Book of Shadows Slot Demo & Review

I have always enjoyed playing “Book of” slots. However, I’ve often felt that, despite their different themes, from ancient Egyptian tombs to Greek mythology, most follow a similar gameplay formula popularised by classics like Book of Ra and Book of the Dead. 

That changed when I played Book of Shadows. Nolimit City adds some interesting twists, including an expandable grid, Lucky Locks and gamble features that give me more control over how I play. With extreme volatility, a Free Spins round featuring an expanding Golden symbol, and a maximum win of 30,338x my bet, this slot offers plenty to explore, but it also comes with considerable risk.

Book of Shadows Demo

With its special features, I first tried Book of Shadows in demo mode a few times before risking real money. This gave me a chance to see how expanding the grid affected my balance, as the extra rows are designed to increase the bet. 

I also tried Lucky Locks and saw how the Golden symbol expands across a reel during Free Spins. Online slots demo mode is useful for getting familiar with the features and understanding how the game plays, especially given its extreme volatility. Keep in mind that demo results don't guarantee the same outcomes when playing for real money.

Book of Shadows Slot Summary

Game Overview

• Developer & Launch: Nolimit City launched Book of Shadows on 20th August, 2020. The extremely volatile slot features a default 5×3 grid with 10 paylines that can be expanded to 4 rows with 15 paylines or 5 rows with 20 paylines by increasing the bet by 1.5x or 2x, respectively. RTP also increases as the number of Shadow Rows increases. The default RTP is 96.01% with 3 rows, 96.07% with 4 rows, and 96.19% with 5 rows. Hit frequency is 33.33%, the maximum possible win is 30,338× bet, and bets at South African casinos range from R0.50 to R800.

• Theme and Storyline: Book of Shadows follows a narrative centered around black magic, witchcraft and the forbidden occult. The player is an adventurer who journeys into the underworld in search of the legendary Book of Shadows, a secret book of enchantments believed to have the power to change reality. The Shadow Girl, a gothic witch, serves as a guide through the dark rituals. The high-paying symbols include a cat, skulls, a butterfly, an eyeball potion and the gothic girl herself, while the lower-paying symbols feature card royals. The game unfolds in an eerie, mist-covered forest surrounded by dead, leafless trees and floating fireflies.

• Graphics, Sounds and Animations: The game has a rough, cartoon-style look with a dark edge. The animations are smooth, with symbols glowing and expanding during wins. The soundtrack combines eerie strings and xylophone notes with owls and wolves howling in the distance. When I expand the grid, a black curtain rolls upwards to reveal the extra rows. The Lucky Locks feature has its own animation, with a chain and padlock appearing over the locked reel.

• Gameplay: Having played several Book slots, I found some familiar elements in Book of Shadows. At its most basic, it plays like a standard slot, but the flexible grid adds a twist. The game starts with 5 reels, 3 rows and 10 paylines. I can use the Shadow Rows feature to expand the grid to 4 or 5 rows, increasing both the number of paylines and my bet. The Book symbol works as both a Wild and a Scatter, while Lucky Locks lets me lock selected columns and respin the others.

How to Play Book of Shadows

1. Once the game loaded, I used the coin menu to select my stake. At the casinos I tested, bets ranged from R0.50 to R800. For instance, the minimum bet at Hollywoodbets started at R100 at the time of writing.

2. Next, I pressed the spin button to play. There was also an auto-play option that allowed me to set up automatic spins.

3. To activate Shadow Rows, I clicked the extra rows above the reels. Each additional row added five paylines and increased my bet.

4. After each spin, I checked for matching symbols along the active paylines. Winning combinations form when matching symbols line up from the leftmost reel across consecutive reels.

5. Wilds and scatter interplay: The Book symbol serves as both a Wild and a Scatter, helping form winning combinations and trigger the Free Spins round.

6. The gamble option: After a win, I could risk the payout on a red or black card for a 50/50 chance to double it, with up to five gamble attempts. Alternatively, I could use the Wheel of Bonus for a chance to trigger Free Spins instead.

Book of Shadows Bonus Feature

Lucky Locks

Lucky Locks lets me lock up to four of the five reels after a standard base-game spin. A padlock icon and a monetary price appear beneath each reel. I can click the padlocks to keep selected reels frozen in their current positions while the unlocked reels respin.

