Slots Like Book of Dead: Every Rich Wilde Game, One Explorer
Book of Dead is arguably the single most-cloned slot of the last decade, the game every “book of” expanding-symbol slot since 2016 has been copying, whether its makers admit it or not. But the explorer at the centre of it, Rich Wilde, has an actual career stretching back to 2013, across at least eight games spanning Aztec temples, Greek myth and Egyptian tombs. This guide reviews the whole archaeology run, the answer for anyone hunting slots like Book of Dead, and flags the single widest RTP gap we’ve found on any slot on this site.
Where to Play Rich Wilde Slots
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Reviewed by Brian TaylorPublished: August 2026
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On this page: The family at a glance · Every game reviewed · Full family tree · Book of Dead: quick facts · RTP & the maths · History · Beyond the reels · What players say · Biggest wins · Which game? · FAQs · Series vs series
Every slot like Book of Dead at a glance
All Play’n GO, all starring the same fedora-wearing explorer. Figures checked 5 July 2026:
| Game | Year | RTP | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aztec Idols | 2013 | not published | Rich Wilde’s first-ever appearance |
| Pearls of India | 2014 | not published | The explorer’s second outing |
| Book of Dead | 2016 | 96.21%* | The breakout hit, and the industry’s most-copied slot |
| Tome of Madness | 2019 | 96.59% | Cluster pays and three distinct wild types |
| Shield of Athena | 2020 | 96.25% | Medusa Respins, 10,000x ceiling |
| Amulet of the Dead | 2021 | 96.29% | A direct sequel to the original tomb |
| Wandering City | 2022 | 96.20% | Patagonia setting, 10,000x |
| Tome of Dead | 2025 | 96.21% | Book of Dead’s formula on a wider 5×5 grid |
*Book of Dead’s 96.21% is the headline figure, but reduced builds circulating at some operators run as low as 84.18%. See the maths section below.
Thirteen years of expeditions: Aztec Idols to Tome of Dead.
Every Rich Wilde game, reviewed
1. Book of Dead (the breakout hit)
January 2016’s Egyptian adventure is the slot that launched a thousand imitators: a 5×3, ten-line board where landing three or more Books triggers ten free spins, and one symbol is chosen at random to become an expanding special, filling entire reels whenever it appears and turning modest spins into five-figure multipliers in a single moment. High volatility, 5,000x ceiling, and a design so influential that “book of” slots are now their own recognised sub-genre across dozens of studios. Published at 96.21% by default.
The tomb that changed the industry: ten lines, one expanding symbol, and a genre named after it.
2. Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness
2019’s Lovecraftian detour abandons paylines entirely for a 5×5 cluster-pays board, and layers in three distinct wilds: a Special Wild book that triggers features, Rich Wilde himself as a Multiplier Wild that doubles wins, and a one-eyed Mega Wild that appears only in the bonus game. Published at 96.59%, the family’s best headline figure, with a 2,000x ceiling that trades scale for consistency.
Tome of Madness: cluster pays and three wild types replace the classic payline formula.
3. Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena
May 2020’s Greek chapter returns to the classic 5×3, ten-line format but adds Medusa Respins, random wild transformations that lock symbols in place for a free respin, feeding into a Medusa Gaze free-spins round. Maximum volatility and a 10,000x ceiling, double Book of Dead’s, at 96.25% published.
Shield of Athena: the classic format, Greek dress, and a ceiling twice the original’s.
Medusa Respins mid-trigger, wilds locking in place ahead of the Gaze free spins.
4. Rich Wilde and the Amulet of the Dead
April 2021’s sequel returns Wilde to the tomb that made him famous, at 96.29% published and a 2,500x ceiling, more modest than its siblings, but a direct thematic follow-up to the original rather than a fresh setting.
5. Rich Wilde and the Wandering City
The explorer’s trip to the Patagonian mountains publishes 96.20% RTP on high volatility, with a 10,000x ceiling matching Shield of Athena’s. One of the series’ less-discussed entries, but mechanically consistent with the family’s core formula.
6. Rich Wilde and the Tome of Dead
April 2025’s entry is Play’n GO’s most direct nod yet to its own most famous game, the “Tome of Dead” name and 96.21% RTP echo Book of Dead precisely, but the layout widens to a full 5×5 grid with a higher maximum win than the classic 2,000x “Tome” games typically carry. Billed on release as the character’s full-circle return to his signature theme.
