Play'n GO · 2019 · Independent review
Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness Slot Review: RTP, Features and Free Demo
Our score: 7.8/10
Quick verdict: Tome of Madness swaps Egypt for cosmic horror and paylines for a 5x5 cluster grid. Every win charges a portal that drops Special Wilds and, eventually, a free round full of Portal Effects. It's busier and steadier than Book of Dead, but the 2,000x cap is the lowest in the series.
- RTP
- 96.59%Lower versions exist
- Volatility
- HighPer independent reviews
- Max win
- 2,000x$1,000 at a $0.50 bet
- Grid
- 5x5Cluster pays, cascades
What is Tome of Madness?
Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness came out on , three years after Book of Dead. Rich leaves the pyramids for a haunted library and a book that opens a door to another world. The mood borrows from Lovecraft: jewels, daggers and masks on the reels, a tentacled Mega Wild that reviews call Cthulhu, and a glowing portal on the left.
The mechanics change just as much. There are no lines. You need 4 or more matching symbols touching each other on a 5x5 grid. Winning symbols disappear, new ones fall in, and one spin can chain several wins. It's still one of the most played games in the Wilde series, second only to Book of Dead by most popularity charts.
Tome of Madness at a glance
| Provider | Play'n GO |
|---|---|
| Release date | |
| Grid | 5x5, cluster pays (4+) |
| RTP | 96.59% (lower versions exist) |
| Volatility | High |
| Max win | 2,000x the bet |
| Free round | After 42 winning symbols |
| Bet range in the demo | 0.50 to 2.00 |
Features and max win from the game's rules screens. RTP and volatility from independent reviews.
Symbols and cluster pays
Payouts depend on cluster size, from 4 symbols up to 10 or more. The tentacled amulet is the top symbol: a 10+ cluster pays 100x your bet. Below it come the dagger, the ring and the mask. Four colored gems fill the low end and pay between 0.1x and 6x.
Gem wins are small, but cascades and Special Wilds keep them coming. That's the game's rhythm: lots of little wins that slowly charge the portal.
| Symbol | 4 | 7 | 10+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tentacled amulet | 2x | 16x | 100x |
| Dagger | 1.5x | – | 60x |
| Ring | 1x | – | 40x |
| Mask | 0.7x | – | 30x |
| Gems | 0.1x–0.4x | – | 2x–6x |
From the in-game paytable. The amulet pays 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, 32x, 50x and 100x for 4 to 10+ symbols. For the other symbols we show the ends of the range.
Features: Eye Marks, Wilds and the Portal
Eye Marks
Some grid positions carry a closed eye. Form a win on that spot and the eye opens. Once no more wins are created, every opened eye adds 2 Special Wilds to the grid.
Three kinds of Wild
The Special Wild, a red book, can trigger a Portal Effect. The Multiplier Wild shows Rich Wilde and doubles all wins it's part of. The Mega Wild appears in the free round and moves down the grid. All Wilds substitute for every regular symbol.
The Portal
Every win charges the portal. As it fills, it adds Special Wilds to the grid in three steps. Win with one of them to trigger Abyss, which removes a row or a column, or Void, which removes every copy of one random symbol. Both clear room for new cascades.
Other World Free Round
Win with 42 symbols and the portal opens the Other World Free Round. Every 3 extra winning symbols add one Portal Effect, up to 7. A random Portal Effect fires each time the grid runs out of wins, and the round ends when all of them are used. Open every eye during the round and the Mega Wild joins in.
Opened eyes turn into Special Wilds once the cascades stop.
RTP, volatility and max win
The top RTP is 96.59%, among the highest in the Wilde series. In theory, every $100 wagered returns $96.59 over millions of spins. Casinos can pick lower versions, so check the info screen before you play.
The rules screen caps wins at 2,000x your bet. That's $200 at $0.10 and $2,000 at $1. Most sources rate the volatility high, but cascades make the base game feel busier than Book of Dead's. The trade-off is the ceiling: 2,000x is less than half of Book of Dead's 5,000x.
Choose Tome of Madness if you want something happening on most spins and a bonus you can see coming as the portal fills. Choose Book of Dead if you want a simple game with a higher ceiling and don't mind long quiet stretches.
Pros and cons
What we like
- The portal counter shows your progress toward the free round
- Cascades and Special Wilds keep the base game lively
- Top RTP of 96.59%
- Strong, original atmosphere for the series
What we don't
- 2,000x is the lowest max win of the games we review
- Many features to learn before it makes sense
- Gem wins are tiny on their own
Our verdict: is Tome of Madness worth playing?
The most inventive Rich Wilde game, held back by a low ceiling.
Tome of Madness proved the Wilde series could do more than expanding symbols. The portal gives every small win a purpose, and the free round builds nicely as Portal Effects stack up. It's a game you watch, not just spin.
The 2,000x cap is the catch for players who come from Book of Dead for the big hits. Its successors, Tome of Insanity and Tome of Dead, raise the cap to 5,000x.
| Bonus feature | 8/10 |
|---|---|
| Win potential | 7/10 |
| Gameplay | 8/10 |
| Design and sound | 8.5/10 |
Tome of Madness FAQ
What is the max win in Tome of Madness?
It's 2,000x your bet, as stated in the game's rules.
How do you trigger the free round in Tome of Madness?
Win with 42 symbols to fill the portal. That opens the Other World Free Round with Portal Effects, up to 7.
Does Tome of Madness have paylines?
No. It pays for clusters of 4 or more matching symbols touching each other on a 5x5 grid.
What is the RTP of Tome of Madness?
It's 96.59% in the top version. Lower versions exist, so check the game's info screen at your casino.
Play responsibly
Every spin is random, and a bonus can take hundreds of spins to arrive. Set a budget before you start, use your casino's deposit and time limits, and never chase losses.
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