Book of Oz Slot
If you’re a fan of online video slots that are packed with heaps of in-game bonuses, then we would suggest checking out the Book of Oz slot. The Microgaming-backed slot title is now one of the most popular games in the gambling industry, with literally hundreds of online casinos hosting it.
If you’re yet to try it out for yourself, be sure to read our in-depth review. We’ve covered everything from gameplay, graphics, bonuses, payouts, and more!
Gameplay and Theme
As the name suggests, the Book of Oz slot game is loosely based on the vintage Wizard of Oz story. Much like in the case of the hit movie, the slot game is based in Emerald City – the location of the famous Yellow Brick Road.
The Book of Oz title utilizes a conventional 5 reel set-up, and there is a rather low 10 paylines on offer. As is the case with most, if not all Microgaming titles, the slot interface is backed by state-of-the-art graphics, and a full range of in-game visualizations.
On top of this, there are a number of feature rounds on offer that can be activated at any given time. This ensures that players are accustomed to an enjoyable end-to-end gaming experience.
Symbols
In total, there are 9 base game winning combinations available. The lowest five symbols are represented by the standard 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace. The remaining four symbols are covered by a heart, key, lion and the main top-hat wearing character.
As we will discuss further down, there is a range of alternative symbols on offer that are linked to the bonus games. This includes the scatters/wild symbols. As is to be expected, all wins are paid from left to right, although the book symbol pays in any direction.
Payouts
First and foremost, the Book of Oz Slot offers an RTP (return to player) rate of 96.31%. The online slot industry typically averages between 94% and 96%, so this is competitive. Interestingly, the RTP rate increases slightly to 96.5% when you enter the main respins round.
In terms of how much you can stake, this ranges from just 10p per spin, upto a max bet of £25 per spin. Once again, high-stakes players might find this somewhat low in comparison to other Microgaming slots. On the other hand, the free spins bonus round does offer a theoretical top-prize of 5,000x. This means that a £25 spin size could potentially transition into a total jackpot of £12,500.
During the base game, the main Book of Oz character pays 250x for landing 5 in a row. As such, if you were able to fill the entire screen, the outcome of playing 10 paylines would be a total base game jackpot of 2,500x.
Special Features
As we noted earlier, the team at Microgaming have installed a number of in-game bonus features that can be won at any given time. Firstly, the ‘Book’ symbol represents both the scatters and wilds. This is unusual, as typically a wild symbol will substitute all other symbols apart from the scatters. Nevertheless, by landing 3, 4 or 5 books anywhere in-view, you’ll be awarded 10, 15, or 25 free spins, respectively.
Your free wins will also benefit from a pre-defined multiplier, which will vary from game-to-game. However, the most lucrative bonus add-on to look out for is the expanding symbols. This can fall in-line at any point during the free spins round.
If it does, a number of reels will expand, which essentially acts as a sticky wild. The main bonus round, with the help of the expanding reels, awards a maximum payout of 5,000x.
Finally, it is also worth making note to the ‘Respin’ feature. In a nutshell, during the base game, you have the chance to respin any reel of your choice. You might decide to do this is you have landed 2 bonus symbols and fancy your chances of landing a third.
However, this comes at a cost. The amount that you need to pay to respin your reel will vary, albeit, this can become somewhat costly if you do this too frequently.
Playing on Mobile
If you’re a fan of Microgaming slot titles, then you’ll know the drill here. As is the case with virtually all Microgaming games, the Book of Oz has been fully optimized for mobile gaming. When playing via your mobile web browser you will have no issues at all accessing the game – irrespective of your device.
This means that on top of supporting Android and iOS devices, the Book of Oz can also be enjoyed via a Windows or Blackberry smartphone.
In terms of how the mobile version weighed up against its desktop counterpart, the difference is minute. Apart from the rearrangement of the main slot buttons, everything else is virtually identical.
Conclusion
In summary, it is clear to see why the Book of Oz slot is now one of the most popular slot titles in the online gambling industry. The Microgaming title has effectively covered all bases. Not only is the slot packed with innovative graphics and visualizations, but those seeking in-game bonuses and features are also catered for.
In terms of value, a base game RTP rate of 96.31% is very competitive. This is especially true when you factor in the maximum jackpot payout of 5,000x. The only slight gribe that we have with the slot is that it limits its maximum spin size to £25. While this might be suitable for the vast majority of us, high-stakes players might feel hard-done by!
