Book Of Ra Slot Review with RTP and My Strategy (+Demo)
Book of Ra is the slot that single-handedly built a genre, and every “book” game that followed borrows the same blueprint: A single symbol that acts as both a a Wild and a Scatter, 10 free spins, and one random symbol that expands to fill the reels during the bonus.
Novomatic’s original Book of Ra initially came out of the land-based cabinets, so it’s one of the oldest pokies still around today, but it continues to be one of the most played in the world, and in this review, I’m going to break down exactly what made the game so popular and what you can expect when playing for yourself online!
First Impressions
Book of Ra is designed around a five-reel, three-row layout, and the game has nine fixed paylines. Now, in some older versions of the pokie, you were able to adjust the number of paylines, but most sites have phased this option out. You can bet between NZ$0.10 and NZ$100 per spin, and the game’s RTP is 95.1%.
One more thing to be aware of: Book of Ra is a different game from Book of Ra Deluxe – and the latter is the most common one still found at online casinos today. In this slot review, however, it’s the original Book of Ra I’m reviewing – and the two games are near-identical, with graphics being the only noticeable difference.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The Book symbol is the game’s Wild and Scatter, and landing 3, 4, or 5 of the Scatter symbols anywhere in view triggers the Free Spins bonus. Here, you’ll receive 10 free spins, and before they begin, one regular symbol is chosen as the special expander. During the bonus, when that symbol can form a win, it expands to cover its reels and pays like line wins even when not adjacent – so you only need to land 3 low value symbols or 2 high value symbols anywhere in view.
You can also re-trigger additional spins by landing another 3, 4, or 5 of the Scatter symbols anywhere in view during the feature. Doing so adds +10 free games.
After any base game spin, and once the bonus round concludes, you can also take your winnings to the gamble feature. This is a simple red-or-black bonus, where a correct pick doubles your win.
Mobile Experience
Book of Ra is a pretty old game, and it was far from being one of the first Novomatic releases to get the HTML5 treatment! Today, however, the game is fully mobile optimised, and you can see how the game looks – and plays – on mobile in my testing screenshots below:
Spinoffs and Sequels
Book of Ra, as I mentioned earlier, is undoubtedly one of the most influential pokies of all time, and it’s inspired hundreds of spinoffs and copy-cats from other studios. Below, I’ll list the official Novomatic spinoffs:
- Book Of Ra (Classic): Designed around a five-reel, three-row layout and just 9 fixed paylines, this is the OG – and it shows. It’s iconic, albeit a bit dated.
- Book Of Ra Deluxe: Very similar to the classic Book of Ra, but you’ll find ten fixed paylines instead, along with slightly better graphics.
- Book of Ra Deluxe 6: Adds a sixth reel, which is unlocked by placing an Extra Bet.
- Book Of Ra Magic: Again, very similar to the original, but re-triggers inside the feature unlock a new expanding symbol, too.
Our Verdict
Book of Ra is easily one of the most iconic pokies ever created, and while it’s been somewhat overshadowed by newer, more modern titles, it still holds its place as one of the best video slots ever produced. It really was the game that kicked off an entire genre, so if you want the classic, original version of the “expanding symbols in the bonus” type of game, this is definitely one to consider playing.
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