Cat Wilde and the Pyramids of Dead is Play’n GO’s 2022 addition to their long-running “Dead” series, this time putting the spotlight on Rich Wilde’s adventurous daughter. If you’ve played Book of Dead or any of its siblings, the DNA here will be immediately familiar. Egyptian setting, expanding symbols, book-style mechanics. It’s comfortable ground for Play’n GO, and the result is a polished slot that doesn’t stray far from what works.
Slot Basics
The game runs on a classic 5-reel, 3-row grid with 10 fixed paylines. It’s a straightforward setup that mirrors the original Book of Dead layout almost exactly. Wins land by matching identical symbols from left to right, needing at least three of a kind for lower-paying royals or two of a kind for the premium symbols. Speaking of premiums, Cat Wilde herself tops the pay table at a generous 1,000x the bet for five across a line. The scarab, Anubis, and Pharaoh symbols round out the high-value tier, paying between 40x and 500x for a full line.
RTP sits at 96.2%, which is reasonable and roughly in line with industry averages. Volatility is rated as medium, making this a slightly calmer ride than the high-variance Book of Dead. Stakes range from just £0.01 up to £100 per spin, so there’s flexibility for cautious players and bigger spenders alike. Maximum win potential caps at 10,000x the stake, a solid ceiling for a medium-volatility title.
Bonus Features
The central feature revolves around the Pyramid Wild Scatter, which acts as both a wild symbol and the key to unlocking free spins. Land three or more of these on the reels and you trigger the bonus round, starting with a randomly selected expanding symbol. This is the classic “book game” mechanic that Play’n GO helped popularise. During free spins, the chosen symbol expands to cover entire reels whenever enough appear to form a win, regardless of payline position.
Where Pyramids of Dead differentiates itself slightly is in its retrigger mechanic. Landing additional scatters during the free spins round doesn’t just add extra spins; it can also assign a second expanding symbol. This stacking effect is where the real potential lives. Having two expanding symbols active at once significantly increases the chances of covering the board and landing those bigger payouts. It’s not a revolutionary twist, but it adds a welcome layer of anticipation to the bonus round. The base game itself is fairly quiet, as tends to be the case with this style of slot. Most of the excitement is concentrated in the free spins, which can feel a bit feast or famine even at medium volatility.
Cat Wilde and the Pyramids of Dead is a competent, well-made slot that does exactly what fans of the series expect. The production values are solid, the Egyptian theme is rendered with Play’n GO’s usual attention to detail, and the maths model feels fair without being too punishing. On the flip side, it’s hard to shake the feeling that this is a very safe release. The dual expanding symbol mechanic is a nice touch, but it’s the only meaningful difference from Book of Dead. If you’re already fond of this format, there’s plenty to enjoy here. If you’ve grown tired of it, Pyramids of Dead won’t change your mind. A reliable choice, but not one that pushes any boundaries.
