Explore the Ancient Temples & Recover the Treasure With Our Book of Ra Slot Reviews!
Unearthed in 2005 by software provider Greentube/NOVOMATIC, the Book of Ra slot series became synonymous with Egyptian mysteries — and it’s still an undisputed classic at online casinos. Find out why, and let’s pick apart the most iconic Book of Ra games together!
Introducing Book of Ra
If you’re a casino veteran, then you’re probably keenly aware of just how popular Egyptian-themed slots are. Alongside 777 slots and Vegas-style slots, they are among the most searched-for game categories online. What you may not know is what started this massive phenomenon – and that is the iconic Book of Ra series, brought to us by Greentube!
Here is a quick recap: Greentube has been a subdivision of NOVOMATIC Interactive since 2010, but they have been active on the market since the early 2000s. Their main goal has been to provide safe, secure, and technologically complex gaming solutions, including for mobile users.
GreentubeAlthough Greentube is a supplier of many products, such as classic slots, bingo games, video poker, table games, and social casino gaming, they are most famous for their Book of Ra series.
Started in 2005 with Book of Ra Classic, the Book of Ra series is practically a collection of 10 slots with an ancient Egypt theme, all centred around the same character — an Indiana Jones lookalike male explorer.
What made the series so popular for its time were the innovative features, such as special symbols fulfilling multiple roles (e.g. the elusive book being a Wild and a Scatter), gamble features, expanding symbols, and free games. Most Book of Ra slots follow a retro structure of five to six reels, and a fixed number of paylines.
The success of this series was so great that modern providers, such as Endorphina, Play’n GO, and Nolimit City took inspiration from it and came up with their own ‘Book of’ slots — some of which have been critically-acclaimed, while others have been viewed as blatant copies.
Book of Ra Classic
A base game screenshot of NOVOMATIC’s Book of Ra Classic slot. (Source: Greentube)
Dubbed ‘the classic title that started a phenomenon’ by the developers, we can safely say that it’s not an exaggeration in the slightest! Released all the way back in 2005, the first instalment in the Book of Ra series became a cult classic.
Featuring a now-outdated structure of five reels and nine paylines, the game was highly innovative for its time. It created an appetite for Egyptian mythology, and introduced the iconic book symbol, which represents the key to unlocking ancient wisdom.
Not only that, but depending on where it lands, the magic book can fulfil the role of a Wild or a Scatter —namely to substitute for other symbols or trigger the free games feature if three or more land on the reels.
But that’s not all! The free games feature also became memorable for another reason; before it commences, a symbol is chosen at random to expand for the entire duration of the bonus game. And, if this expanding icon appears between two to five times during the free spins feature, the value of the bonus symbol (the magic book) gets multiplied by the win lines.
Book of Ra classic was also instrumental in popularising the gamble feature, which is now present in the creations of other developers, like EGT. This is an all-or-nothing type bonus game, where guessing the colour of a playing card doubles your wins, while getting it wrong will see you lose everything.
Did you know?NOVOMATIC has a unique Cash Connection™ linked jackpot system, which enables players to unlock up to four progressive jackpots via the original Lock’N’ Spin feature. The provider’s most popular titles have been revamped in this rewarding format, so you can try out Cash Connection™ Book of Ra™, Cash Connection™ — Dolphin’s Pearl™ and Cash Connection™ — Charming Lady™, among others!
Book of Ra Classic
Book of Ra Deluxe
A base game screenshot of NOVOMATIC’s Book of Ra Deluxe slot.(Source: Greentube)
The famous explorer returned just three years later, in 2008, for another desert adventure with Book of Ra Deluxe. The second instalment registered even more success and popularity: so much so that if you want to play Book of Ra online in 2022, many online casinos only host the Deluxe version.
Book of Ra Deluxe greets fans with slightly more polished graphics, and a change in structure to boost odds: five reels, three rows, and 10 paylines. All the other features have remained intact: up to 10 free spins can be won if you match three or more book symbols and, once again, a special symbol gets selected to expand.
Aside from the classic card suit icons, the game board is also filled with thematic symbols, such as scarabs, Horus, Tutankhamun, and, of course, our protagonist.
While the RTP of 95.10% is considered average (even low by today’s standards), you can still earn quite a bit if you play this version, particularly at the higher end of the betting range. The maximum bet is set at 400, and the top payout is capped at 5,000x, which technically makes real money wins of 2,000,000 possible.
Book of Ra Deluxe 6
A base game screenshot of NOVOMATIC’s Book of Ra Deluxe 6 slot.(Source: Greentube)
As its name suggests, Book of Ra Deluxe 6 came with a very obvious and much-awaited improvement: the layout was expanded to six reels and 10 paylines. This gives players better odds at grabbing treasures from deep within the pharaoh’s tombs because there is a level of flexibility involved — thanks to the Extra Bet feature, you can choose whether or not you want to activate the sixth reel.
However, do keep in mind that using this feature will double your stake — the betting range will automatically change from between 0.2 and 50 per spin (regular play) to 0.4 and 100 per spin (with Extra Bet activated).
Another lovely addition is that you can now grab up to 20 free spins if you land three or more book symbols, and even re-trigger the feature. Random expanding symbols are also in place, but with that said, this game is highly volatile, so you must exercise caution. The most valuable symbol is the explorer, which pays up to 750x your stake for six of a kind on an active payline.
