Rise of Dead (Play'n Go) Slot Review

Rise of Dead: Slot Overview 

With a title echoing Play’n GO’s legendary Book of Dead, Rise of Dead takes players back to ancient Egypt—but with a darker, gloomier twist. Launched on August 27, 2019, Rise of Dead shares many DNA strands with the studio’s iconic hits but tries to set itself apart by emphasizing stacked symbols, expanded wilds, and a bonus game that offers surprisingly strong potential. 

This high-volatility slot uses a 5-reel, 3-row format with 20 fixed paylines and boasts a 96.53% RTP, one of the higher settings Play’n GO provides. The maximum win is 5,000x your stake, and bets range from €0.20 to €100 per spin, catering to everyone from cautious explorers to intrepid high rollers. 

Despite clear nods to Book of Dead, Rise of Dead doesn’t offer a direct continuation of the story—it’s more like a darker, more somber cousin. The vibe here is all tombs, shadows, and spectral pharaohs—and it works well if you like your Egypt-themed slots with a hint of the undead.

Design and Graphics 

Visually, Rise of Dead is moody and foreboding, trading the golden sun-kissed sands of other Egyptian slots for something more shadowy and spectral. The game is drenched in cold blues and grays, with distant torchlight barely illuminating towering pillars and walls inscribed with ancient hieroglyphs. It’s the darker, more apocalyptic twin of Book of Dead, ditching the adventure hero aesthetic in favor of mysticism and decay. The symbols echo this shift in tone. Low-paying icons are standard 10–A royals, stylized with a faint stone-like texture. The premiums, however, are where the theme comes alive. They feature three undead pharaohs, including Tutankhamun himself, all rendered with a ghostly glow and piercing eyes. The scarab beetle serves as the wild symbol, beautifully crafted and fitting for its high payout potential. It not only substitutes for other symbols but also pays 125x the stake for a full line—more than any other symbol in the game. 

Everything about the design says: “This is not a place for the living.” And it’s all the more captivating for it.

Gameplay Mechanics 

Rise of Dead’s gameplay is simple but effective, with a few twists that elevate it above typical 5×3 Egyptian clones. 

At its core, wins are formed by landing three or more matching symbols on a payline from left to right. However, the game’s real depth comes from its Mega Stacks, Gift of Gods, and Ancient Free Spins features. These inject variety into both the base game and bonus rounds. 

Mega Stacks 

On every spin, one symbol is randomly selected to fill up 12 positions on each reel, creating the potential for large stacked wins. This happens continuously throughout the game, making each spin feel loaded with possibility—especially when premium pharaohs are chosen. 

Gift of Gods 

This randomly triggered feature activates in the base game and matches the same stacked symbol across reels 1, 3, and 5. The remaining reels spin independently, giving you a shot at landing full-screen combinations—especially lucrative when paired with a high-paying symbol like the scarab or a top-tier pharaoh. Full screens can result in massive payouts, with the possibility of hitting that elusive 5000x max win. 

The rhythm of play is solid: there’s enough happening regularly with Mega Stacks and the occasional Gift of Gods trigger to keep you engaged between bonus hunts.

Sound and Music 

The soundtrack in Rise of Dead is appropriately ominous and suspenseful, with ambient background tones echoing through tomb-like silence. It’s far less adventurous and upbeat than Book of Dead and more akin to something you’d hear in a horror mystery—light percussion, subtle chants, and ghostly melodies building tension throughout the spin cycle. 

Symbol landing sounds are understated but thematic—each one hits with a resonant thud or ancient chime. During bonuses and big wins, the audio swells in dramatic fashion, heightening the moment without becoming intrusive. 

Overall, the audio design does a great job complementing the visuals. It’s never overbearing and contributes to the immersive, cryptic atmosphere of the game.

Bonus Features 

Ancient Free Spins 

This is where things can truly take off. You’ll trigger the bonus round by landing three scroll scatter symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5. You’ll receive 10 free spins initially, and during the bonus: Scatters retrigger the bonus with 2, 4, or 10 extra spins (based on how many land). 

The Mega Stacks feature is still active, but with enhanced potential. 

Wilds become stacked and sticky—a key detail that massively boosts win chances. 

Premium symbols can expand to cover reels if they land as part of a winning combo. 

With multiple retriggers possible and expanding pharaohs in play, the free spins mode becomes a serious shot at high-value wins. If the gods are smiling and the stacks align, it’s possible to land the maximum payout of 5,000x—though you’ll likely need a full screen of premium symbols to get there. 

This bonus round is one of the game’s standout elements. It’s not groundbreaking but offers enough drama and tension to deliver a memorable session when everything clicks.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Min/Max Bet: €0.20 – €100 per spin 

Max Win: 5,000x your stake 

RTP: 96.53% (with lower settings available at some casinos) 

Volatility: High 

The game targets players who enjoy long dry spells punctuated by explosive sessions. The Mega Stacks mechanic ensures that even the base game has potential for decent wins, but the real money lies in the free spins feature. 

A full screen of top-paying Tutankhamun symbols during the bonus round awards 2,500x, while full-screen wilds will net you the full 5,000x max payout.

Conclusion 

Rise of Dead walks a fine line between homage and copycat. It’s clearly built on the back of Book of Dead’s success, and while it doesn’t reach the same iconic status, it brings enough fresh flavor to merit attention. With its Mega Stacks, eerie setting, and feature-packed gameplay, it offers something familiar yet just different enough to avoid feeling redundant—most of the time. 

Where it stumbles is in not taking its concept further. There was ample room here for more innovation or narrative richness, but instead, it settles for being a solid clone with a spooky reskin. Still, for fans of high-volatility Egyptian slots—especially those looking for a slightly darker vibe—Rise of Dead has a lot to offer. 

It’s not Book of Dead. It’s not trying to be a better version of it. But what it is, is a lean, atmospheric, and entertaining alternative with strong technical underpinnings and satisfying bonus dynamics.