Close cousins outside the family
Book of Dead’s influence runs through half the “book of” genre, 9 Masks of Fire and dozens of unrelated studios’ expanding-symbol slots owe it a design debt, whether credited or not. Within Play’n GO’s own catalogue, the studio’s Cat Wilde sub-series follows Rich Wilde’s own daughter on her separate expeditions, a feline explorer stepping out of her father’s shadow, and Moon Princess shows the same house style applied to cluster pays instead of paylines. Rainbow Riches’ family shows the same “one breakout hit spawns a decade of sequels” pattern from a completely different genre.
The complete family tree
| Game | In one line |
|---|---|
| Aztec Idols (2013) | Rich Wilde’s first-ever appearance |
| Pearls of India (2014) | The explorer’s second outing |
| Book of Dead (2016) | The breakout hit, and the industry’s most-copied slot |
| Tome of Madness (2019) | Cluster pays, three wild types, 96.59% |
| Shield of Athena (2020) | Medusa Respins, 10,000x |
| Amulet of the Dead (2021) | A direct sequel to the original tomb |
| Wandering City (2022) | Patagonia setting, 10,000x |
| Tome of Dead (2025) | Book of Dead’s formula on a 5×5 grid |
| Book of Dead GO Collect (2026) | A collection-mechanic spin-off announced for February 2026 |
Checked 5 July 2026. Play’n GO revisits this character roughly every 18 months to two years, slow by this site’s standards, but the franchise has never needed to rush.
Book of Dead: quick facts
| Provider: | Play’n GO |
| First released: | 14 January 2016 |
| Layout: | 5 reels × 3 rows, 10 adjustable paylines |
| RTP: | 96.21% headline default; reduced builds exist down to 84.18% |
| Volatility: | High |
| Max win: | 5,000x |
| Signature feature: | A randomly chosen special symbol expands to fill entire reels during free spins |
✓ Facts checked 5 July 2026
The maths: the widest RTP gap on this site
No other franchise we’ve reviewed comes close to Book of Dead’s published RTP range: 96.21%, 94.25%, 91.25%, 87.25% and 84.18% builds all circulate at different operators for the exact same game. Here’s what a hundred £1 spins costs at each:
| Build | House edge | £1 × 100 spins |
|---|---|---|
| 96.21% (headline default) | 3.79% | £3.79 |
| 94.25% | 5.75% | £5.75 |
| 91.25% | 8.75% | £8.75 |
| 87.25% | 12.75% | £12.75 |
| 84.18% | 15.82% | £15.82 |
✓ Calculated from the published RTPs, checked 5 July 2026
That’s a four-times difference in cost per spin, on identical reels, symbols and features. The game itself gives no visible clue which build is running, the RTP figure buried in the paytable menu is the only tell, and for this particular slot it’s worth checking before every other one on this site. Session tools on our Responsible Gambling page.
History and legacy
Rich Wilde first appeared in 2013’s Aztec Idols, a modest slot that gave no hint of the character’s future. Pearls of India followed in 2014, but it was January 2016’s Book of Dead that turned an Indiana Jones pastiche into one of the defining slots of its decade, helped enormously by streamers who found its expanding-symbol swings made for compelling viewing, and by operators who used it as a headline bonus-wagering game across the industry. Its influence proved bigger than Play’n GO itself: the “book of” format, scatter-triggered free spins with one randomly expanding special symbol, has since been recreated, credited or not, by dozens of rival studios. Play’n GO kept building on Wilde’s own adventures more slowly: Tome of Madness in 2019, Shield of Athena in 2020, then roughly one new chapter every year or two since.
Why this family still matters
Book of Dead is the rare slot that became a genre unto itself. Ask any UK player to name a famous online slot and there’s a real chance they say this one, even if they’ve never touched a Play’n GO game since. That cultural weight, combined with the starkest operator-RTP lesson on this entire site, makes the Rich Wilde family essential studying for anyone serious about how slots actually work behind the theme.
Beyond the reels
Book of Dead has become genuinely inseparable from UK online casino marketing, it’s the default “free spins on sign-up” game at a huge share of operators, precisely because its expanding-symbol swings make for dramatic, shareable moments even on small stakes. Streaming culture built much of its reputation: the game is a fixture of casino-streaming highlight reels, and its influence is visible in slot design far outside Play’n GO’s own catalogue.
What players say
Book of Dead’s reputation among UK players is almost uniquely positive for a game this widely distributed, it’s regularly cited as the slot that introduced casual players to online slots in the first place. The recurring warning, shared constantly in player communities, is exactly the one this guide leads with: check which RTP build your casino runs, because the difference between the best and worst versions is enormous. Among the sequels, Shield of Athena’s higher ceiling earns real respect, while Tome of Madness’s cluster-pays departure from the classic formula splits opinion between players who welcome the variety and those who just want more Book of Dead.
