“Book of” slots enjoy huge popularity across online casinos worldwide, being a true industry phenomenon. Games like Book of Dead have long become cult classics, consistently making it to the top three most-played slots year after year.
It’s safe to say that the “Book of” hype in the digital space began in 2005 when Novomatic launched Book of Ra, which is now seen as the pioneer of the genre. The latter, naturally, evolved over time, thanks to an ever-growing army of software providers who utilize innovative technologies to bring the most daring and creative ideas to life.
Despite all the bells and whistles found in modern one-armed bandits, captivating storylines that transport players to different worlds and places are what really allow those games to engage with the audience. But, of course, absolutely no complaints when an immersive story is supported by exciting and rewarding bonus features that make spinning so much more fun.
Diversity of Reel Layouts and Mechanics
To the delight of all self-confessed bookworms, game lobbies of today’s online casinos are chock-full of differently themed titles able to spin a good yarn and deliver decent payouts.
Indeed, “Book of” slots come in a wide variety, and many platforms, including Wild Tornado, even have dedicated collections of such games. They definitely offer something for everyone, from classic three reels and progressive jackpots to Megaways and many other state-of-the-art mechanics developed by the industry’s leading software providers.
By the way, modern 3-stepper does not necessarily mean straightforward gameplay, which is proved, for instance, by Book of Ultimate Infinity Reels, where reels grow left to right (up to 50 reels), allowing infinite winning combinations.
You will come across games with a standard 5x3 grid, but also those with 6 reels and enlarged playfields that can grow even bigger during free spins or other second-screen events. Depending on the title, wins may be formed on classic pay lines, like in the 6-reel Book of Blarney Gigablox with 100 pay lines, or in specific clusters.
Naturally, there are plenty of releases with different numbers of ways to win, including Book of Gates, which offers 32768 ways to complete winning combinations. Fans of the famed Megaways will also find their books to discover, such as Book of Gems and others.
And, of course, the list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Hold and Win and similar features that deliver players an extra chance to hit a win without making a new bet. If it’s exactly what you are looking for, give a shot to a thrilling crime story, The Slotfather Book of Wins Hold and Win, or drift into a fairytale with Book of Oz Lock N Spin.
Bonus Features of “Book of” Slots
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that slot buffs are spoiled for choice when it comes to bonus features. Both big-name software providers and young studios challenge each other to develop the most original and exciting extras.
No prizes for guessing, in “Book of” games, the book always takes center stage, being either a wild or a scatter, or often one and the other. The book symbol has the power to trigger free spins and other bonuses, where the winning potential of a game is usually packed.
The assortment of features can vary greatly depending on the title; some offer free spins as a single perk, while others are stuffed with all sorts of bonuses, where the imagination of designers is the only limit.
Here are the most commonly seen of them:
🗸 Wilds – substitute for all regular symbols to complete as many winning combinations as possible.
🗸 Scatters – trigger free spins or another bonus feature. Some slots also have an extra scatter intended to activate the reel for any special expanding symbols until the end of the feature.
🗸 Wild multipliers – in many games, expanding wilds can award random multipliers for hefty payouts. Or even better, sometimes, if more wilds are part of the winning combination, their multipliers add to each other.
🗸 Expanding symbols – one or more special symbols expand to cover entire reels, remaining locked for a series of spins to boost winning potential.
🗸 Pick’em Bonus – when triggered, players are presented with a selection of items that hide prizes (usually, free spins or cash) and asked to choose the item and reveal the prize.
🗸 Buy Bonus – More and more online slots offer the possibility of purchasing direct access to free spins or other bonus features to players who do not wait for them to be triggered naturally.
RTP, Max Win, and Betting Range
It’s no secret that payout percentage and maximum win often play a decisive role when choosing a real-money slot. Even though both elements may vary greatly from one game to another, we have some good news for you.
Many “Book of” games belong to the list of the highest RTP slots, including the most generous Book of 99 that returns players an incredible 99% of all staked money, naturally, in the long run.
There are plenty of titles with an RTP that exceeds 97%, including Book of Antique and Book of Pyramids, and a great number of games with a payout percentage well above 96%.
As incredible as it may seem, “Book of” slots with a pretty low RTP are also in high demand across online casinos. Well, some of them have a good excuse: Book of Atem WowPot, for instance, can explain its 88.20% RTP by a massive progressive jackpot with a starting seed of staggering €2 million.
Speaking of the maximum exposure and betting ranges, it all depends on the provider and the specific game configuration. However, one thing is for sure: the spectrum is broad enough to accommodate the needs of every style of player. Bets can be anything from $0.1 to $100, with titles such as Book of Sand featuring a max bet of $400 or even greater.
Max payout may vary from $5,000 to $250,000, or go beyond that sum; you can find the precise information for a certain game in our comprehensive slot reviews. There you will also learn all other important details, including volatility, payout percentage, the minimum and maximum bet, number of reels and pay lines, and more.
Top 7 Best-Rated “Book Of” Online Slots
Well, the truth is, each game has its own path; some are destined to become blockbusters, others are quickly forgotten. Typically, it is hard to predict the future success of a slot because often, games that appear terrific on paper just fail to resonate with players.
