ABOUT THIS SLOT
Released in 2005, Book of Ra is one of Novomatic’s most successful slots. Players are transported to ancient Egypt and taken on a mysterious adventure to uncover the coveted secrets of the Book of Ra. Since the release of this slot, there have been a few subsequent versions, each with its own fans, but the original version has cult status and still features on many players’ favourites lists.
It’s true the original Book of Ra looks dated by modern standards. The 5 reels and 3 rows of symbols sit on a black background with a silhouette of Egyptian pyramids at the top of the screen. This is simple and blocky in design but the colours are attractively bold and there is a pleasing simplicity to the game that will appeal to beginners and retro slot fans.
RTP, VARIANCE AND PAYOUTS
Book of Ra has 9 paylines and a range of colourful symbols. You need to land 3 matches on a payline to receive a payout. The RTP is 95%, which is below average compared with today’s slots, although was pretty standard on its release.
You can play from just 2c a spin if you only play 1 payline, which should suit lower rollers, although with such high volatility, you might be waiting some time before hitting a good win. This volatility level makes this a risky play, so it’s a good idea to take it steady with lower bets to begin with. The maximum payout here is 5,000x stake for landing 5 adventurers on the reels.
SYMBOLS AND PAYTABLE
The symbols in Book of Ra include a scarab, a golden trophy, mask of Tutankhamun, an explorer, and the mysterious Book of Ra of the game title. You’ll also find high cards to pay the lower rewards. The best symbol in the game is the adventurer, who can pay 5,000x stake for 5 of a kind. This is followed by Tutankhamun who can award up to 2,000x stake, while the scarab and trophy both pay 750x stake for 5 matches.
The magical Book of Ra is the Wild and Scatter combined. This symbol can substitute for the other symbols in the game to create more winning combinations, while also having the power to trigger Free Spins. The Book of Ra can also award a payout of its own with 2,000x stake available for 5 of a kind.
GAMEPLAY AND FEATURES
Wilds and Scatters
The Book of Ra is both the Wild and the Scatter, substituting for all the other symbols and triggering the Free Spins round if 3 or more appear on the reels together. Land 5 on the screen to be rewarded with the game’s jackpot of 5,000x stake.
Free Spins
When 3, 4 or 5 Book of Ra Scatters land on the reels, you’ll activate 10 Free Spins, along with expanding symbols, which cover up to 3 reels on each spin and increase your winning chances.
Gamble Game
Whenever you hit a winning spin, you have the chance to double your payout in a simple gamble game. This takes you to a new screen where you can guess the colour of the next card in the deck. If you guess correctly, you double your payout but a wrong guess will forfeit the money from that spin.
OUR VERDICT
Book of Ra is one of the most successful slots of all time with a cult status among slots fans. This is one of the first in a long line of ancient Egypt inspired slots and it has a strong hint of Indiana Jones about it, especially with the high-paying explorer in his fetching fedora. Indiana aside, the main draw of this game is the Free Spins round, which can turn even the lower paying symbols into generous bounty thanks to the expanding feature. Retro fans will love the classic style and modern players who dig the ancient Egyptian vibe will enjoy seeing where it all started. For more mysterious Egyptian adventures in the same series, check out Book of Ra Deluxe and Book of Ra Jackpot Edition.