Another addition to Novomatic’s hugely popular treasure hunting video slot series is Book of Ra: Temple of Gold. This 5 reel, 10 payline game sticks to the usual formula and come with simple gameplay and a potentially explosive feature. Trigger the free spins then look out for up to 3 expanding symbols. Play on all devices from between 10p and £50 per spin.
The design in Book of Ra: Temple of Gold is rather good. The courtyard of the aforementioned temple forms the backdrop to the action. There you’ll find ornately designed A to 10 royals as well as a collection of gold icons, statues and treasures.
The best of the standard symbols is the female adventurer. Land 2, 3, 4 or 5 of her in combination and you’ll receive a payout of 1, 10, 100 or 500 times your total bet. The mysterious book symbol serves a dual role. It’s a wild and substitutes for all the other symbols. It offers payouts of 2, 20 or 200 times your bet if you land 3, 4 or 5 of them on the same spin.
It’s also a scatter and unlocks the game’s Free Games feature. Once active, you’ll be awarded 10 free spins. Boosting your winning chances here are special expanding symbols which fill the whole reel whenever they land. The number of expanding symbols in play is determined by the number of scatters on the triggering spin. Land 3, 4 or 5 of the book scatter and you’ll have 1, 2 or 3 expanding symbols. You also win more free spins, infinitely.
We’ve sometimes been rather sniffy about the design of Novomatic video slots. The Austrian developer has really upped its game in recent times and Book of Ra: Temple of Gold is another good-looking arrival. The backing track is a big step up from the traditional bangs and bleeps which often had us reaching for the mute button.
There’s nothing overly complicated about the gameplay. It does the job well though deliver simple but potentially volatile action. You can win 5,000 times your bet if you fill the reels with the high value female explorer.
If you’ve enjoyed the other video slots in the Book of Ra series, then Book of Ra: Temple of Gold is well worth adding to your playing rotation. I would also take a look at Book of Ra Deluxe (which is 1 of the most popular games ever) – if you want to head to El Dorado, NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest would be my pick.