Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness from Play'n GO: Slot Review - Rich Wilde is back!

It’s time to join everybody’s favourite hero on a whole new adventure in this new game from award-winning software studio Play’n GO! The last time we checked in on Rich Wilde, he was busy combing the pyramids of Egypt in search of the fabled Book of Dead. This time around in this much-anticipated sequel, Rich Wilde has got his hands on the legendary Tome of Madness, which is said to unlock a portal to a dark dimension where a giant sea monster known as the Cthulhu lives! According to legend, those who gaze upon this monstrous creature lose their minds in an instant. Let’s join Rich Wilde as he tries to unlock the secrets of the Cult of Cthulhu and hopefully bag ourselves a nice cash prize for doing so!

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness is played on a 5x5 grid and comes with Cascading Reels, Special Wilds, Mega Wilds, and Portal Effects.

Special Features

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness is a cluster pays slot where wins are formed by landing 4 or more identical symbols in a cluster either horizontally or vertically on the reels. Whenever you form on a win on the reels in this game then the winning symbols will disappear to be replaced by new symbols from above. This gives you the potential to keep on landing wins one after the other provided the reels are kind to you of course. On the grid, you will notice a portal to the left of the reels which charges up for every win you create and this is used to unlock several bonus features in the game.

Symbols in the game consist of Skulls, Daggers, Rings, and an Octopus Medallion. Keep a close eye on the latter as it is the most valuable symbol in the game. Land a cluster of 10 or more Octopus Medallion symbols and you’ll receive a fine cash payout worth 100X your wager.

As you play the game, watch out for Eye Marks as they are special positions which appear randomly and if you form a win in these positions then 2 Special Wilds will be added to the grid for the next non-winning cascade. There is also a bunch of other Wilds in the game consisting of a Special Wild, a Multiplier Wild, and a Mega Wild. These Wilds replace all regular symbols to help create wins on the grid. The Multiplier Wild as you might expect doubles all winnings.

After you have collected 7 winning symbols to charge up the Portal meter then 2 Special Wilds will be randomly added to the grid. When you collect 14 winning symbols then 2 Special Wilds are added to the grid and if they are part of a winning cluster then the Abyss Portal Effect will trigger. Once activated the Abyss will proceed to remove a row or column from the winning Special Wild symbol. The symbols that are removed will contribute to charging the Portal and if the Abyss removes another Special Wild, the removal will also be initiated from that symbol. After winning on 27 symbols, 2 Special Wilds will be added to the grid and if they are part of a winning cluster then the Void Portal effect will trigger. When this feature kicks in then the Void will randomly remove every instance of a random symbol and use them to charge the Portal. As soon as you have collected 42 winning symbols then you will trigger the Other World Free Round feature which awards 1 free round with 3 random Portal Effects. If the Portal over-charges in this feature then an extra Portal Effect is added for every 3 extra winning symbols collected. In total, there are up to 7 Portal Effects on offer and these trigger when no more wins occur on the grid. The Portal Effects include:

• Special Wilds: 4 Special Wilds are added to the grid.
• Abyss: 4 Special Wilds are added and if a win is achieved with any Special Wild then the Abyss Portal Effect feature triggers.
• Void – 4 Special Wilds are added to the grid. If you form a win with any Special Wild then the Void Portal Effect feature activates.

During the Other World Free Round feature, up to 12 Eye Markers will now appear on the grid. To open an eye, all you have to do is form a win in that eye’s position. If you manage to open up all of the eyes then the Mega Wild Cthulu symbol will be added to the grid. This is a colossal Wild symbol that continues to move one step at a time with each cascade to further enhance your chances of winning on every spin.

Theme, Graphics and Sound

In terms of graphics, this is the best looking online slot by some distance that Rich Wilde has ever starred in! The action takes place in front of a derelict church with Rich Wilde standing next to the right of reels as he clutches on to the Tome of Madness. Symbols in the game are wonderfully designed and are comprised of Daggers, Skulls, Rings, Medallions, along with a bunch of coloured stones. The animations are a real visual treat as symbols drop down on the grid with a big thud and then disappear rapidly when part of a winning cluster. A particular highlight is when you trigger the Other World Free Round as the action moves from the church to a dark mystical setting where bright yellow flames illuminate the background. It really adds to the fast-paced gameplay.

The music is atmospheric and spine-tingling with an ominous backing track playing in the background. It complements the Horror theme of the game perfectly.

Win lines, Payouts and Jackpots

The game is played on 5x5 grid, has an excellent RTP of 96.59%, and a maximum payout worth 2,000X your initial wager.

Below is a summary taken from the PayOut Table from the game. The amount won for each combination depends on the value of the bet when you spin the reels.

Bet Range: 0.10, 0.20, 0.50, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00, 2.50, 3.50, 5.00, 7.50, 10.00, 20.00, 40.00, 50.00, 100.00

Based on a bet of 0.10:

• Octopus Medallion Symbol: 0.20 for 4X, 0.40 for 5X..5.00 for 9X, 10.00 for 10X
• Dagger Symbol: 0.15 for 4X, 0.30 for 5X..3.00 for 9X, 6.00 for 10X
• Blue Gem Ring Symbol: 0.10 for 4X, 0.20 for 5X..2.00 for 9X, 4.00 for 10X
• Skull Symbol: 0.07 for 4X, 0.15 for 5X..1.50 for 9X, 3.00 for 10X
• Purple Gem Symbol: 0.04 for 4X, 0.06 for 5X..0.45 for 9X, 0.60 for 10X
• Red Gem Symbol: 0.03 for 4X, 0.05 for 5X..0.40 for 9X, 0.50 for 10X
• Cyan Gem Symbol: 0.02 for 4X, 0.04 for 5X..0.30 for 9X, 0.40 for 10X
• Green Gem Symbol: 0.01 for 4X, 0.02 for 5X..0.15 for 9X, 0.20 for 10X

Our Verdict on Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness

Leading software studio Play’n GO produced this game and we are happy to say it is a more than worthy addition to the ever-popular Rich Wilde series. It is definitely darker in tone than previous games we must admit but refreshing to see nonetheless. Although confusing at first to get to grips with, it is surprisingly easy to get the hang of after a few spins. The key to winning big here is to form a few cascading wins with added Portal Effects. The most rewarding feature by far is the Other World Free Round as you can benefit from up to 7 Portal Effects as well as have the opportunity to unleash the highly lucrative Mega Wild Cthulhu symbol on the grid. In terms of variance, I found this slot to be High so make sure to have lots of bankroll on hand before joining Rich Wilde on his latest adventure! For slots with a similar Horror theme, check out Devil’s Number and Wolf Hunters.

Unlock the secrets of the Cult of Cthulhu to win big on the reels in Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness!