Book Slots Book Slots (Book of)
A slot format where one book symbol works as both wild and scatter, and a symbol picked at random before free spins expands across the whole reel. It spread widely through Novomatic's Book of Ra and Play'n GO's Book of Dead.
| English | Book Slots (Book of) |
|---|---|
| Classification | Game Features |
| Format | Book symbol (wild + scatter) + expanding symbol free spins |
| Original | Book of Ra (Novomatic, 2005) |
| Top online game | Book of Dead (Play'n GO, January 2016) |
| Standard layout | 5 reels, 3 rows, 10 paylines |
| Main themes | Ancient Egypt, explorer |
| Games on AI Slot | 27 games with Book in the name |
Overview
Book slots (“Book of” slots) are a slot format whose titles often include “Book of.” It isn’t a feature name from one provider. It’s a genre that many providers built around the same rules. Ancient Egyptian tombs and explorer themes are common, and a book symbol in the middle of the screen plays the key role.
The basic template was set by the 2005 offline slot “Book of Ra” from German provider Novomatic. After Book of Dead by Play’n GO became a huge online hit in January 2016, many similar games followed.
How it works
| Step | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Base game | Most use 5 reels, 3 rows, and 10 paylines. The book symbol acts as a wild, substituting for other symbols. |
| 2. Free spins trigger | When 3 or more book symbols land anywhere, they act as scatters and open free spins. Book of Ra Deluxe gives 10 spins. |
| 3. Choose the expanding symbol | Right before the free spins begin, one regular symbol is picked at random as the “expanding symbol.” |
| 4. Expand across the reel | During free spins, when the expanding symbol meets the win condition, it covers its entire reel, and wins are counted again regardless of position, even if the symbols aren’t on a connected payline. |
| 5. Retrigger | If 3 or more book symbols land again during free spins, more free spins are added. |
The biggest wins come when a high-paying symbol (such as the explorer) is picked as the expanding symbol and covers all five reels. That’s why many of these games are high volatility, staying quiet most of the time and then paying big in one free spins round. Some games also have a gamble feature where you guess a card color or suit after a win.
Two flagship games
| Item | Book of Ra Deluxe | Book of Dead |
|---|---|---|
| Providers | Novomatic | Play'n GO |
| Release | 2008 (the original Book of Ra was released in 2005) | January 14, 2016 |
| Layout | 5 reels, 3 rows, 10 paylines | 5 reels, 3 rows, 10 paylines |
| Hero | Explorer | Rich wild |
| Max win | No confirmed official value | 5,000x |
Book of Dead later became the centerpiece of Play’n GO’s series starring Rich Wilde, and in February 2026, the 10th year after its release, the sequel Book of Dead GO Collect arrived.
Book of slots you can try on AI Slot
| Release | Games | Providers | RTP | Max win |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2016 | Book of Dead | Play'n GO | 94.25% | 5,000x |
| May 2018 | Book Of Gods | Big Time Gaming | 96.06% | 12,489x |
| May 2020 | John Hunter and the Book of Tut | Pragmatic Play | 96.5% | 6,600x |
| August 2020 | Book of Shadows | Nolimit City | 96.01% | 30,338x |
| November 2020 | Book of Kingdoms | Pragmatic Play | 96.69% | 20,000x |
| May 2021 | Book of 99 | Relax Gaming | 99% | 12,075x |
| November 2021 | Book of Duat | Quickspin | 96.27% | 32,760x |
| March 2023 | Book of Books | Yggdrasil | 96.1% | 10,000x |
RTP and max win are based on the AI Slot database. Book of Dead has a published base RTP of 96.21%, but casinos may use different RTP versions. AI Slot has 27 games with “Book” in the name, but some, like Book of Tut Megaways, only share the name and have different rules.
