Book of Shadows Slot Review

Here's the thing about Book of Shadows: it looks like another "Book of" clone, and at its core it is one: a book symbol that is both Wild and Scatter, ten free spins, one special expanding symbol. What Nolimit City did, when it released the game on 20 August 2020, was hand the player the controls. You choose how many rows to play. You can lock reels and respin the others. You can even reject the special symbol the bonus gives you and draw again.

It is also brutally volatile. Nolimit City rates the volatility as Extreme and lists a maximum win of 30,338x the bet, with an RTP of 96.01%. If you want a gentle evening, this is the wrong forest to walk into.

The default game is five reels and three rows with 10 paylines. Two features change that:

• Shadow Rows: for a higher stake you can open a fourth or fifth row, taking the grid to 5x4 with 15 lines or 5x5 with 20. More rows mean more frequent wins and bigger potential payouts.
• Lucky Locks: after any spin you can freeze one or more reels and respin the rest, at a price the game calculates for you. It is most tempting when two books are already showing.

Nolimit City puts the hit frequency at 33.33%, so about one spin in three pays. Bets go up to €100 a spin. There is also a gamble feature: a 50/50 double-or-nothing on wins, and a gamble that can take a win straight into the free spins.

→ Find the best slots sites to play Book of Shadows

Three or more books award 10 free spins. Before they start, one symbol is chosen at random as the golden expanding symbol, which stretches to cover its whole reel whenever that creates a win. If you don't like the symbol you are given, you get one redraw.

You can also choose to play the free spins with more or fewer Shadow Rows, which changes the number of spins you receive. According to Nolimit City, the free spins trigger about once in every 154 spins on average.

The studio's feature buy, Nolimit Bonus, lets players buy straight into the free spins. Nolimit City notes that the feature buy and the gamble into the bonus may be removed in some regulated markets, so you may not see them where you play.

→ Grab a no deposit bonus to try Book of Shadows risk-free

Extreme volatility means exactly what it says. Expect long spells where small line wins do little more than slow the decline, punctuated by the occasional free spins round. Most rounds will be modest. The ones that matter are those where a premium symbol expands across several reels on the full 5x5 grid, and those are rare.

Shadow Rows and Lucky Locks both cost extra, and it is easy to spend far more per spin than your base stake suggests. Decide before you start whether you are playing three rows or five, and treat Lucky Locks as an occasional choice, not a habit.

Bankroll guidance: 200x your stake is a sensible minimum for a game this volatile, and more if you play with extra rows.

Play Book of Shadows if:

• You like "Book" slots but want more sayrows, locks and the symbol redraw make this the most hands-on game in the genre.
• You understand extreme volatilityand have the bankroll and patience for it.
• You want atmospherethe occult artwork and soundtrack are among the best Nolimit City has produced. It is on our list of the best Halloween slots for 2026 for that reason.

Skip this slot if:

• You are on a tight budgetthe swings are severe and the optional features raise the cost per spin.
• You are clearing wagering requirementsextreme volatility can empty a bonus balance long before the feature lands. Read up on casino bonus mistakes first.
• You want something simplerBook of Dead does the classic version without the extra decisions.

→ Check free spins offers that might include Book of Shadows

Book of Shadows takes the most copied format in slots and makes it interactive.

The RTP is 96.01%, the ceiling is 30,338x, and the volatility is rated Extreme. If you have the bankroll and the temperament, it is one of the best "Book" games around. If not, admire the artwork in the demo and move on.

Key Stats

• ProviderNolimit City
• RTP96.01%
• VolatilityExtreme
• Hit Frequency33.33%
• Max Win30,338x bet
• Reels5 reels, 3 to 5 rows
• Paylines10, 15 or 20
• FeaturesShadow Rows, Lucky Locks, free spins with golden expanding symbol and redraw, gamble
• Released20 August 2020

Responsible Gambling

High-volatility slots can produce long losing streaks. Set limits before you play, stick to them, and never chase losses. If gambling stops being fun, stop playing. Visit our responsible gambling page or BeGambleAware.org for support.