating expanded symbol payouts, but still substitute for regular line wins

This expansion mechanic is where massive wins occur. For example, if the Male Hero (top-paying symbol with a 1000x multiplier for 5-of-a-kind) is selected and you land 3 or more on scattered reels, they expand and pay as if you hit multiple simultaneous 5-of-a-kind wins across all 10 lines.

Symbol Paytable Breakdown

Book of 99 features 10 symbols total, divided into premium character symbols, low-paying card symbols, and the special Wild/Scatter:

Premium Character Symbols

Card Symbols (A, K, Q, J, 10)

All card symbols feature 3D golden metallic letters embedded with coloured gemstones (red ruby for Ace, orange amber for King, purple amethyst for Queen, green emerald for Jack, blue sapphire for 10). Payouts range from 1x for 3-of-a-kind up to 30x for 5-of-a-kind on the highest card symbols.

Wild Book Symbol

The ornate golden Book serves dual functions: it substitutes for all regular symbols (except during Free Spins expanding symbol calculations), and it's also the scatter trigger for Free Spins. Every Wild that lands in base gameplay increments the Collection Metre.

Visual Design and Theme

The aesthetic is dark fantasy ancient Greece. The reels sit within a stone temple facade with towering Doric columns, a purple-blue evening sky backdrop, and silhouetted cypress trees. The vertical Collection Metre on the left is styled as a stone pillar marked with Greek place names (visible references to Ithaca, suggesting an Odyssey journey theme). All premium symbols feature gold-bordered frames with authentic Greek key (meander) pattern borders.

The colour palette is rich: deep navy and purple backgrounds, gold and amber highlights for wins and titles, bright cyan-teal for UI accents, and stone gray textures throughout. Winning paylines are indicated by bright golden-yellow glowing lines with fire particle effects around winning symbols.

Game Settings and Player Control

Book of 99 offers comprehensive player controls including:

• Adjustable Bet Sizes: Confirmed range from $0.20 to $100.00 per spin (exact limits may vary by casino)
• Autoplay: Set automatic spins with visible remaining count
• Turbo/Quick Spin Mode: Activated via the double-arrow button, shortens spin animations
• Space Bar Spin: Keyboard shortcut for spinning (disabled by default, enable in Settings)
• Audio Controls: Independent toggles for Music, Sound Effects, and All Sounds
• History Viewer: Review past spin results

Accessibility Features

Relax Gaming has built solid accessibility into Book of 99. The interface supports keyboard navigation, the Space Bar spin shortcut assists motor-impaired players, and all critical information (bet, win, balance, collection count) is displayed numerically. Winning states use multiple visual indicators beyond colour: glowing paylines, particle effects, symbol highlighting, and dimming of non-winning symbols.

Strategy Considerations for Australian Players

While pokies are games of chance, the Collection Mechanic introduces a pseudo-progression element. Since collected Wilds persist across sessions (until you hit 99), it rewards consistent play at your preferred bet level. If you're planning to play long-term at Book of 99, maintaining a steady bet size ensures your collection-triggered Free Spins align with your bankroll strategy.

The 99% RTP applies over millions of spins, but it's still the highest theoretical return you'll find on any pokie. For comparison, land-based Australian pokies typically range from 85-90% RTP, and most online pokies sit at 94-97%. The extra 2-3% return might seem small, but over extended play sessions, it meaningfully extends your playtime and win potential.