Play'n GOPlay'n GO

    Banquet of Dead

    7.5/10
    Release March 2024· Updated August 2026

    The most ambitious entry in the Dead series: only seven free spins, but an expanding symbol that drives the low-paying symbols off the grid with every expansion, and a ceiling of 35,000x the stake — seven times that of Book of Dead.

    RTP
    96.2%
    Volatility
    High
    Max Win
    35 000x
    Grid
    5x3 grid
    Bonus Buy
    No
    Symbole extensible (mécanique du livre)Symbol Removal : retrait du symbole le moins cher à chaque expansionTombeau wild et scatter7 tours gratuits sans relanceGamble couleur x2 / enseigne x4
    Banquet of Dead
    🎰

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    7.5

    BetsRank Verdict

    Hands-on testing by Alexandre Dubois — bonus tested, multiple sessions

    Play’n GO has released so many Dead titles that raising an eyebrow at a new one is entirely fair. Banquet of Dead does have an argument the others lack: a ceiling of 35,000x the stake, seven times that of Book of Dead. On a ten-line machine running the familiar book mechanic, that is a considerable gap, and it does not come from nowhere. Start with the story, because it is better chosen than usual. Nitocris was the last queen of Egypt’s sixth dynasty. Herodotus recounts that she invited her brother’s murderers to dinner and then drowned the entire hall. The title is therefore accurate, which is not always the case in this catalogue, and the funeral-banquet atmosphere gives the game a heavier tone than Rich Wilde’s usual digs. Mechanically we remain in book territory. The tomb doubles as wild and scatter, three of them open seven free spins, and an expanding symbol is drawn at random at the start of the round — high-paying or low-paying, the game grants no favours. The new part lies elsewhere: with every expansion, the cheapest symbol still on the reels is permanently removed for the rest of the round. A grid that starts full of playing cards gradually empties of its low symbols, and later spins play out on an enriched paytable. On paper this is excellent. In practice, seven spins are very few to get that virtuous circle going. A round producing no expansion before the fifth spin is lost in advance, and there is no retrigger. The logical consequence of a 35,000x ceiling is a price: big rounds are rare, and the volatility, rated at the top of the scale, is real. One detail worth watching: removal can eliminate your own expanding symbol if it becomes the cheapest on the table. The game then draws a new one, which is fair, but the side effect is that a round launched on a low symbol sometimes redirects towards a more interesting one. It is the only point where chance works for the player. With no bonus buy and no retrigger, Banquet of Dead demands patience. That is not a design flaw: it is the advertised price of the ceiling.

    Strengths

    • +A 35,000x ceiling, seven times that of Book of Dead: by far the highest in the Dead series
    • +Symbol removal genuinely enriches the reels as expansions accumulate rather than staying decorative
    • +If the expanding symbol is itself removed, a new one is designated: a bad start can correct itself
    • +The tomb combines wild and scatter duties, which multiplies its uses in the base game
    • +A precise historical theme drawn from Herodotus on Queen Nitocris, not a generic Egyptian backdrop
    • +Stake floor of €0.10 despite volatility pushed to the maximum

    To consider

    • −Only seven free spins: the virtuous circle of removal often has no time to get going
    • −No retrigger on the free spins, which makes a slow round definitively lost
    • −The expanding symbol is drawn from all symbols, playing cards included: the start can be deeply unfavourable
    • −No bonus buy, on a game whose entire value is locked inside a rare round
    • −The book mechanic is reused without surprise: anyone who has played three series titles already knows the rhythm
    • −Maximum volatility makes the ten-line base game particularly dry between triggers

