Banquet of Dead
By Play n Go
Banquet of Dead is a Book of … style high variance slot from Play n Go set in Ancient Egypt. It uses the classic format these games are known for in which one symbol is chosen as an expander in the free spins round. It will expand to help complete paylines. It also causes the lowest value symbols in the paytable to be removed from the reels. This improves the odds of bigger wins. It’s not particularly original but it does have an outstanding 35,000x max win.
This game is available in slot sites from March 7th 2024. Spins start at just 1p per play.
Game Name | Banquet of Dead |
---|---|
Developer | Play n Go |
Theme(s) | Egypt |
Release Date | 07.03.24 |
Rows | 3 |
Reels | 5 |
Paylines | 10 |
Volatility | High |
RTP Rate | 96% |
Max Win | 35,000x |
Min Bet | £0.10 |
Format | 5-Reel |
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Review Scorecard
What Our Reviewer Says …
Not an original that's for sure but the quality of the production and the high potential just about carry this game far enough to make it worth a look!
What We Like
- Awesome production with sumptuous banquet scene
- Huge 35,000x maximum win unusual for Book of ... slots
- Low value symbols removed from the reels during free spins
- Possible to extend free spins round to up to 30 spins
- Low minimum stake at 10p per play
What We Didn't Like
- Very similar to other Play n Go Book of ... games
- Some sites may run the game at a low RTP rate
Theme and Design
A Feast To Mark The Passing of the Dead Is The Scene For This Slot
The location and context for Book of games from Play n Go never moves far from Ancient Egypt. Sometimes the games have a more ghostly feel, or they move from outside in the desert to inside the tombs of those dead souls, but they always have a familiar look and feel. And of course, Banquet of Dead is no different. This time we are inside a giant banquet hall. It’s an impressive scene with plenty of flaming fire pits, big vases and bowls of fruit alongside palms and strings of pink roses. A celebration of the dead no doubt, accompanied by a tense orchestral track to put you in the mood for some Book of spins. It’s a good-looking slot, no question, and one that will appeal to fans of the series for sure.
RTP and Variance
Banquet of Dead has a default 96% RTP though you should check the rate at your casino by browsing the game info screen before you play as Play n Go games often have multiple RTP settings, including some less than 90%, which are to be avoided.
As you would expect from a Book of … game the variance is high and this slot is unpredictable, but with the capacity to blow its top every once in a while. If you play, you’ll be hoping that’s you, but don’t count on it and set your stake accordingly to absorb those tougher times.
Maximum Win
The maximum payout is an impressive 35,000x. Play n Go are not as famous for their high max wins as studios like Nolimit City, but they still build them like this from time to time and if chasing down the big numbers is your thing then Banquet of Dead is one you should try.
Symbols and Paytable
As standard in Book of … games the layout is 5 reels and 3 rows, with 10 paylines to trigger wins on. You need 3 or more identical symbols to land on a line from left to right, starting at the left-most reel to trigger a win.
There are 9 pay symbols in all. The low payers are the cards, 9 through to Ace. These are valued at from 0.5x for 3 9s up to 20x for 5 Aces. The premiums are the fan, the bowl of fruit, Anubis and the Queen. These are valued at from 0.5x for 3 fans up to 150x for 5 of the Queens.
As normal, there is also a Scatter symbol that is represented by a picture of a temple. And as always, that symbol doubles as a Wild which will substitute for any other symbol to complete a payline, AND pays out at 0.5x, 2.5x, 25x or 150x for 2, 3, 4 or 5 appearing ANYWHERE on the reels.
Features and Gameplay
So, if you are familiar with classic Book of … slots then you won’t be surprised but what Play n Go cooked up, or rather re-heated for the gameplay in Banquet of Dead.
Before we get into the headline act, a reminder that in all Book of .. games you can gamble on any win by hitting the Gamble button at the bottom of the screen. Bet red of black for 2x or the card suit for 4x. But remember, lose the bet and you lose all your winnings.
The name of the game is to get into that free spins round. You do that by landing 3 or more Scatters which gets you 7 spins, as well as the payouts previously mentioned. Before the round starts one symbol from the pay table is randomly chosen to be an expander. At any point during the round, if one of these symbols lands and by expanding it can help form more win lines, then it does.
And in a small twist, when the expander is used on a spin, then the lowest value symbols is removed from the reels for the remaining spin. This happens every time, so over the course of your spins the remaining symbols becomes more weighted towards the top end of the pay table. That makes it easier to trigger bigger wins.
NOTE: If your expander is one of the symbols that is removed then a new one is chosen.
Finally, it is also possible to add a further 3 spins to your total by landing 3 more scatters. You can do this up to a maximum of 30 spins.
Final Verdict
Play n Go’s Book of … games won’t bring you surprises. But that’s not their point. Their longevity is based on the simple fact that the game format is rock solid. It’s simple, easy to follow, and when they go off, they are really satisfying slots to play. And of course, we know that they are hugely popular or Play n Go wouldn’t be knocking out a new one every few months. And in Banquet once again they’ve delivered a game that will enthrall their fans. The production is excellent, with lavish visuals and dramatic score, and the gameplay is as slick as ever. And if that’s not reason enough to play, consider that 35,000x max win too, which takes Banquet to new heights. Enjoy!
Testing Notes
I played 200 spins on Banquet of Dead on Play n Go’s test server prior to release to test the game. This is what happened.
- Stake Size: $1
- Start balance: $25,000
- End balance: $25,081
- Hit Rate: 20.8% (52 winning spins in 250)
- Biggest Win: 179x
- Free Spins Round: 2
Banquet of Dead delivered well for me here. Over 250 spins the hit rate wasn’t huge at 20.8% and the base game wins never exceeded 5x, but the free spins round did trigger twice. Both times it chose a premium symbol as the expander – the fan, then the fruit bowl. I picked up a 50x win in the first round and a 179x win in the second.
The game can be a grind, but it can also be exciting when you are running with a premium symbol in free spins as I was. I had 4 expanders on the last spin as you can see here, to produce wins on what looked like all 10 paylines. On a lucky day it’s pure fun – imaging getting the top paying premium as your expander and a few extra spins to extend the round!
Who Made Banquet of Dead?
- Name: Play n Go
- UK License: Remote 021725-R-304911-020
- Total Games: 200 +
- Known For: Grid slots, high variance slots, huge range of themes, styles and maths models
- Popular Slots: Book of Dead, Reactoonz 1 and 2, Troll Hunters 2, Rise of Olympus