The maximum win also received a generous uptick to 7,500x, while our spins are accompanied by old-school casino sounds, reminiscent of arcade games.
Book of Ra Deluxe 10
A base game screenshot of NOVOMATIC’s Book of Ra Deluxe 10 slot. (Source: Greentube)
Ready to dive back into the catacombs with 10 times more rewards?
Because it hit the screens very recently, in 2019, Book of Ra Deluxe 10 proposes a much more unconventional structure, which is in line with modern games.
The slot is split into two unique reel sets: one grid of five reels and four rows, and another grid with five reels and 12 rows, with a maximum configuration of 100 paylines total.
Another massive improvement comes from the HTML5/Java Script technologies utilised: if you want to play this version of Book of Ra online free, you can do so from any mobile device running on Android/iOS. The betting range has been lowered slightly, sitting at between 0.2 and 40.
However, most of the improvements can be spotted in the extras: Book of Ra Deluxe 10 is much more feature-rich than the other instalments: we have stacked symbols that can fall during the base game or free spins (the explorer and the mummy symbol); free spins with expanding symbols; and a real novelty called transferring symbols (symbols that move to the other reel as stacked symbols).
The game’s Wild is the coin this time around, leaving the magic book to only fulfil the role of the Scatter. Wilds can transfer from the main reel set to the side reel set to complete winning combinations.
Book of Ra Magic
A base game screenshot of NOVOMATIC’s Book of Ra Magic slot.(Source: Greentube)
For Book of Ra Magic, the studio seems to return to its roots with the retro design and a five-reel-10-payline structure. Players are invited to roam the depths of the ancient temples, guarded from both sides by tall, carved pillars. The reels are once again filled with classic Egyptian symbols, such as pharaohs, statues, and scarabs.
This time around, the bonus symbol — the book — only fulfils the role of Scatter – and you’ll need at least three of it to trigger the free spins. Before this happens, an expanding symbol gets chosen at random, which can cover all positions on the reels.
One amazing change to note is that the feature can be re-triggered until up to nine expanding symbols fall during the free games. If you’re lucky enough for the entire screen to fill with explorer symbols, you’re looking at the maximum win available, which is 5,000x. The RTP is an average 95.03%.
Book of Ra Temple of Gold
A base game screenshot of NOVOMATIC’s Book of Ra Temple of Gold. (Source: Greentube)
If you’re seeking to play a truly unique version of free Book of Ra online, then you should definitely add Book of Ra Temple of Gold to your list, which you can find on many top gambling sites, such as Videoslots and Frank Casino.
We instantly noticed some striking changes from the usual formula: our protagonist is replaced by a female explorer who is seeking the legendary golden city of El Dorado instead of Egyptian temples. Our journey also happens in broad daylight, as we make our way through the thick jungle to reach the promised land of riches. The layout, however, is quite familiar, with five reels, three rows, and 10 paylines, while the RTP is set at 95%.
The magic book is back as a Scatter and Wild. In addition, landing between three and five of these also awards cash prizes of 2x, 20x, and 200x. During the free spins, a symbol gets chosen once again to expand, so there are no major changes here.
Because the betting range is a bit more restrictive (0.10 and 100), the maximum win of 500,000 is only possible for high rollers.
Other Book-of Slots
As we mentioned previously, the concept of a mysterious book that unravels ancient treasures quickly caught up in the online gambling realm. Naturally, there is an abundance of similar slots available on the market, created by other developers. Here are a few:
- Book of Dead – Released by Play’n GO, Book of Dead is seen as a glorified copy of Book of Ra or an iconic, standalone Egyptian slot, depending on who you ask. It’s focused on the adventures of Rich Wilde in the land of the pyramids, offers a great RTP of 96.21%, Wild substitutions, and unlimited free spins.
- Book of Oil – This lesser-known Endorphina gem has an oil extraction theme to it. Nevertheless, the structure and features are pretty familiar: five reels, three rows, and 10 paylines form the grid on which extras like free spins with expanding symbols and the gamble option are unleashed. The Bonus Pop feature is a paid option for the free spins, but it’s not available in all jurisdictions.
- The Mummy: Books of Amun Ra – This highly-volatile slot game from Playtech is based on the Hollywood classic film with the same name, and raised the stakes for the Egyptian genre. It offers a massive top payout of 10,000x, and no less than five free spins features with expanding symbols.
Our Book of Ra Slot Series Overview
The Book of Ra slot series is the most famous collection of slot gamestackling Egyptian mythology, gods, and artefacts. The lovable main character makes us channel our inner Indiana Jones, while the abundance of free games and Scatter wins keeps us pumped to discover each instalment!
Book of Ra also brought the concept of a single symbol with a dual role (Wild and Scatter), pushing the boundaries and encouraging other studios to borrow it. So, let the magic book lead you to good fortune and choose your next casino today!
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Book of Ra FAQs
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You can play Book of Ra classic and the other games in the series for free or for real money on a number of reputable casinos, such as Videoslots or Unibet. We have listed four for each game above.
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Land at least three bonus book symbols in any order on the reels to trigger the Free Spins feature
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Yes, there is, Cash Connection™ — Book of Ra™, which has no less than four progressive jackpots up for grabs, thanks to the Lock and Spin feature (Grand, Major, Minor and Mini). To trigger any of them, you need to collect six coin symbols in the base game.
Iggy Fenech
