Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness
Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness is a Play’n GO cluster slot released on 27 June 2019. It moves the Book of Dead hero into H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos and replaces paylines with a 5×5 cascading grid where clusters of four or more matching symbols pay. Wins charge a Portal that adds Special Wilds and grid-clearing effects at 7, 14 and 27 symbols, and 42 winning symbols open the Other World Free Round.
Below are the paytable values, the three wild types, the Portal thresholds, the free round rules and the RTP. Figures come from the in-game paytable and the official rules: an average RTP of 96.59% and a maximum win of 2,000x the bet. Everything can be checked in the Tome of Madness demo on this page.
Where to Play Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness
The casinos listed below include Play’n GO in their game libraries and accept players from Australia. RTP can vary by operator, so open the game rules inside the casino and check for 96.59% before depositing.
Quick Facts About Tome of Madness
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Slot | Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness |
| Provider | Play’n GO |
| Release | 27 June 2019 |
| Layout | 5×5 grid with cascades |
| Pay system | Clusters of 4+ symbols touching horizontally or vertically |
| RTP | 96.59% (average RTP stated in the rules) |
| Volatility | High (not published in the rules) |
| Bet range | 0.10 to 100 per spin in the demo |
| Maximum win | 2,000x the bet |
| Wilds | Special Wild (Tome), Rich Wilde x2 multiplier wild, Cthulhu Mega Wild |
| Bonus | Other World Free Round with 3 to 7 Portal Effects |
| Other features | Portal charge, Eye Marks, Abyss and Void effects |
How Tome of Madness Works
A win needs a cluster of at least four identical symbols connected horizontally or vertically. Winning symbols are removed, new ones drop in and the grid cascades until no new clusters form. Pay grows with cluster size from 4 up to 10 or more symbols. Values at a 1.00 bet:
| Symbol | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus amulet | 2.00 | 4.00 | 8.00 | 16.00 | 32.00 | 50.00 | 100.00 |
| Dagger | 1.50 | 3.00 | 6.00 | 12.00 | 24.00 | 30.00 | 60.00 |
| Ring | 1.00 | 2.00 | 4.00 | 8.00 | 16.00 | 20.00 | 40.00 |
| Skull idol | 0.70 | 1.50 | 3.00 | 6.00 | 12.00 | 15.00 | 30.00 |
| Purple gem | 0.40 | 0.60 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 4.00 | 4.50 | 6.00 |
| Red gem | 0.30 | 0.50 | 0.80 | 1.60 | 3.20 | 4.00 | 5.00 |
| Blue gem | 0.20 | 0.40 | 0.60 | 1.20 | 2.40 | 3.00 | 4.00 |
| Green gem | 0.10 | 0.20 | 0.30 | 0.60 | 1.20 | 1.50 | 2.00 |
Three Types of Wild
- Special Wild (the Tome / Necronomicon) substitutes for all regular symbols and is the wild that can trigger the Abyss and Void Portal Effects.
- Rich Wilde is a multiplier wild that doubles every win it is part of.
- Mega Wild (Cthulhu) appears only in the free round, after all Eye Marks are opened, and moves down the grid with each cascade before disappearing.
The Portal and Eye Marks
Every winning symbol charges the Portal on the left of the grid. The thresholds within one game round are:
- 7 symbols: 2 Special Wilds are added to the grid.
- 14 symbols: 2 Special Wilds are added; a win with one triggers Abyss, which removes the row or column of that wild. Removed symbols also charge the Portal, and if Abyss hits another Special Wild, removal continues from it.
- 27 symbols: 2 Special Wilds are added; a win with one triggers Void, which picks one regular symbol and removes every instance of it from the grid.
- 42 symbols: the Other World Free Round starts.
If a higher charge level is reached before a lower effect has played, only the higher effect is awarded. Eye Marks also appear at random positions; forming a win on an Eye Mark opens it and adds 2 Special Wilds once the cascades stop. The Portal resets after each paid spin, so all charging has to happen within one sequence of cascades.
Other World Free Round
Reaching 42 winning symbols awards one free round with 3 random Portal Effects. Every 3 winning symbols beyond 42 add one more effect, up to a maximum of 7. In the round shown below the Portal reached 54 symbols, which gave the full 7 effects. Each time the cascades stop, one effect fires:
- Special Wilds: 4 Special Wilds are added.
- Abyss: 4 Special Wilds are added, and a win with any of them triggers Abyss.
- Void: 4 Special Wilds are added, and a win with any of them triggers Void.
