Few slot franchises have defined an era quite like Book of Dead. It went on to shape player expectations for an entire genre – and a decade later, Rich Wilde is still one of the most recognisable faces in online slots.
To discuss the next evolution of the series, we sat down with Magnus Wallentin, Games Ambassador at Play’n GO. With Book of Dead GO Collect, the studio revisits one of its most iconic releases, aiming to preserve its core identity while introducing new layers like Hold & Win mechanics, fixed jackpots, and an updated gamble feature.
In this Q&A, Magnus reflects on the pressure of modernising a classic, what absolutely couldn’t change, and how Play’n GO approached refreshing a 10-year franchise without diluting what made it resonate in the first place.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): Book of Dead is one of those titles where players arrive with expectations already locked in. When you revisit an iconic franchise, what kind of pressure comes with that, and what was the guiding idea that kept the team on track?
Magnus Wallentin: I think it’s only natural that there’s pressure, because the goal is always to live up to what fans love and hopefully exceed it. If there wasn’t any feeling of pressure on our part, we’re likely doing something wrong!
For us, the guiding idea was simple. We wanted to keep the core elements that everyone expects from a Book of Dead slot, but we also wanted to elevate the experience with modern features. We kept coming back to the question, “What would Book of Dead look like if it were created today?” That challenge shaped the whole process and helped us balance heritage with exciting new additions.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): In the first 30 seconds, what should a veteran player notice that tells them they’re playing an iconic Book of Dead Game, and what should immediately signal “this is something new”?
Magnus: I think players will feel both at once. The familiar atmosphere, the reel layout, the ten paylines and the symbols they know are all there, so it anchors instantly as Book of Dead. But you also notice what’s new straight away: the ceremonial collection bowl beside the reels, the fixed jackpot prizes above it, and the Gold Staters overlayed atop the symbols.
We hope that it’s clear there’s something fresh to explore from the very first moment, we want it to then become part of the player’s journey to uncover what’s new.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): Anniversary release or not, players tend to be unforgiving if the “feel” is off. What were the non-negotiables you had to retain, and where did you give yourselves permission to expand the formula?
Magnus: The non-negotiables were the parts that give Book of Dead its heartbeat. The ten paylines, the familiar rhythm of the base game, and that classic free spins identity players associate with the series. We wanted it to feel instantly recognisable. The reality is that players come back to our games because they know what to expect.
Where we expanded it was in giving players more variety without taking anything away. GO Collect opens the door to a new Hold & Win bonus round, where you can chase fixed jackpots, and then there’s also the updated gamble feature. It’s not just about just adding one small twist on top, it’s about retaining the soul of the original Book of Dead game while reimagining the experience for 2026.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): Let’s talk GO Collect. For players who care about the moment-to-moment loop, what does that mechanic add to the base game that the original didn’t have?
Magnus: GO Collect adds a sense of progression to spins that you just didn’t have before. Gold Staters can land as a symbol overlay on standard symbols; each one is collected into the ceremonial bowl next to the reels. This gives players a feeling of building towards something, rather than just waiting for a single bonus trigger. Each stater has a chance to activate the Hold & Win feature, which keeps the base game feeling alive because something extra can happen.
A key part of making it feel right is how it’s implemented. Using overlays helps keep the flow of gameplay smooth, because you avoid the kind of friction you can get if a new trigger symbol starts blocking line wins. One of those smoother aspects of Book of Dead is that the scatter symbol also acts as a wild, so nothing feels like it’s in the way.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): There are two major chases for players, the classic free spins, which are the main event, and Treasure Vault as that extra layer. How do you see those two features working together rather than competing for attention?
Magnus: I don’t really see them as competing. They serve different purposes, which is why they work so well together. The free spins with expanding symbols are absolutely iconic, and people well and truly associate them with Book of Dead, it’d be remiss of us not to include them and everyone expects to see them, especially in a game that’s released around the 10-year anniversary of the franchise.
Treasure Vault, through GO Collect, is more like a side quest that can appear off the back of any spin, which keeps the base game exciting because you always feel like something extra could happen. It also brings its own kind of potential with the fixed jackpots, and then you have that final choice at the end where you can take what you’ve earned or try to swing the momentum with the gamble. Together, it creates a more dynamic overall experience while still keeping the classic identity intact.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): This game has a newly updated gamble feature that differs from the original card games we’ve come to recognise, can you tell us how it differs?
Magnus: The old-style gamble from the original Book of Dead was removed in Book of Dead GO Collect. That was the card-guessing format where you could wager a win by guessing colour or suit. In Book of Dead GO Collect, the gamble is a single round that only appears at the very end of the Hold & Win feature, and it’s completely optional.
You get one spin where the goal is to land more Brilliant Staters than Broken Staters, and both can appear as doubles, which adds suspense. It gives players a chance to swing the momentum and potentially turn the tides in their favour.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): Book of Dead has become a blueprint for Egyptian slots, and Rich Wilde is the face of it. What do you think has made the franchise stick for so long, and what’s still left to explore?
Magnus: Egyptian-themed games naturally carry mystery, hidden secrets and that feeling of discovery, but Book of Dead helped define what players now expect from that theme. Rich Wilde brought a recognisable adventurer energy that made it feel like you were joining a quest, not just spinning reels. That combination of atmosphere and adventure is a big part of why it’s become a world players want to return to.
I can absolutely see the franchise continuing for a long time because the universe has room to grow. There are still unexplored locations, artefacts and story threads that can support new chapters while staying connected to the larger world. I also think we’ll see a deeper sense of continuity between titles over time, even if it’s light narrative links, shared symbols or recurring events that make the whole series feel more connected.
From our side, the focus is on expanding depth and entertainment without falling into repetition. The aim is variety and fresh ideas rather than copy-pasting the same formats.
