How to Play Book of Dead
Book of Dead by Play'n GO places you in the boots of Rich Wilde, a daring explorer navigating the hidden chambers of ancient Egyptian tombs. This isn't a generic Egypt-themed slot—it's a carefully crafted high-volatility experience built around one core mechanic: the expanding symbol during free spins.
Understanding the Expanding Symbol Mechanic
When you trigger the free spins feature with 3 or more golden Tomb scatter symbols, the game randomly selects one symbol to become "special." During your 10 free spins, whenever this chosen symbol appears on a reel, it expands to fill all three positions on that reel. Crucially, the symbol doesn't need to land on adjacent reels—it pays scattered across active paylines, massively increasing win potential. The Book of Souls RESPIN feature takes expansion beyond single symbols by unlocking entire hidden rows during gameplay, creating up to 32,768 ways to win as the grid grows vertically.
The most lucrative scenario occurs when Rich Wilde himself is selected as the expanding symbol. With a 5-of-a-kind payout of 5,000 coins, seeing him expand across multiple reels can deliver wins exceeding 100,000 coins in a single spin.
Symbol Values and Paytable
The paytable is steeply tiered. Rich Wilde pays 5,000x for five symbols, while the Egyptian deity symbols—Pharaoh (2,000x), Anubis (750x), and Horus (750x)—offer mid-range returns. The lower-value card symbols (A, K, Q, J, 10) pay between 100x and 150x for five of a kind. This steep gradient is typical of high-volatility design: most spins return small wins or nothing, but the top symbols deliver game-changing payouts.
Base Game Strategy
Book of Dead offers 10 adjustable paylines. While you can play fewer lines to reduce your bet, this also reduces your chances of triggering the scatter feature. Most Canadian players maximize their payline coverage and adjust bet size through coin value instead. The minimum bet starts at $0.10 CAD across most Canadian online casinos, with maximum bets reaching $100 CAD per spin.
RTP and Variance
The game operates at 96.21% RTP, which is above average for online slots. However, the high volatility means long dry spells are common. Budget accordingly—this slot is designed for players who can withstand 50+ spins without a significant win, banking on the free spins feature to deliver the bulk of returns. Book of Shadows by Nolimit City pushes variance to extreme levels with 96.43% RTP and a maximum win potential of 30,338x through its Shadow Rows system.
Why Canadian Players Love This Slot
Book of Dead has maintained popularity in Canada since its 2016 release because it delivers exactly what high-volatility players want: simple, transparent mechanics with genuine big-win potential. There are no complex bonus wheels or multi-stage features—just a straightforward free spins round that can realistically pay 5,000x your bet or more when the expanding symbols align.
