Oasis of Dead

Oasis of Dead Slot Review

Slot Provider: Play n Go

RTP: 96.58% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 5,000x

Our Score: 7.0

Play at Grand Ivy Casino
QUICK LINKS: Game Information | Where To Play | Full Review | Testing Notes | Tips For Players | About The Developer

WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS REVIEW: The information and opinions on this page are the result of an comprehensive process of information gathering and live game testing by the gambling experts who work at allslotsites.com. Find out more here.

About Oasis of Dead

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 12th June 2024

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.

Oasis of Dead is a ‘Book of …’ style slot from Play n Go with 10 paylines. Landing 3 or more scatters in the base game triggers a bonus round with 8 free spins. During the bonus, one symbol is chosen to expand if it can complete paylines when doing so. Landing 3 scatters again extends the round by 8 spins and adds another expander.

The maximum win is 5,000x and spins start at 1p per play.

Oasis of Dead Game Information

  • Release Date: 04.07.24
  • RTP: 96.58% | 94.51% | 91.51% | 87.56% | 84.55%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 5,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 3
  • Paylines: 10
  • Minimum Stake: £0.01
  • Theme: Egypt
  • Features: Wilds, Free Spins, Expanding Symbols
  • Format: 5-Reel

Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Oasis of Dead

IMPORTANT: To give you an accurate assessment of the games we review our writers play 200 spins. Whilst this is a useful tool to help us review games and to give an example of what might happen when you play, keep in mind that 200 spins is only a very small sample and cannot be used to accurately predict what might happen over another 200 spins. The outcome of all slots play is always random.

Boom Or Bust? Our Session By The Numbers

I played 200 spins on Big Bass Floats My Boat on Pragmatic Play’s test server prior to release to test the game. This is what happened.

  • Stake Size: 1
  • Start balance: 25,000
  • End balance: 25,052.5
  • Win Rate: 26.4% (66 winning spins in 250)
  • Biggest Win: 109x
  • Free Spins Round: 3

There’s a reason Book of games are so popular. The format is very compelling and when you hit a good run as I did in the 3rd of 3 free spins round with a 109x win, it’s a lot of fun.

Oasis of Dead by Play n Go
Winning with crocodile expander symbol in free spins round

This version felt like it had a nicely balanced maths model. The win rate was good at 26.45% over 250 spins. That’s 1 in 4 spins producing a win of some kind. And 3 bonus triggers in 250 spins was very good too. The first 2 free spins rounds produced wins of 16x and 35x but it was the 3rd that was the best. It started with a Queen as expander, then 3 more scatters landed to extend by 8 spins and give me a second expander – this time the crocodile, leading more good payouts over the next phase. That was as far as I got but you can see how much potential there is if you can pick up more expanders and trigger more wins that way.

What We Liked

  • Classic Book of ... format familiar to fans of the games
  • Re-trigger free spins and get extra expanders
  • Play from just 1p per spin
  • Rich graphics and soundtrack

What We Didn't like

  • Not very original
  • Low max win at just 5,000x

Oasis of Dead Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 7
  • RTP and Variance 7
  • Maximum Win 6
  • Symbols and Paytable 8
  • Features and Gameplay 7

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"Another alternative Ancient Egyptian setting to get your Book of ... fix in. It's Ok, but generic and the max win definitely lacks punch!"

Overall Score: 7.0

Theme & Design

Our Score 7

The Trees Part To Reveal Long-Lost Pyramids and Lakes …

Oasis of Dead takes us to another Ancient Egyptian setting. This time it feels like we’ve trekked through jungle to find a clearing with a giant pyramid, crumbling stone temples and an expanse of green water all behind a gold reel set. There is a supernatural feel, with pharaohs with glowing green eyes and buildings emanating glowing smoke in the paytable. The soundtrack is classic temple music with pipes and harps. It’s not the most original production, but fans of Ancient Egyptian slots will enjoy it.

Oasis Of Dead by Play n Go
Oasis of Dead – rich and vibrant graphics

RTP and Variance

Our Score 7

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.

Oasis of Dead has five RTP rates – 96.58%, 94.51%, 91.51%, 87.56% and 84.55%. Casino operators can choose to run the game at any of these settings, and many choose to go low, sometimes lower even than 90%. So, it’s worth checking the RTP wherever you play before you start spending money. You can do this by hitting the ‘?’ link at the bottom of the game screen, then scrolling down through the rules until you see RTP. If it’s less than at least 94.51% I would try elsewhere.

I recommend playing at MrQ from Lindar Media which is one of the few UK slot sites to consistently run slots from Play n Go, and other slot providers, at the optimum rate.

The volatility in Oasis of Dead, as with all ‘Book of … ‘ slots, is high. So the win distribution will be uneven. These games can be frustrating for long periods before kicking out a nice sequence of wins with expanders and an extended free spins round. So set your stake to last the distance.

Maximum Win

Our Score 6

What Is Maximum Win?

Maximum win refers to the maximum amount a player can win from one spin. It is expressed as a multiple of the stake. For example, where the maximum win is 100,000x, from a £1 stake, the maximum win would be £100,000.  

