Book of Golden Sands

Ancient Egypt beckons as this online slot game is set inside a rather majestic-looking temple. On either side of the board, there is a pit of fire, with a Pharaoh dog statue sitting on top of each. Players can also get a glimpse of the Egyptian scenery as the exit of the temple is also slightly in view. The animations in this game are smooth, and the sound effects seamlessly match the theme. 

Book of Golden Sands was produced by Pragmatic Play, which is one of the leading companies in the realm of online slots. This is not their only book-themed slot, with other releases such as Book of Fallen. Of course, they have also created a selection of other popular games, including Greedy Wolf and Sword of Ares. 

The Book of Golden Sands is loaded with symbols, with the first set being based on different jewels with ancient writing on top of them. These are represented by the colours green, yellow, purple, blue, and red. Next up is a bracelet, a brooch, a woman, Horus, and finally, a golden Pharoah. In the same order, these can award players with 2x, 2x, 2.5x, 3x, 4x, and 5x, should six form a matching combination across any of the 729 active paylines.

There are two special symbols included in this slot, both of which are typical of online slots. First is the scatter icon, shown as a golden book, that is linked to the main bonus mode. The final symbol is the wild icon, shown as a scarab.

Should three or more of the aforementioned scatter symbols appear across any of the reels, the main free spins bonus will trigger. Landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 will all award ten free spins. However, the potential winnings are 2x, 10x, 50x, or 500x the total stake size, in that order. This bonus follows the usual 'Book' theme, with one symbol being selected at the start of the mode.

If the chosen icon appears on three or more reels, they will fully expand. It's also worth mentioning that all paylines are ignored when it comes to this special symbol, with matching combinations being formed if there are three or more fully expanded reels. 

Should a chosen symbol appear and fully expand, it will be collected in a meter shown above the reel. This will cause the symbol to expand in three positions if it appears again. Interestingly, this mechanic can repeat until a maximum of ten positions are occupied by the special symbol. An extra ten spins can also be awarded to the player if three or more book scatters appear during this mode. Finally, this bonus mode can be bought directly for 100x the stake size, with a random number of scatter icons appearing.

This slot follows the popular 'Book' theme, with the bonus mode staying consistent with other releases. However, one area that separates the Book of Golden Sands from the crowd is the range of high-quality visuals and the broad selection of symbols. The immersive background music and sound effects are also positive aspects of the game!