Book of Shadows

Q: Should you play three, four or five rows?

Five rows offer the best RTP: 96.19% against 96.07% at four and 96.01% at three. But the stake doubles, so variance rises to match. If your bankroll allows it, the five-row format is mathematically the most favourable; otherwise three rows remains perfectly playable.

8.8/10

Release August 2020· Updated September 2026

The book slot according to Nolimit City: you buy the size of your grid before you play — 3, 4 or 5 rows — and the ceiling climbs to 30,338 times the stake. Released 20 August 2020, still one of the studio's high points.

RTP

96.01%

Volatility

Extreme

Max Win

30 338x

Grid

5 reels × 3, 4 or 5 rows of your choosing (Shadow Rows)

Bonus Buy

Yes

Shadow Rows (3/4/5 rangées)Lucky LocksSymbole livre wild et scatterSymbole d'expansion doréRetirage du symbole doréAchat de bonus indexé

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8.8

BetsRank Verdict

Our read of the game, based on the data the studio publishes

Book of Shadows holds a particular place in the Nolimit City catalogue: it is the game where the studio proved it could take a formula worn threadbare and make it interesting again. The book slot had gone twenty years without evolving. The idea of selling grid height to the player, with an RTP that rises the more you pay, is simple and honest — and above all, it is stated openly. That last point deserves underlining. Most raised-stake mechanics in this industry quietly degrade the return rate. Here it is the opposite: moving to five rows costs double but returns an extra 0.18 points of RTP. Rare, and worth knowing. Lucky Locks are the other good idea. Locking two books that have already landed and paying only to hunt the third turns passive waiting into a decision, which changes the feel of the game considerably even though the outcome remains random. The flip side is the volatility, rated 10 out of 10, and a bonus once every 154 spins. The 30,338x ceiling is real but assumes the most expensive configuration and a generous golden symbol — an alignment of conditions you will almost never see. Score: 8.8 out of 10. Six years on it is still one of the best book slots on the market, and probably the most approachable game in the catalogue.

Strengths

+The payable grid is a genuine idea, and the RTP rises as you pay more
+Lucky Locks turn waiting for the bonus into a considered decision
+The single redraw on the golden symbol is a choice that genuinely matters
+A 30,338x ceiling, extremely high for a book slot
+No complex in-house mechanic: the game stays readable from the first spin

To consider

−Volatility rated 10 out of 10 and free spins only once every 154 spins
−The ceiling is only approachable at five rows, meaning a doubled stake
−Lucky Locks get expensive when you persist on a mediocre grid
−The 33% hit rate flatters: it counts mostly very small line wins
−A player who stays at three rows is effectively playing the game's lowest RTP

Book of Shadows in detail

Released on 20 August 2020, Book of Shadows is Nolimit City's answer to the book-slot formula, the one everybody has known since Book of Ra. The studio keeps the skeleton — a book symbol that is both wild and scatter, ten free spins, a randomly drawn expanding symbol — and grafts on the idea that changes everything: you decide the size of the grid before you stake. That is the Shadow Rows function. By default the grid is a 5x3 with 10 paylines, played at the normal price. Moving to four rows costs 50% more stake and opens 15 lines. Moving to five rows doubles the stake and opens 20 lines. This choice is not cosmetic: it alters the RTP, which rises from 96.01% at three rows to 96.07% at four and 96.19% at five. The most expensive format is also, mathematically, the most generous. Lucky Locks round out the base game. After each spin you can pay to lock up to four reels in place and respin the rest. It is a deliberate chase mechanic, letting the player decide when to press instead of simply absorbing the randomness. Three or more book symbols trigger 10 free spins at the current grid height. A golden symbol is drawn at random before the bonus, and you are allowed one redraw if the first does not suit you. During free spins that symbol expands across its whole reel once wins resolve, and pays from any position with no adjacency requirement. Five reels covered by the highest-paying symbol on a five-row grid, and you are approaching the advertised 30,338x. The hit rate sits around 33%, but free spins only land roughly once every 154 spins, and volatility is rated 10 out of 10 by the studio.

Book of Shadows mechanics

▸Shadow Rows: you choose the grid height before staking. Three rows at normal price, four for 50% more, five for double, with 10, 15 and 20 paylines respectively.
▸RTP indexed to the grid: 96.01% at three rows, 96.07% at four and 96.19% at five. The most expensive format is also the best paying, which is rare and worth knowing.
▸Lucky Locks: after a spin you can pay to lock up to four reels and respin the others. A deliberate chase, under your control rather than the game's.
▸Book symbol as wild and scatter: the book substitutes for every other symbol and also triggers the bonus. Three or more award 10 free spins at the current grid height.
▸Golden expanding symbol: drawn at random before the bonus, with one redraw allowed. During free spins it expands across its whole reel and pays from any position, adjacency not required.
▸Indexed bonus buy: 60x the stake for 10 spins at three rows, 90x at four rows, 120x at five rows. The corresponding RTP figures then climb as high as 96.43%.

💰 Bonus Buy: 60x at 3 rows, 90x at 4 rows, 120x at 5 rows (10 free spins)

❓Book of Shadows FAQ

What is the maximum win in Book of Shadows?▾

30,338 times the stake, a very high ceiling even for Nolimit City.

It assumes the five-row grid, a golden symbol among the best paying, and expansion across all five reels during free spins. On a three-row grid that figure stays out of reach.

Should you play three, four or five rows?▾

Five rows offer the best RTP: 96.

19% against 96. 07% at four and 96. 01% at three. But the stake doubles, so variance rises to match. If your bankroll allows it, the five-row format is mathematically the most favourable; otherwise three rows remains perfectly playable.

How do Lucky Locks work?▾

After each base-game spin you can pay to lock up to four reels in their current position and respin the rest.

It is useful when two books have already landed: you freeze them and pay only to hunt for the third.

Can you change the expanding symbol?▾

Yes, once.

The golden symbol is drawn at random just before free spins begin, and the game offers you a redraw if it does not suit you. It is a real decision: a very frequent low symbol has a completely different profile from a rarer high one.

How much does the bonus buy cost?▾

The price follows the grid height you chose: 60x the stake for 10 free spins at three rows, 90x at four rows and 120x at five rows.

The corresponding RTP figures then climb to 96. 20%, 96. 29% and 96. 43%, the best available on this game.

How volatile is Book of Shadows?▾

Extreme, rated 10 out of 10 by the studio.

The roughly 33% hit rate looks comfortable, but it rests mostly on small line wins; free spins, where the game is actually decided, only land about once every 154 spins.

Does Book of Shadows use xWays or xNudge?▾

No.

This is the catalogue's book slot, built on a classic formula that the studio subverted through the payable grid and Lucky Locks. None of the usual trademarked mechanics appear here, which makes it an unusually accessible way into Nolimit City.

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Slot sheet last updated on September 16, 2026 · Sources: slotcatalog.com, official studio sites