Updated: August 28, 2019

Book of Ra

Here’s a blast from the past for you veteran slot lovers: this is a slot that any punter that has been playing slots for long enough would immediately recognize. And, for you new players out there, here’s a little lesson in slot history: the Book of Ra is arguably one of the most famous and successful slots ever released, so much so that it was released multiple times! The Book of Ra was initially released in 2005 by Novomatic for brick-and-mortar casinos. It became so wildly popular and unbelievably successful that Novomatic decided to touch it up: that’s when, in 2008, they released the Book of Ra Deluxe, a slightly more modern version of the Book of Ra that has definitely stood the test of time. 

They kept revamping the game throughout the years, eventually giving us the Book of Ra 6 Deluxe; however, this Book of Ra slots review will talk about the Book of Ra Deluxe, which is by far the most renowned version of the slot. Our Book of Ra review will focus on the slot’s RTP rate and any strategies that may prove useful when playing, the feel of the game, and any noteworthy bonuses offered by casinos.

Return-to-Player Rate, Payouts & Strategies

Obviously, one of the most important aspects to consider when playing a slot is what percentage of your money are you getting back as winnings, that is, what is the theoretical RTP (return-to-player) of the slot? And, equally as important and relevant to understanding the RTP of a slot, what are the payouts of the slot? 

First things first, it’s best to first know that Book of Ra Deluxe has 10 paylines (the lines according to which winning combinations are assessed), which is an upgrade from the original Book of Ra’s 9 paylines. Sadly, this is still on the low side for a slot in this day and age, but the slot offers some extremely handsome payouts to make up for it.

Moreover, some symbols require only 2 of their kind to be considered a winning combination; this increases your chances of landing a win! In fact, the Book of Ra Deluxe is a slot with moderate volatility and a hit rate of about 30%, which is to say that payouts are often but not as frequent as low volatility slots, but they’re generally higher.

Furthermore, the Book of Ra Deluxe has a theoretical RTP rate of 95.1%, which means that for every £100 you wager, for instance, you’ll be getting on average £95.1 back as winnings. Before going any further into strategies than one can use when taking into consideration the RTP and volatility of the slot, let’s take a look at its symbols and their payouts:

• 10, Q, J: these are the most basic symbols on Book of Ra Deluxe, and they pay 5 coins for 3 symbols; 25 coins for 4 symbols, and 100 coins for 5 symbols.
• A, K: these pay 5 coins for 3 symbols; 40 coins for 4 symbols and a 150 coins for 5 symbols.
• Scarab Beetles & Winged Statues: this is where the unique symbols of these slot begin; for 2 symbols, these pay 5 coins; 30 coins for 3 symbols; 100 coins for 4 symbols, and 750 coins for 5 symbols.
• Sarcophagus: with 2 symbols, these pay 5 coins; for 3 symbols, you’ll get 40 coins; for 4 symbols, you’ll win 400 coins, and 2000 coins for 5 symbols.
• Archaeologist: the protagonist of our slot pays 10 coins for 2 symbols; 100 coins for 3 symbols; 1000 coins for 4 symbols, and 5000 coins for 5 symbols.
• Book of Ra: this is the main treasure of the slot and the slot’s special symbol, being both a Wild and a Scatter symbol; landing 3 of these symbols gives you 2000 coins; for 4 symbols, you’ll win 20,000 coins, and for 5 symbols, it’s 200,000 coins. 

It’s good to keep in mind that the values of coins are dependent on your bet, which is also dependent on how many paylines you chose to activate. This is because your bet is calculated per active payline; so, if you bet, for example, £10, you’re basically betting £1 for every active payline on the slot. This effectively means that the value of coins are at £1 since they’re calculated according to the paylines.

Obviously, the bet will be higher if you choose to activate all of the paylines, but your chances of landing winning combinations will be significantly increased, which is why we suggest that you activate all of the paylines. However, in light of this, it’s also recommended to keep your wagers low because your money will slowly ebb away before your very eyes!

Although the Book of Ra Deluxe has a decent RTP, you have to keep in mind that it’s a slot of medium volatility, meaning that when the combinations finally align, the payouts will hardly enough to even cover your bet; you’ll need quite some fantastic luck to land one of those juicy big wins! Which is why we suggest sticking to a low bet to prevent you from going bust. 

The Feel of the Game

The Book of Ra is all about ancient Egypt and ancient Egyptian treasure, as you could very well tell from the symbols, which is great for you punters who are fans of Indiana Jones. The slot takes you to an Egyptian tomb covered in hieroglyphics as you aid the intrepid archaeologist in his search for the legendary Book of Ra.

As such, the slot might feel a little outdated for you punters that have gotten used to very modern video slots, but it has certain features that make up for it. Firstly, all of the symbols animate after landing in a winning combination, which is always fun to see. Moreover, after every payout, you’re given to choice to play a mini-game, in which you can increase your payouts.

The mini-game is very simple: you’re presented with the back of a card with the Eye of Horus on it; the card flashes rapidly between red and blue, and you’re given a choice between red and black. Once you make your choice, the card turns to reveal an ace of whichever suit; if you guessed the colour of the suit correctly, your money is doubled. 

The mini-game has a total of 5 rounds, so if you’re lucky enough you could multiply your winning by a total of 32 times! Moreover, the Book of Ra symbol can also trigger a series of bonus games. As we’ve already mentioned, it’s the slot’s special symbol, being both a Wild and a Scatter symbol; getting 3 or more of it not only gives you a fantastic payout, but also triggers 10 Free Spins!

Before the Free Spins begin, one of the slot’s paying symbols is chosen at random to become a ‘special expanding symbol’. This means that once a certain amount of that symbol lands on the reels, which depends on the minimum amount needed for a winning combination to happen with that symbol, the symbols cover the entire reels, making for some absolutely great payouts!