Return of the Dead: Slot Overview

Can something really “return” if it never actually disappeared? Built by developer Reel Kingdom and running on Pragmatic Play, Return of the Dead joins the huge crowd of near-identical Book of Ra clones. It also sticks especially close to the blueprint, and not just in how it plays. The visuals lean heavily into that traditional slot atmosphere too. Even with all the overlap, there are still a couple of points that might tempt Ra fans to pick Return of the Dead over similar titles. Yes, it’s clearly what most people would call a copy, but that’s for the studios to worry about. From the player’s side, the real question is whether it’s worth spinning.

If there’s one scene that keeps coming back in slot games, it’s the sunrise over the Giza Plateau. Camels trek across the sand as pyramids loom in the distance. It’s pleasant enough, and the retro-style 5-reel, 10-payline setup definitely taps into a bit of nostalgia. Add an Arabic-inspired soundtrack with a faint Western edge, plus that familiar Indiana Jones-style colour scheme, and the theme is complete.

Return of the Dead runs smoothly across devices, and your opinion of the main character may even affect how you choose to play. On mobile or desktop, landscape view is probably the better pick if you’d rather not have Rich Wilde’s long-lost brother staring over your shoulder. Stakes range from 10 p/c to €250 per spin, and then you’re ready to start.

Players who prefer straightforward, no-nonsense gameplay will like Return of the Dead’s high volatility. The free spins round is where most of the action sits, though every so often a strong premium hit can appear unexpectedly to offset the many quiet spins. The default RTP, meanwhile, should keep most players happy, coming in at an excellent 96.71% – potentially the highest of any ‘Book of’ slot so far. We’ll come back to that in the verdict, so read on.

Mechanically, it’s exactly what you’d expect. Wins land with two or three matching symbols from the leftmost reel. You’ll need three for the 10 to A royals, while just two will pay for the scarab, Horus, Pharaoh, or the generic smiling man symbol. The payouts are solid too, sitting toward the upper end for ‘book of’ games. Hit five premium symbols across a line and you can collect between 75 and 500 times your stake.

Return of the Dead: Slot Features

Nothing unexpected here either: the main attraction is a triggered free spins feature. As usual, everything revolves around the book symbol, which functions as both scatter and wild. When acting as a wild, the book substitutes for other symbols to complete wins. It also pays on its own, reaching up to 500x for a line of five.

When used as a scatter, landing 3, 4, or 5 anywhere pays 2x, 20x, or 200x the total bet, and also awards 10 free spins. Before the bonus starts, one regular symbol is randomly selected as the special expanding symbol. During free spins, once any wins have been paid, that chosen symbol expands vertically to fill all three spots on its reel. These expanded symbols still count for payouts even when they aren’t positioned next to each other.

Keep in mind that special symbols only expand when there are enough on the screen to create a winning combination. Books continue to appear during the feature as both wild and scatter. If three land at the same time, you gain 10 additional free spins. There’s no cap on how many retriggers you can get.

Return of the Dead: Slot Verdict

After trying out a few more complex slots recently, Return of the Dead felt like a nice reset. The simple rules and very familiar format make it easy to sit back and let the spins roll. The free spins round is about as strong as this style of game gets, which is still impressive when a high-paying symbol is selected and starts expanding across the reels. If you’ve played a ‘Ra’ type slot—and most players eventually do—you already know the general experience.

With so many ‘book of’ releases available in all kinds of variations, what makes Return of the Dead worth choosing? A couple of factors help it separate itself, at least slightly. That said, “separate” might be generous, because it doesn’t really introduce anything fresh. The most convincing argument is the default RTP, which is notably high for this category—far above the original Ra, which is a clear plus. The downside is that it may be difficult to find a casino offering the top RTP configuration, meaning you’re more likely to end up on a reduced RTP version.

Beyond that, you’ve got the cheerful-looking guy symbol? Even so, he’s basically a dead match for Rich Wilde, or maybe John Hunter if he ditched the hat and went overboard with the teeth whitening. Apart from the 96.71% RTP, there isn’t much that truly sets Return of the Dead apart from the hundreds of similar games out there.

Still, Reel Kingdom hasn’t botched it, so Return of the King ends up being a genuinely fun slot to play—even if purists might struggle to admit it because of how closely it follows the formula. As book slots have evolved, many have shifted toward more modern visuals thanks to improved graphics. Anyone craving something more old-school may enjoy Return of the King’s classic, land-based presentation. The bleep-heavy sound effects help sell that retro vibe too. Another positive is that Reel Kingdom has set symbol payouts toward the higher end, so it’s possible to land 5,000 times the bet in a single spin when the smiley guy fills the reels.

Ultimately, it’s difficult to get too excited about yet another entry in this genre. Return of the Dead is a decent ‘book of’ slot and the default RTP is a strong point, but there’s nothing genuinely new here. Unless you can find the version with the highest RTP setting, there’s no major reason to pick Return of the Dead, which also makes a game like this surprisingly tough to score.