Oasis of Dead (Play'n Go) Slot Review

Oasis of Dead: Slot Overview 

Play’n GO continues its enduring love affair with the ‘book of’ slot genre by releasing Oasis of Dead, a classic Egyptian-themed online slot with a twist of fertile mystery. The game’s title flips the typical idea of an oasis—a symbol of life and relief—into something darker and more ironic, a “dead” oasis. Naturally, this doesn’t mean players won’t find riches here. Oasis of Dead is Play’n GO’s latest offering in a long line of ‘book-style’ games like Book of Dead, Legacy of Dead, and Scroll of Dead. And while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it delivers the familiar thrills fans expect—special expanding symbols, retriggerable free spins, and potential wins of up to 5,000x the bet. 

What sets Oasis of Dead apart slightly from its siblings is its beautiful visual execution and flexible gameplay model. With highly customizable bets through coin and payline settings, Oasis of Dead strikes a satisfying balance between accessibility and the high volatility edge that experienced slot players enjoy.

Design and Graphics 

Oasis of Dead is drenched in lush Egyptian aesthetics, replacing the usual dry desert sandscapes with greenery, flowing lotus ponds, and ornate temple backdrops. Play’n GO has done a fine job in elevating the standard visual design to reflect the ‘oasis’ concept in the midst of ancient ruins. Ivy-draped pillars and monumental Egyptian structures lend grandeur to the game without straying into overused cliché territory. It’s an Egyptian slot, yes—but this one’s clearly had a few extra hours put into the graphical polish. The symbols stick to the genre template: low-paying card values from 10 to A, and higher-paying thematic icons including scarabs, cobras, crocodiles, and the pharaoh himself. The golden temple is both wild and scatter, doubling as the gatekeeper for the game’s most lucrative feature.

Gameplay Mechanics 

Oasis of Dead uses a 5×3 reel layout with up to 10 paylines, depending on how many the player activates. This flexibility is a nod to old-school slot mechanics, allowing for coin values between 1c and €2, coins per line between 1 and 5, and 1 to 10 active paylines, which collectively determine your total bet per spin. Stakes can range from €0.01 to €100, making this slot suitable for cautious beginners and high-rolling adventurers alike. 

Winning combinations are made by landing 3 to 5 matching symbols left to right across activated paylines. Low symbols pay 8x–12x for five-of-a-kind when using max bet conditions, while the premiums can deliver 60x–500x for the same. The real magic, however, comes during the free spins round, where the game’s signature expanding symbol mechanic kicks in. 

The high volatility (8/10) means players shouldn’t expect frequent wins, but the potential payout spikes can be exhilarating—especially with the added thrill of special expanding symbols and retriggers.

Sound and Music 

The audio design of Oasis of Dead matches its visual ambitions. Play’n GO has opted for a mystical Egyptian soundtrack with ambient layers of plucked strings, wind instruments, and ominous choral pads. During the base game, the music simmers gently in the background, evoking the sacred quiet of a temple courtyard. 

When the bonus feature is triggered, the tempo and volume escalate to match the drama of the moment. The game’s sound design includes immersive reel clicks, shimmering effects when special symbols expand, and celebratory jingles when big wins land. It’s all part of Play’n GO’s consistent production quality.

Bonus Features 

Special Expanding Symbol Free Spins 

The central feature in Oasis of Dead is the Free Spins bonus, triggered by landing 3, 4, or 5 golden temple scatter symbols, which also pay 2x, 20x, or 200x your stake respectively. Players are awarded 8 free spins, and before the round starts, one regular pay symbol is randomly selected to act as the special expanding symbol. 

When these chosen symbols land during free spins, they expand to fill the entire reel if doing so will result in a win. Expanded symbols don’t need to be adjacent and can appear on non-consecutive reels, creating huge win opportunities across all 10 paylines. 

Retriggers & Multiple Expanding Symbols 

Landing another set of 3 or more scatters during the free spins retriggers the feature, awarding 8 additional spins. Crucially, an additional expanding symbol is selected with each retrigger, up to a maximum of 9. This stacking of special symbols can lead to screen-filling wins if you get lucky with high-paying symbols like the pharaoh. 

Gamble Feature 

After any win in the base or bonus game, you can enter a Gamble Round to try and double or quadruple your winnings. Correctly guessing the color of a face-down card doubles your prize, while guessing the suit quadruples it. Players can gamble up to five times in a row or until reaching a win cap of 2,500 coins. It’s a classic Play’n GO feature and adds a touch of tension to post-spin decisions.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Oasis of Dead offers one of the most flexible betting structures in Play’n GO’s portfolio, owing to its coin-based system. You can: 

• Choose between 1–10 active paylines 

• Set coin value between €0.01–€2 

• Adjust the number of coins per line from 1–5 

This results in a broad bet range from €0.01 up to €100 per spin, depending on your configuration. 

In terms of payouts, the game has a maximum win of 5,000x the bet, which is achievable during the bonus round when high-paying special expanding symbols cover enough reels. While the max win probability is 1 in 1 billion spins, the game’s RTP is solid at 96.58%, with optional lower settings available depending on the casino (94.51%, 91.51%, 87.56%, or 84.55%).

Conclusion 

Oasis of Dead is a textbook Play’n GO “book slot,” wearing its influences from Book of Dead and Legacy of Dead proudly on its sleeve. While it may not bring much new to the genre, it does execute the formula with style and finesse. The setting feels fresh thanks to its lush, verdant design, and the flexibility of the betting system is a welcome throwback for traditional players. 

That said, innovation is minimal. If you’ve played any of the developer’s other book-style games, you’ll know exactly what you’re in for. The expanding symbols mechanic is always satisfying when it works, and the potential for multiple retriggers with extra symbols keeps the bonus round engaging. 

Ultimately, Oasis of Dead doesn’t claim to rewrite the ancient scriptures—it just polishes them nicely and gives players another reason to step into the sacred halls of Egyptian legend. Fans of high volatility slots, retro mechanics, and classic bonus features will likely find enough here to enjoy. It may not be a groundbreaking oasis, but it’s certainly not a mirage either.