Ghost of Dead

Ghost of Dead Slot Review

NOTE: Screenshots on this page were taken whilst we played this game for real money at Mr Q

Game Scorecard

How We Review Slot Games

We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.

Overall Score

8.2

Game Information

  • Name: Ghost of Dead
  • Game Suppplier: Play n Go
  • Release Date: September 2021
  • Theme: Ancient Egypt
  • RTP: 96.21%, 94.21%, 91.21%, 87.22%, 84.22%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 10,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Minimum Stake: £0.01
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 3
  • Paylines: 10
  • Features: Expanding Symbols, Wilds, Free Spins

About Ghost of Dead

The Book of … series of video slots is one of the most copied of all time – from Novomatic’s Book of Ra, through Play n Go’s own Book of Dead series, and more recently with No Limit City’s fright-fest, Book of Shadows, there always seems to be another version ready for release. And why not? It’s simple, but effective, and goes against the current wisdom that good slots need to be feature-packed extravaganzas. All you need in this case is expanding symbols with a free spins round and the tantalising opportunity to fill an entire screen with top paying icons.

With so many versions on release in new slot sites in the UK now it has become about taking that format and tweaking it every so slightly – adding an extra free spins option here and there for example – whilst maintaining the basic integrity of the original. Which is exactly what Play n Go have done here – and who could doubt them? After all, their Book of Dead game is one of the all-time best high variance slots … official.

What you need to know is that here the action has been moved to the tomb of Pharaoh Unas, who was alive around 2000 years BC and ruled over all of Egypt’s old kingdom at the time. The artwork is luxurious an top quality, whilst the atmosphere is decidedly spooky, bathed in a ghostly blue light, as 5-reel, 3 rows and 10-payline are revealed on loading up the game. Watch out for those spider webs and eerie sound effects. Just in time for Halloween!

What We Liked

  • Superb artwork and spectral atmosphere
  • Extra base game Ghost Spins feature
  • Awakened Free Spins with extra Expander
  • 9/10 vaiance
  • Low minimum bet

What We Didn't like

  • Scary high variance!

About The Developer

  • Name: Play n Go
  • Established: 1997
  • 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

RTP and Variance 7/10

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next.  Read more here.

What is Variance?

Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.

Onto the game profile and the RTP is set to a fairly average 96.21% (same as the original Book of Dead). The variance is as you would expect, extremely high (9 out of 10 according to Play n Go). So, you can be looking at some pretty uneven sessions, lots of frustration, but then the potential to hit some short bursts of big wins and when they do land, some exciting combos of expanding icons and free spin re-triggers. Interestingly, the paylines are not fixed and you can bet on anywhere between 1 and 10 – but note that if you want to enjoy the potential extra winnings from the Expanding Symbols, it’s better to play all the paylines.

The top payout in the game is 10,000x stake but it’s a tough one to even get close to – triggering the Awakening Free Spins round will help you on your way though.

Paytable 8/10

To trigger a win you’ll need to land three identical icons across a payline on adjacent reels. The symbols in Ghost of Dead include classic Egyptian icons, including the Ankh, serpent, scarab beetle and a silver mask of the Pharoah Una. The Ankh and serpent can award 60x your bet for 5 matches, while the mask is the best symbol in the game, paying 1,000x stake for 5 of a kind. There are also some high cards to award the lower payouts, represented by the 10 through to Ace in the pack.

Aside from the standard symbols there is also a special pot with the Anubis lid that acts as dual Wild and Scatter. This symbol can award payouts of its own with 2x, 20x or 200x your bet available for 3, 4 or 5 of a kind.

Gameplay & Features 9/10

Ghost of Dead doesn’t follow the Book of … format to the letter. Instead, Play n Go have, wisely in our opinion, added a little extra spice with a base game feature and an additional free spin variation.

Ghost Spins

This is your base game extra – a Ghost Spin can be awarded at random after any normal spin. When this happens, a royal high card or image symbol is chosen to become an Expanding Symbol. Then, the Ghost Spin occurs – if the symbol lands then it expands to fill the reel and pays on all active paylines. This is a one-spin version of the Book of … bonus round and keeps the base game a little more interesting.

Dual Wild and Scatter and Free Spins

When the Anubis pot lands on the reels, as a Wild it can substitute for all the other symbols in the game to create more winning combinations. And as the Anubis pot is a dual Wild/Scatter, it can also trigger Free Spins when at least 3 of them land together on the reels.

Here you’ll get 10 Free Spins. Before the round starts, you get to pick 1 of 3 symbols to become the Expanding Symbol for the round. Any time they land, they expand and increase your chances of scoring wins. Also during this round, landing 3 more Scatters will re-trigger more Free Spins, with no limit.

Spectral Scatters

Now, things get interesting because there is another free spins round that triggers when the Scatter symbol transforms into a Spectral Scatter. These glowing versions of the Anubis pot set up the Awakened Free Spins round. Here, as before, you pick 1 from 3 symbols to become the Expanding one, whilst the game also transforms an extra random symbol into an additional Expanding Symbol. So, once again your chances of scoring wins are increased.

This round can also be re-retriggered indefinitely by landing more Spectral Scatters.

Our Verdict 8.2/10

Ghost of Dead is another in the long line of ancient Egyptian themed slots. Although this theme has been covered excessively in the online slots world, it still attracts players in droves due to its mysterious atmosphere, interesting imagery and often high risk gameplay.

For those who want an alternative to the old classics, this one has several advantages. Firstly, there is the extra Ghost Spins feature in the base game which throws up some extra wins where previously there weren’t any. Then, there is The Awakened Free Spins add-on. This is the best feature in Ghost of Dead with 2 Expanding Symbols in play to offer lots of extra ways to win – this is your best chance of hitting the 10,000x stake top payout.

In conclusion, if you love the Book of Dead, Book of Ra and other Book Of slots, you are sure to enjoy spinning the reels on Ghost of Dead. It doesn’t offer much in the way of innovation, but it’s a decent adventure in the Egyptian tombs.

Useful Resources

Play n Go’s Ghost of Dead Page