    Banquet of Dead: Queen Nitocris, expansion and symbol removal

    Banquet of Dead was released on 7 March 2024 as part of Play’n GO’s long-running Dead series. The studio presented it as a revision of two of its signature mechanics: the expanding symbol and symbol removal. The grid is the house standard, five reels by three rows, with ten fixed paylines evaluated left to right. Stakes run from €0.10 to €100 a spin. The theme rests on a specific account. Herodotus presents Nitocris as the last ruler of Egypt’s sixth dynasty; according to him she invited her brother’s murderers to a banquet in an underground chamber, then let the waters of the Nile in. The game stages that scene: a tomb, a feasting hall, offerings, and a queen who tops the paytable alongside the god Anubis, a bowl of fruit and a ceremonial fan. Low symbols are the usual playing cards, ten through ace. The tomb serves two functions: it acts as a wild, substituting for ordinary symbols, and as a scatter. Three or more tombs anywhere on the grid award seven free spins. At the start of the round the game randomly designates an expanding symbol from among all paying symbols, drawing no distinction between high and low: you may set off with the queen or with a plain ten. During the free spins that expanding symbol behaves as it does elsewhere in the series: when it appears in sufficient numbers it fills the entire height of its reels and pays independently of the paylines, according to how many reels it covers. The mechanic specific to this entry kicks in immediately afterwards. With every expansion, the cheapest paying symbol still present is permanently removed from the reels for the remainder of the round. The paytable therefore tightens as expansions accumulate, and the average value of the surviving symbols rises. One particular rule governs that removal: if the expanding symbol itself turns out to be the cheapest on the table, it is removed like any other, and a new expanding symbol is immediately designated from those still active. A badly started round can therefore redirect itself along the way. Outside the free spins, the game offers a classic and deactivatable gamble feature: guessing a card’s colour doubles the win, guessing its suit quadruples it. There is no bonus buy and no cascades. Maximum win is 35,000x the stake, or €3,500,000 at the €100 ceiling. The reference return to player is 96.2%, the studio’s usual figure, and volatility sits at the top of the scale.

    How Banquet of Dead works

    • ▸Tomb wild and scatter: the same symbol substitutes for ordinary symbols and triggers the bonus round.
    • ▸Seven free spins: three or more tombs anywhere on the grid open the round, with no retrigger available.
    • ▸Expanding symbol: drawn at random at the start of the round from all paying symbols, high or low, it covers the full height of its reels and pays independently of the paylines.
    • ▸Symbol removal: with every expansion, the cheapest paying symbol still present permanently leaves the reels for the rest of the round.
    • ▸Reassignment: if the expanding symbol becomes the cheapest and is removed, a new expanding symbol is designated from the survivors.
    • ▸Deactivatable gamble: guessing a card’s colour doubles the win, guessing its suit quadruples it.

    ❓Banquet of Dead: frequently asked questions

    What is the RTP of Banquet of Dead?▾

    The reference version runs at 96.

    2%, Play’n GO’s usual figure. The studio ships each title in five tiers — 84. 2%, 87. 2%, 91. 25%, 94. 2% and 96. 2% — and the casino picks which one it installs. In markets where several versions circulate, the 94. 2% and 91. 25% variants are the most common. The actual rate is shown in the game rules.

    What is the maximum win on Banquet of Dead?▾

    35,000 times the stake, or €3,500,000 at the €100 per spin ceiling.

    That is by far the highest in the Dead series: Book of Dead stops at 5,000x. Reaching it assumes several consecutive expansions during the seven free spins, on a paytable already stripped of its cheapest symbols.

    How does symbol removal work?▾

    Every time the expanding symbol expands, the cheapest paying symbol still on the reels disappears for the rest of the round.

    Later expansions therefore play out on a richer paytable, with the low symbols eliminated one by one. The effect compounds: the earlier the expansions arrive, the more favourable the end of the round becomes.

    How do the free spins trigger?▾

    You need three or more tombs anywhere on the grid.

    The round awards seven free spins, and the game then draws the expanding symbol. No retrigger is provided: seven spins is a hard maximum, which makes the timing of the first expansions decisive for the outcome.

    What happens if the expanding symbol is removed?▾

    It can happen, since the initial draw may designate a low symbol.

    If it becomes the cheapest on the table in turn, it is removed like any other and the game immediately designates a new expanding symbol from those still active. It is the only mechanism in the game that corrects a bad start.

    Does Banquet of Dead have a bonus buy?▾

    No.

    The seven free spins can only be obtained in play, with three tombs. On a title whose volatility is pushed to the maximum and whose entire potential sits in a short round, the absence of that option is felt. The game offers no cascades either.

    How does the gamble feature work?▾

    After a win, the player can attempt to double it by guessing a card’s colour, red or black, or quadruple it by guessing its suit from the four available.

    The feature can be switched off in the settings, which is often wise: on a game already rated at maximum volatility it adds variance few sessions need.

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    Alexandre Dubois
    Alexandre Dubois

    Online Casino & Bonus Expert

    Last updated: 8/9/2026

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    Slot sheet last updated on · Sources: slotcatalog.com, official provider sites, BetsRank hands-on testing