Kingdom of The Dead

Stepping Into the Temple

Think dusty sandstone, golden relics, and looming columns as you spin the reels of Kingdom of The Dead. This slot plunges you right into a lavish Egyptian tomb, every bit as mysterious and treasure-filled as you’d expect from the genre. There’s an old-school, explorer-on-a-quest energy here—the kind that makes you picture daring adventurers pressing deeper into shadowy halls in pursuit of legendary riches.

Visually, the game plays it pretty straight. Ancient Egypt is a well-worn theme, but this slot doesn’t cut corners: Bold colours, crisp Egyptian artefacts, gods, scarabs, and a quietly impressive Explorer symbol lead the visual pack. The ambient soundtrack keeps things in line—think familiar hand drums and flutes—subtle enough that it won’t wear you down, but it adds that essential sense of place.

Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom, the same teams behind hits like Big Bass Bonanza, are at the wheel here. You can sense their experience: The polish is there, and while Kingdom of The Dead doesn’t try to reinvent the pyramid, it doesn’t need to. This one hit online casinos in 2023, so it’s got modern production values but a classic approach.

How It Really Plays

Kingdom of The Dead spins on a straightforward 5-reel, 3-row grid, backed by just 10 paylines, all of them locked and loaded for every spin. Old-school players will feel right at home, but even if you’re used to Megaways chaos, the simplicity here is part of the charm.

Bets can start at a cheerful €0.10 (or your equivalent currency), and swing all the way up to a pretty serious €325 a spin. Whether you’re all about stretching your session or you’re here for those wild, high-roller swings, there’s something for everyone.

That RTP—let’s call it 96.07%—is about as middle-of-the-road as it gets. If you look for games just north of average, you’re right in the sweet spot here. Volatility, though, is dialled way up. This is a high variance slot, with big stretches where it feels like you’re wandering the desert for ages, then, wham—open the right tomb and you could score something major.

Autoplay is in the mix, if that’s your thing. Tap and hold the spin, set your number of spins or loss limits, and let it do its work. It runs smoothly, and there’s even a turbo option if you want things to move at lightning speed.

Bonus Features: More Than a Book Slot?

If you’ve played Book of Dead or just about any slot with a book mechanic, you’ll spot the similarities—minus the mummies leaping off the reels. Your Scatter is a classic Egyptian Book; land three or more in view, and you’ll kick off the main event: 10 Free Spins. Nothing complicated about it, but here’s where it gets interesting.

Before the round starts, you pick between two Free Spin styles. The first is the classic: A random symbol is chosen at the start as your expanding symbol. When it lands during the bonus, it can expand to fill an entire reel—helping you land those hefty, multi-line wins. The second twists things up: A Mystery Expanding Symbol changes on every free spin. Instead of knowing what you’re rooting for upfront, every spin is a little different. It’s a subtle change, but it does keep you leaning forward, wondering if this could turn into a session-defining hit.

If the gambling gods are kind and you land three more Book Scatters during your Free Spins, you get another batch of spins—no cap. In most slots, retriggers are rare, but you have a genuine chance here.

There’s a Wild symbol too—paying big itself, but even better as a stand-in for everything except the Book Scatter. Expanding symbols don’t get a multiplier or anything extra, but the core mechanic is solid. For those who can’t stand waiting, there’s a bonus buy and an ante bet, the latter juicing your chance of landing a bonus in exchange for a larger stake per spin. That ante bet is worth considering; it bumps your odds of landing the Free Spins feature by 50%, which feels pretty noticeable over time.

Paytable and Symbol Highlights

Regulars of Egyptian slots will recognise the lineup: low-paying symbols are the usual playing cards (10, J, Q, K, A), while the rest are pure theme: scarabs, Anubis, a radiant golden pharaoh, and the rugged Explorer. Out of all these, the Explorer is king—line up five of him for a 500x wallop to your stake, and even three is worth getting excited about.

The Pharaoh isn’t far behind, doling out 200x for five on a payline. Anubis and the scarab are your next best hits, each capable of a 75x payout. Card symbols are all about small top-ups, but they land frequently enough to keep things ticking along.

The Wild is almost as valuable as the Explorer—a nice surprise. As for the Scatter (the Book), it pays out for three or more, on top of firing up Free Spins. When expanding symbols are in play, keep an eye out: the animation when they stretch to cover the whole reel is simple, sure, but it does add a little extra shot of excitement.

Quick Start: How To Dive In

Getting going is painless. Pick your bet with the + or – beside the spin button, then hit spin and watch the reels roll out. Autoplay’s one long-press away, and if you want to see the paytable or learn more about each bonus, the info section is in the bottom corner.

In most sessions, the base game can feel a little dry; wins do come, but it’s the bonus rounds where things really come alive. Try out the Kingdom of The Dead demo or Kingdom of The Dead free play mode before you commit your own cash—see how those expanding symbols treat you without the nerves.

How Does It Stack Up to Other 'Book' Slots?

If you’re a fan of slots like Book of Dead (Play’n GO) or Book of Ra (Novomatic), Kingdom of The Dead will feel instantly familiar—with just enough of a twist to make it worth a spin. The pick-your-bonus Free Spins adds a layer of choice most of its rivals skip. And that high volatility? It’s on par with the heaviest hitters in the genre. Expect dry spells, but know there’s real win potential if the reels open up for you.

Any Other Games Worth a Look?

Enjoy the ancient adventure vibe? Pragmatic Play’s own Gate of Olympus might scratch a similar itch, just with mythological gods instead of Egyptian pharaohs. Or if you dig the pay mechanics but want something a bit groovier, Jammin Jars has a comparable hit potential with a very different look.

Seriously, it’s always worth firing up a few free rounds first—Kingdom of The Dead demo mode is straightforward to find at most sites hosting Pragmatic Play slots.

The Bottom Line

Kingdom of The Dead isn’t breaking the mould, but it’s a lean, punchy take on an evergreen theme. Big win chasers will appreciate the high volatility and that juicy 10,000x max win looming in the pyramid’s shadows. If the Book slots are your thing, this is as slick and solid as it gets—just don’t be surprised when the reels take their sweet time landing that bonus round. Persevere, and you might just stumble across a real treasure.