The free round also shows 11 or 12 Eye Marks. Opening all of them summons the Cthulhu Mega Wild. The round ends when all Portal Effects have been used and no further wins form. In the demo session used for these screenshots, a 0.50 bet produced a free round total of 16.55, or 33x the stake.
RTP and Volatility
The official rules list an average RTP of 96.59%. As with other Play’n GO slots, operators can choose lower configurations that look identical, so the RTP line in your casino’s copy of the rules is what counts. Volatility is not published. The 2,000x cap is lower than many cluster slots, but results still depend heavily on long cascade chains reaching the 27 and 42 thresholds.
Worked Example: Rich Wilde on a Cluster
At A$1 per spin, a cluster of five daggers pays A$3. If Rich Wilde is part of that cluster, the multiplier wild doubles it to A$6. A cluster of ten or more octopus amulets pays A$100, or A$200 with Rich Wilde in it. These wins also charge the Portal: the ten-symbol cluster alone takes the meter past the 7-symbol threshold, adding 2 Special Wilds that can extend the cascade.
What a Typical Spin Looks Like
Most spins end before the first Portal level. A single cluster of four or five gems charges the Portal by that many symbols, and the counter returns to zero at the start of the next spin. Reaching 7 symbols needs either one large cluster or two cascades in a row, and this is where the game starts to build: the 2 Special Wilds land after the cascades stop and often create the next cluster. From there, chains that cross 14 and 27 symbols bring Abyss and Void, which remove whole rows, columns or symbol types and push even more symbols into the count.
In the demo session used for this page, the Portal reached 42 within the first dozen spins and continued to 54, so the free round started with the full 7 effects. That was a fast trigger; the rules give no frequency, and long runs without the free round are normal.
Place in the Rich Wilde Series
Rich Wilde is Play’n GO’s recurring adventurer, best known from Book of Dead (2016). Most entries in the series are 5×3 line slots with expanding symbols. Tome of Madness is the exception: it uses a cluster grid and a charge meter, closer in design to Reactoonz than to Book of Dead, and Rich Wilde appears as a multiplier wild rather than as a paying symbol. Players who know the line slots should expect more frequent small wins and a lower 2,000x cap instead of the 5,000x found in Book of Dead.
Bankroll Tips for Tome of Madness
- Small clusters of gems pay less than the stake (four green gems return 0.1x), so many winning spins still lose money.
- The free round depends on one long cascade chain reaching 42 symbols. Budget for at least 200 spins.
- The maximum is 2,000x, so there is no reason to raise the stake to chase a larger cap.
- Set deposit and loss limits before you play.
Pros and Cons of Tome of Madness
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 96.59% RTP in the standard version | Maximum win limited to 2,000x |
| Three wild types including a x2 multiplier wild | Portal charge resets every spin |
| Portal effects at 7, 14 and 27 symbols | Free round is a single round, not a series of spins |
| Up to 7 Portal Effects in the free round | Small gem clusters pay below the stake |
| Bet range from 0.10 to 100 | No bonus buy |
Demo Play vs Real Money
The demo is Play’n GO’s official practice version and uses the same rules and maths as the real game. It is the quickest way to see how often cascades reach each Portal level. For real-money play, choose a casino that publishes the RTP in the game rules and offers deposit limits; compare options in our casino reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
The official rules state an average RTP of 96.59%. Lower configurations exist, so check the RTP in the game rules at your casino.
The paytable states a maximum win of 2,000x the bet.
Win on 42 symbols within one game round to fully charge the Portal. The free round starts with 3 Portal Effects, plus one for every 3 extra winning symbols, up to 7.
Abyss removes the row or column of a winning Special Wild. Void picks one regular symbol and removes all of them from the grid. Both help extend cascades.
Rich Wilde is a multiplier wild. It substitutes for regular symbols and doubles every win it is part of.
It has one Other World Free Round instead of a series of free spins. Portal Effects fire each time the cascades stop until all have been used.
Responsible Gaming Note
Slot outcomes are random and cannot be influenced. Only play if you are 18 or older, set a budget and time limit in advance and stop when you reach them. Free and confidential help is available 24/7 from Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858.
Final Verdict
Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness is a cluster-pays grid with a layered Portal system: Special Wilds at 7, 14 and 27 symbols, Abyss and Void removal effects, and a free round with up to seven Portal Effects. The RTP is 96.59% and the cap is 2,000x the bet. Try the demo to see how often the Portal fills, then confirm the RTP at your casino.
