What makes Legacy of Dead different
Legacy of Dead is a 5-reel, 10-payline pokie by Play’n GO, released in 2018. It uses the same expanding-symbol mechanic as Book of Dead and Book of Ra — a format that defines the “Book” genre — but with a different symbol set and a higher base RTP than Book of Ra.
The game features a pharaoh, explorer, scarab, canopic jar, and Anubis as its main symbols, with the Book serving as both Wild and Scatter.
Free Spins and expanding symbol
Three or more Book scatter symbols trigger 10 free spins. One symbol is randomly chosen as the special expanding symbol before the round begins. When that symbol appears anywhere on the reels as part of a winning combination, it expands to fill its entire reel for that spin.
If three reels expand simultaneously on the same payline, the resulting win on 10 lines can reach the 5,000x maximum.
Landing 3+ Books during free spins adds 10 more spins to the counter.
How Legacy of Dead compares to Book of Dead
Both games are Play’n GO products using identical mechanics. Legacy of Dead has a higher RTP (96.58% vs 96.21%) and uses different artwork. The Pharaoh is the highest-paying symbol in Legacy of Dead; the Rich Wilde explorer fills that role in Book of Dead. Gameplay experience is functionally the same.
RTP and volatility
Play’n GO publishes 96.58% RTP. Legacy of Dead is high-volatility — the vast majority of its return comes from free spins sessions where the expanding symbol hits across multiple reels.
What it costs per hour
At NZ$0.50 per spin and 400 spins per hour: NZ$200 wagered × 3.42% house edge = approximately NZ$6.80 expected loss per hour.
### Q: Is Legacy of Dead the same as Book of Dead?
A: They share the same mechanic (expanding symbol in free spins, Book as Wild and Scatter) and are both Play’n GO titles. Legacy of Dead has a slightly higher RTP and a different visual theme. The odds structure and feature triggers are effectively identical.
### Q: Can the Book symbol itself be the expanding special symbol?
A: Yes. The Book can be randomly selected as the special expanding symbol. Since it is also Wild, it substitutes for all other symbols and then expands — which means a full reel of Books also substitutes for everything. This makes it one of the more powerful possible selections.
### Q: What is the minimum number of reels that need to show the expanding symbol to win the maximum?
A: On a 10-payline, 5-reel game, you need at least 3 consecutive reels showing the highest-paying symbol (or the expanding symbol acting as that symbol) to form a winning combination. With the expanding symbol covering full reels on 3, 4 or 5 consecutive reels, wins scale rapidly toward the 5,000x ceiling.
Playing Legacy of Dead at NZ casinos
Legacy of Dead returns 96.58% over the long run — well above the 78% minimum return required at NZ land-based pokies venues and slightly higher than its close equivalent Book of Dead (96.21%). At the NZ$0.10 minimum bet, the 3.42% house edge produces an expected hourly loss of approximately NZ$1.37 at 400 spins. At the NZ$100 maximum bet that rises to approximately NZ$1,368. The NZ$0.10 minimum bet makes it one of the more accessible titles among Book-genre pokies for smaller bankrolls.
High volatility is the defining characteristic of Legacy of Dead, shared with all expanding symbol free spins games of this format. The 10-payline base game produces regular small wins from the card rank symbols and lower-paying main symbols, but the session’s character is determined by the free spins round. What symbol is selected as the expanding special symbol, how frequently it appears, and how many reels it covers simultaneously determines whether the free spins round returns 50x or 5,000x. Sessions with multiple triggers and strong expanding symbol outcomes are significantly above average; sessions with the opposite experience run well below. This variance is structural, not a malfunction.
The 5,000x maximum win requires the Pharaoh or Anubis symbol (highest-paying) selected as the expanding symbol, expanding simultaneously across four or five reels during a single free spin. At NZ$0.10 per spin it represents NZ$500; at NZ$100 it represents NZ$500,000. Expected hourly cost at the NZ$0.10 minimum is approximately NZ$1.37; at NZ$0.50 approximately NZ$6.84.
Decide your session budget in advance and stick to it. For NZ responsible gambling tools and free support services, visit our responsible gambling page.
Q: What is the RTP of Legacy of Dead?
A: Legacy of Dead has an RTP of 96.58%. This means for every NZ$100 wagered over many sessions, the game returns an average of NZ$96.58 to players and keeps NZ$3.42 as the house edge. At NZ$0.10 per spin and approximately 400 spins per hour, the expected hourly loss is approximately NZ$1.37. Check the in-game information panel at your specific casino to confirm the RTP setting in use — some casinos apply lower settings.
Q: Is Legacy of Dead available at NZ casinos?
A: Yes. Legacy of Dead by Play’n GO is available at reviewed NZ casinos on this site. Check individual casino reviews for the current game library — availability can change as operators update their game catalogues.
Q: What is the maximum win on Legacy of Dead?
A: The stated maximum win is 5,000x your stake. At NZ$0.10 per spin this would be NZ$500.00. Maximum win figures represent the theoretical ceiling under optimal conditions — they are statistical outliers that occur rarely across millions of spins, not typical session outcomes.