For example, if I land two Book of Shadows symbols, I can lock the reels containing them and respin the others, hoping to land a third symbol and trigger Free Spins. However, each respin comes at an extra cost. 

Free Spins With Golden Symbol

Free Spins is the main bonus feature in Book of Shadows. I triggered it by landing three or more Book of Shadows symbols, which award 10- 14 Free Spins depending on rows. The feature uses the same grid setup that was active when the bonus triggered.

At the start of the round, the game randomly selects a regular pay symbol to become the Special Expanding Golden Symbol. When this symbol forms part of a winning combination, it expands vertically to cover the entire reel, creating more opportunities to win.

If the game selects a low-paying symbol, such as a 10 or Jack, I can discard it and try for a better one, such as the Cat, Eye or Witch. The game allows one free reshuffle. However, I cannot return to my original symbol if the second selection is worse. Landing 3 or more books adds more spins. 

Gamble 50/50

After landing a win, I can choose to gamble my payout for a chance to double it. The game presents a red-or-black card, giving me a 50/50 chance of winning or losing the amount at risk. I can repeat the gamble up to five times, but each attempt puts my accumulated winnings at risk. I would only use this option if I were comfortable losing the payout.

Gamble Wheel of Bonus

The Wheel of Bonus gives me another gambling option after a win. Instead of taking my payout, I can risk it for a chance to trigger the Free Spins round, but the win should be under 60x the bet. 

Book of Shadows Dead Spins (Pro Tip)

Book of Shadows has extreme volatility, so frequent stretches of consecutive dead spins or micro-wins that return less than my original bet are normal. Nolimit City states that the main bonus feature has an average trigger frequency of once every 154 spins. To manage these dry spells, I keep my bets small enough to protect my bankroll and avoid increasing it after a disappointing bonus. I also budget for around 150–200 spins to estimate how much I can afford to play, although this doesn't guarantee my balance will last that long.

Payouts & Volatility

With extreme volatility, wins can be rare, but they can also be huge when they land. I wouldn't expect many big payouts from the base game, especially with the default 5×3 grid. The higher-paying symbols, including the Witch, Cat and Eye, offer better payout potential than the lower-paying card symbols. The maximum win is 30,338× stake, and reaching this payout requires the five-row grid to be active, unlocking 20 paylines. However, hitting the maximum win is extremely unlikely, so I wouldn't chase losses trying to reach it. 

Tips for playing Book of Shadows

1. Try the Demo Mode First

I recommend trying Book of Shadows in demo mode before playing for real money. This lets me get familiar with Shadow Rows, Lucky Locks and the Golden Symbol feature without risking my money.

2. Choose the Grid Size Carefully

Expanding to five rows unlocks 20 paylines and increases the RTP to 96.19%. However, it also doubles the base bet. I check that I can afford the higher stake before activating the extra rows.

3. Set a Budget Before Playing

Book of Shadows has extreme volatility, so I set a budget and choose a stake I can afford. I avoid increasing my bets to recover losses after a run of dead spins or a disappointing bonus round.

4. Check the Cost of Lucky Locks

Lucky Locks lets me lock up to four reels while the others respin. I might use it when I land two Book symbols and want to try for a third to trigger Free Spins. However, I check the cost first because each respin costs extra and doesn't guarantee a bonus.

5. Think Carefully Before Redrawing the Golden Symbol

Before Free Spins begin, I get one free chance to redraw the selected Golden symbol. If the game picks a low-paying symbol, I might try for a premium symbol such as the Witch, Cat or Eye. However, I could end up with a worse symbol, and I can't return to my original choice.

What is the RTP for Book of Shadows?

Book of Shadows has a default RTP of 96.01%, but it increases as the number of active rows increases. With 4 rows and 15 paylines, the RTP is 96.07%, while 5 rows and 20 paylines raise it to 96.19%. The higher RTP comes at an extra cost of 1.5× the base bet for 4 rows and 2× the base bet for 5 rows.

That said, I also found several casinos offering a lower RTP configuration, such as 94.09%. I recommend checking the exact RTP offered by your chosen casino before depositing.