The biggest Rich Wilde wins
Shield of Athena and Wandering City share the family’s highest published ceiling at 10,000x, double Book of Dead’s own 5,000x cap, though the original remains the game most players actually screenshot, because five expanding books landing together is one of the most instantly recognisable moments in online slots. Here’s a recorded clip that catches the moment mid-explosion:
Recorded session for flavour, the books fall where they please.
The best Rich Wilde game for each type of player
| If you want… | Play | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The definitive classic | Book of Dead | The original, if you can find the 96.21% build |
| The biggest ceiling | Shield of Athena or Wandering City | 10,000x, double the original’s cap |
| The best published RTP | Tome of Madness | 96.59%, cluster pays instead of paylines |
| A modern take on the classic | Tome of Dead | 2025’s wider 5×5 rebuild of the formula |
Mechanic contrasts outside Book of Dead
Money Train, Big Catch Bass Fishing and Kingdoms Rise are deliberate mechanic contrasts, not book-slot relatives. They replace the expanding-symbol free-spins format with a cash-collect cart, Pick a Fish or persistent game tokens. The Rich Wilde line is the relevant choice when a randomly selected symbol expanding across full reels is the feature you want.
| Series | Choose them if… | Choose Rich Wilde if… |
|---|---|---|
| Money Train (Relax Gaming) | A very high-volatility session built around The Money Cart appeals more | You’re after Play’n GO’s take instead: a randomly chosen special symbol expands to fill entire reels |
| Big Catch Bass Fishing (Blueprint Gaming) | You’re drawn to Blueprint Gaming’s approach: Pick a Fish | You want high volatility and Play’n GO’s signature move, a randomly chosen special symbol that expands to fill entire reels |
| Kingdoms Rise (Playtech) | Playtech’s Game Tokens earned through play sounds more like your kind of session | Play’n GO’s expanding special symbol, filling entire reels, is closer to what you’re after |
These rows show what changes when you leave the book format: collection, picking or token progression replaces full-reel symbol expansion. For closer lineage, use the Legacy of Dead and Book of Ra links in Related research below.
Our verdict on Book of Dead
SlotsLike score: 8/10, scored on the 96.21% headline build, the version that made the reputation.
| Features: | 8/10: simple, but it invented the template everyone else copies |
| Win potential: | 7/10: 5,000x is modest next to its own sequels, but the expanding-symbol swings feel bigger |
| Design: | 7/10: understated Egyptian theme that’s aged remarkably well |
| Playability: | 9/10: at the right RTP build, this is still one of the fairest classics in the genre it created |
Play it if you want the game that defined a genre, at the build that actually pays what it promises. Shop around first if your casino won’t confirm which RTP version you’re getting, here more than anywhere else, that number changes everything.
Rich Wilde & Book of Dead FAQs
Who makes Book of Dead?
Play’n GO, the Swedish studio behind the wider Rich Wilde explorer series and dozens of other major slot brands.
How many Rich Wilde games are there?
At least eight since 2013: Aztec Idols, Pearls of India, Book of Dead, Tome of Madness, Shield of Athena, Amulet of the Dead, Wandering City and Tome of Dead, plus 2026’s announced Book of Dead GO Collect.
What is the RTP of Book of Dead?
The headline default is 96.21%, but Play’n GO also publishes reduced builds at 94.25%, 91.25%, 87.25% and 84.18%, the widest RTP spread of any slot family reviewed on this site.
Why is Book of Dead so influential?
Its expanding-symbol free-spins format, launched in 2016, became the template for an entire “book of” sub-genre now recreated across dozens of unrelated studios.
Which Rich Wilde game has the biggest max win?
Shield of Athena and Wandering City both publish 10,000x ceilings, double Book of Dead’s own 5,000x.
What is different about Tome of Madness?
It replaces the classic ten-payline format with a 5×5 cluster-pays board and three distinct wild symbols, rather than a single expanding special.
Is Tome of Dead the same as Book of Dead?
No, Tome of Dead (2025) shares Book of Dead’s theme and RTP figure but runs on a wider 5×5 grid with a higher maximum win.
Are Rich Wilde slots fair?
Yes, Play’n GO is UK Gambling Commission licensed with independently tested RNGs; what varies between builds is the disclosed RTP, not the game’s fairness.
Related research
Related research: See the Play’n GO family map, browse the published mechanic explainers, or compare Legacy of Dead and Book of Ra. Our three-way book-slot comparison puts all three head-to-head.
Sources & Verification
Primary sources checked 9 July 2026: Play’n GO’s own corporate site; and the UK Gambling Commission’s public register (Play’n GO Malta Limited, account 55949).