The maximum payout here is just 5,000x. That is disappointing. There are now many Book of game with much better win potential, including Book of Duat from Quickspin (32,760x), Book of Power from Relax Gaming (15,000x) and Play n Go’s own Banquet of Dead (35,000x).

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

The game format here will be familiar to all ‘Book of …’ fans. There are 5 reels, 3 rows and up to 10 paylines to win across. You can choose to bet on just 1 line if you wish and adjust the coins for each bet too.

Wins are triggered by landing 3 or more identical symbols across paylines from left to right, starting at the left most reel. There are 9 symbols in the table. 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace are at the low end, valued at up to 12x for 5 Aces. Premium symbols are the snakes, scarabs, crocodiles and pharaohs, valued at up to 500x for 5 pharaohs.

As always, the key symbol is the Wild, represented here by a golden temple, that also doubles up as the scatter. So, it will substitute for any pay symbol to complete a payline AND trigger the free spins round when 3 or more land on one spin.

And in this instance, it also has a value of 2x, 20x or 200x for 3, 4 or 5 on a payline.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 7

There are no surprises in the features. It’s all about hitting that free spins round and getting lucky with the expander symbols found in all ‘Book of …’ slots.

This is how it works.

First, you need to land 3 or more of the wild / scatters ANYWHERE on a single spin. That will get you 8 free plays.

Before the bonus round begins one symbol is chosen as your expander. Whenever it lands during free spins it expands to full reel height, if by doing so it can create a win. Importantly, expander symbols do NOT have to be on adjacent reels to trigger wins. For example, you could have one on reel 1, and one on each of reels 3, 4 and 5 for a 4 of a kind win.

Oasis of Dead Free Spins Round
Choosing a symbol as expander for the free spins round

Things get more interesting when you land 3 more scatters and extend the round by a further 8 spins. Now, another symbol is chosen to be an expander as well. So you can have TWO in play at once, or even THREE, or FOUR … or more. You’ll see active expanders highlighted above the grid.

Gamble Your Wins

Not to disappoint their fans, Play n Go have included the Gamble feature in Oasis of Dead too. After any win in the base game OR at the end of free spins, you can gamble on the turn of a card. Guess the color and double your money. Guess the suit and quadruple it.

But remember, if you guess wrong then you lose the lot!

You can gamble up to 5 times on a win.

The Final Verdict

There’s nothing new here but Oasis of Dead is still a quality game. And why wouldn’t it be? Play n Go have been knocking out these games regularly for years now and the format never seems to tire. The maths is good, the production standards are high, there are some animations to enjoy between base game and free spins, and if you hit a good run in the bonus round, it can be quite the thrill. A solid slot then, if unoriginal.

Useful Tips When Playing Oasis of Dead

Remember, online slots are games of chance, there is NO strategy that can improve your odds of winning. However, reading our review and following these tips will help you get the most out of your time playing this slot game.

1. Look For The Golden Temple Wild / Scatter

The good stuff all happens when this powerful symbol lands during base game or free spins round. It helps complete paylines AND triggers free spins.

2. Think Carefully Before Gambling Your Winnings

You can gamble any win to double or quadruple it. But think carefully before you do, especially big amounts. It can be painful if you lose!

3. ALWAYS Check The RTP

Some sites will run this slot at less than 90% RTP which is not good. That seriously eats into your payouts. So check the RTP before you spin and don’t play if you don’t like what you see.

4. Play At Our Recommended Slot Sites

We have chosen the sites on this page because they all scored high in our reviews and they are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. That makes them fair and safe places to play slots.

Who Made Oasis of Dead?

  • 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
Find More Play n Go slots

Like The Sound of Oasis of Dead? Here are 4 more games chosen for you...

Slingo Originals

Book of Slingo

Variance: | RTP: 95%

Max Win: 500x

Our Score 7.0

Play Now Read Review
Play n Go

Cat Wilde in the Eclipse of the Sun God

Variance: | RTP: 96.22%

Max Win: 5,500x

Our Score 8.0

Play Now Read Review
Play n Go

Rich Wilde and the Amulet of Dead

Variance: | RTP: 96.29%

Max Win: 5,000x

Our Score 8.0

Play Now Read Review
Play n Go

Rich Wilde and the Wandering City

Variance: | RTP: 96.2%

Max Win: 10,000x

Our Score 8.0

Play Now Read Review

Allslotsites.com - Trusted and Independent Online Slot Reviews

Allslotsites.com has been publishing online slot reviews since 2018. It’s fair to say we know a thing or two about what makes a good game – that magic mix of theme, style, gameplay and payout potential. For each slot we review we take you on the full journey through its narrative and design, reel configuration, key numbers including RTP and max win, volatility level, gameplay, and finally an expert verdict. You can also check our comparison tables to see how each slot matches up against others handpicked by our reviewers and check our tips on hitting that winning streak.

We are not paid by the developers whose games we cover. We are independent and our views of each game are honest. That is why you can trust us!

Learn, explore and find your next slots adventure with us!!