Luckily, here at LCB, we do not have to read tea leaves to figure out the most popular slots. Our slot directory displays ratings based on the votes of a great many real players. So, let's type “Book of” in the search bar and sort them by rating to see which games are among the firm favorites.
The list is quite lengthy and definitely goes far beyond a single article, so we will start with the top seven titles, trying to unravel the mystery of their huge popularity.
So, here you have it: seven best-rated “Book of” slots that players find irresistible.
#1 Book of Dead
It’s hard to find a player who has not tried or at least heard about this iconic slot launched by Play’n GO in 2016. It quickly became incredibly popular, finishing in the top three every year since then.
An amazing adventure for newbies and seasoned pros alike, this game is centered around the expanding symbol that appears during free spins to cover the entire reel to award additional prizes.
Visually stunning, Book of Dead conjures up the mysterious world of Ancient Egypt, taking players on a one-of-its-kind escapade with Rich Wilde, who is trying to find untold treasures. The reels are set right in the hot sands, having room for 10 non-fixed pay lines.
Players can select the number of coins they bet per line and the number of active lines, which provides for flexibility and guarantees that everyone can adjust the size of the bet in accordance with their bankrolls and gambling preferences.
#2 Book of Ra Deluxe
Just as its name suggests, Book of Ra Deluxe is a successor of Book of Ra, a trailblazer in the genre. The Deluxe version was released by Novomatic in April 2008, three years after its predecessor’s debut.
Interestingly, it remains one of the most played online slots, despite the release of another six games in the series since its launch. Evidently, Book of Ra Deluxe boasts upgraded graphics and animation, as well as an improved interface. Besides the aforementioned improvements in design, the developers added one pay line, making it 10 instead of 9.
One of the most important changes, however, was a significant increase in RTP that rose to 95.10 from 92.13 of the original. It is a high volatility slot, hence payouts are less frequent but more impressive. The betting range is broad, starting from $0.4 and going up to $100. The book symbol is a scatter that triggers free spins, the only bonus feature offered by this title.
#3 Book of Ra
Released in March 2005, Book of Ra made a big splash, setting a new trend among online casino content providers. Perhaps, in the eyes of a modern player, this slot has straightforward gameplay and a very modest payout percentage, but look, two decades ago, it was a hot ticket.
Plus, the game offers an advanced free spins feature with a special expanding symbol, which was a brave move at the time and is still relevant today. And that’s not all, because players can also take advantage of a Gamble feature and double their winnings if they guess the color of a playing card.
To sum up, a cult classic that has managed to keep its high rating for many years and to outperform its numerous successors in the series.
#4 Book of Aztec
A veteran of the iGaming scene, Book of Aztec made its debut at online casinos in 2015. Created by Amatic, it is a medium volatility slot with a solid RTP of 96% and a hefty maximum win of $10,000.
Situated inside the stone walls of the ancient temple, the reels hide untold treasures of the once prosperous civilization. The mysterious book is the core element of the game, being both a wild and a scatter, which activates free spins that can be re-triggered.
During free spins, players can benefit from an expanding symbol that will pay in all active lines, no matter whether the icons of the winning combination are consecutive or not. In addition to that, every win offers a chance to double or quadruple the prize.
#5 Book of Santa
Launched by Endorphina to celebrate Christmas 2019, Book of Santa is a 10-line, 5-reel, and 3-row online slot enhanced with high volatility and a decent payout percentage of 96.05%.
With a minimum stake of $0.1, the game is very affordable, which means that everyone can enjoy the most magical time of the year and, with a little help from Lady Luck, grab some extra presents.
The book is a wild, substituting for all other symbols, including expanding ones during free spins. Just like in many other “Book of” slots, it is also a scatter in charge of triggering the free spins bonus that literally can make your day.
Bonus Pop, a unique Buy Bonus feature, is what has a special appeal to players. It offers to buy 10 free spins with different expanding symbols; the higher the value of the symbol, the greater the price.
#6 Book of Crazy Chicken
Even though the name does not sound so, Book of Crazy Chicken is also themed about ancient Egypt. The chicken is a well-known character that has its own series and appears in many Gamomat games.
Interestingly, this software provider is incredibly prolific when it comes to the production of “Book of” slots, but this particular release remains the company’s best-rated title to date.
Featuring a standard 5x3 grid, it lets players choose between 5 and 10 active pay lines to complete their winning combinations. In addition to free spins with stamped bonus symbols, the game offers an advanced gamble feature with a split option that allows players collect half of the win and gamble the other half only.
#7 Book of Secrets
A game from 2018, Book of Secrets is an exciting 5-reel adventure with free spins and special expanding symbols. Created by Synot, this slot invites players to join a fearless female archaeologist on her dangerous quest for the lost treasure.
The bravest of the brave will open the tomb full of sparkly riches for the chance of winning up to 6,227x bet. The betting range will suit every pocket, starting at just $0.2 a spin, while flamboyant high-rollers can hit the reels at the maximum stake of $100.
The stunning visuals of this “Book of” slots deserve a special mention, and so does a matching soundtrack that adds to the mysterious atmosphere.
These were the top seven best-rated “Book of” slots. Stay tuned for the next article, which will cover another seven best-rated games from our slot directory.
Fact-checked by Nina.D Sylvanas
Chief Content Editor
