Rich Wilde and the Tome of Dead (Play'n Go) Slot Review

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Dead: Slot Overview
Rich Wilde is back for yet another escapade into the mysterious and arcane corners of the world, and this time he’s cracking open the Tome of Dead, a new slot from Play’n GO set to release on April 24, 2025. This adventure blends ancient Egyptian visuals with cluster mechanics and layered features, pulling together elements from Book of Dead, Tome of Insanity, and other Wilde-led titles to deliver a recognizably branded yet technically refreshed slot experience.
Despite borrowing heavily from previous entries, Rich Wilde and the Tome of Dead isn’t a simple reskin. The game introduces a 5×5 cluster pays format, cascading wins, and a multifaceted Ritual system to keep players engaged. With a maximum win of 5,000x, a medium volatility setting, and a top-tier RTP of 96.21%, it aims to attract both seasoned Wilde fans and newcomers with a taste for grid slots and mystic mechanics.
Design and Graphics
Visually, Tome of Dead fits firmly within the Play’n GO design language. Set inside an ornately decorated Egyptian temple, the slot radiates golden light, ancient carvings, and a palpable aura of mystery. The layout mirrors Book of Dead, with symbols arranged in the center and Rich Wilde himself standing confidently on the right, book in hand and ever-ready to uncover ancient secrets. Symbol design features a mix of low-pay canopic jars in four colors, and high-pay icons like the Ankh, Scarab, Anubis, and Pharaoh. The artwork is detailed and sharp, though it leans heavily into familiar territory. While it’s beautifully executed, those expecting the psychedelic intensity of Tome of Insanity may find this slot a little less electrifying.
Still, the UI is slick and responsive, and animations for wins, charges, and wild effects add flair without cluttering the screen. For fans of Egyptian aesthetics, Tome of Dead offers a clean, thematic, and professional presentation.
Gameplay Mechanics
At its core, Rich Wilde and the Tome of Dead uses a 5×5 cluster pays grid, where 4 or more adjacent matching symbols horizontally or vertically trigger a win. Once a cluster hits, winning symbols are removed, and new ones cascade down to potentially form additional wins—a mechanic that keeps the momentum going.
This cascading action feeds into the Ritual Meter, the engine that powers the slot’s deeper features. Clusters can also upgrade canopic jars and summon special Wilds or triggers, adding strategic variability. Despite its complexity, the gameplay feels intuitive and keeps the player engaged through layered mechanics that evolve over each spin.
There’s also a Charge Meter tracking winning symbol clusters, with bigger rewards as the meter fills—eventually leading to the powerful Banishment Free Spin, one of the game’s key highlights.
Sound and Music
Play’n GO has matched the visuals with a solid soundscape. The background track is an ambient Egyptian score—mysterious, low-key, and fitting for the tomb-raiding theme. During bigger wins or Ritual activations, the tempo picks up, adding a layer of suspense and excitement.
Sound effects for the All-Seeing Eyes, wild expansions, and ritual explosions are impactful without being jarring. Rich Wilde doesn’t speak, but his stoic presence and subtle animations give the slot just enough personality to feel like an Indiana Jones-style adventure.
Overall, the audio is immersive but doesn’t overdo it. It enhances the mood without distracting from the gameplay—a good fit for longer play sessions.
Bonus Features
Wild Symbols
Tome of Dead is teeming with Wilds. You’ll encounter: Standard Wilds: Substitutes for all symbols.
Multiplier Wilds: Award x2, x3, x4, or x5 multipliers in the base game, and up to x10 during Free Spins.
Alter Wilds: Triggered by various Ritual effects, often added in batches of 2 to 4.
Ammit the Devourer Wild: A 2×2 Wild that moves across the grid for 3 steps, devouring and multiplying as it goes.
All-Seeing Eyes
These mystical eyes appear in the base game and feature heavily in Banishment Free Spins. When no wins occur and All-Seeing Eyes land, 2 to 4 Alter Wilds are added. During Free Spins, 12 regular eyes and 6 special eyes activate, and the opening of 4, 5, or 6 special eyes applies a x2, x3, or x4 multiplier to all active Wilds.
Ritual Meter
The Ritual Meter charges with each winning cluster and affects gameplay at specific thresholds:
- Protection (8 charges): Adds 2–4 Alter Wilds
- Devour (16 charges): Adds Wilds and destroys symbols in diagonals and lines
- Judgment (30 charges): Upgrades a canopic jar to a high symbol and adds Wilds
- Banishment (48 charges): Triggers the Banishment Free Spin
The mechanic rewards sustained cascades, giving players a goal beyond each spin and creating a rhythm of anticipation.
Banishment Free Spin
Triggered at full Ritual charge, this free spin unleashes three Ritual features. The twist? The Ritual can overcharge, with an extra feature awarded for every 4 winning symbols beyond 48—up to a max of 7 features.
During this mode, Ritual effects cascade until none remain, ensuring a flurry of Wilds, symbol upgrades, and cluster-clearing chain reactions. Random Ritual features also trigger when no wins occur, guaranteeing action on every step.
Betting Options and Payouts
Bets range from €0.10 to €100, offering flexibility for all player types. The RTP is 96.21%, a strong standard, although—as with many Play’n GO titles—lower RTP versions (e.g., 94%, 91%, 87%, and 84%) are often available depending on the operator. It’s worth checking the game info wherever you play.
The maximum win is 5,000x, which is respectable for a medium volatility game, though not as headline-grabbing as the 70,000x seen in other recent releases. It’s achievable through stacked multipliers and Ritual effects, especially when wild multipliers and Ammit the Devourer appear during the Banishment Free Spin.
Symbol payouts top out at 3x to 100x for clusters of 10+ of the premium symbols (e.g., Pharaoh), while smaller clusters and low symbols keep the wins flowing more frequently, in line with the game’s medium volatility setting.
Conclusion
Rich Wilde and the Tome of Dead is a slot that knows exactly what it wants to be—a stylish, layered reimagining of Play’n GO’s legacy Wilde series. While it doesn’t innovate wildly (pun intended), it successfully repurposes familiar elements in a more interactive, grid-based format that rewards player engagement over time.
The visual style is elegant, the mechanics are robust, and the features provide a sense of progression. From filling the Ritual Meter to summoning All-Seeing Eyes and chasing the elusive Banishment Free Spin, there’s always something happening on screen.
Sure, it may not have the shock factor or raw excitement of Tome of Insanity, and the Egyptian theme has been explored many times before, but Tome of Dead plays it safe in the best way. It’s refined, reliable, and full of potential for strategic play—especially for fans of cascading cluster games.
If you’re drawn to slots with evolving bonus systems, layered wild features, and solid audiovisual presentation, this chapter in Rich Wilde’s saga is definitely worth a spin.
Final Verdict: A strong, familiar entry in the Rich Wilde library with engaging grid mechanics, solid win potential, and the polished execution we expect from Play’n GO.