The game designers at Spinomenal seem to have an obsession with books. If you look on their official site, you’ll find no less than five pokies with “book” in the title. I’m talking Book of Rebirth, Book of Tribes, Book of Demi Gods II, and more.

Now, thanks to the just-in-time-for-the-holidays release of Book of Xmas, we can add one more to the list.

This is a five-reel poker machine with 10 paylines and a top payout worth 5,000x the total bet. It has a high degree of volatility, and also includes expanding symbols, free spins, scattered wilds, and more.

For additional information, please keep reading for my Book of Xmas review.

High Volatility

On their website, Spinomenal describes this as a “high volatility game.” So what does that mean?

Well, volatility mainly deals with the payout rate of a particular poker machine. For example, a highly volatile game promises fewer wins, but the eventual payouts may be larger. Meanwhile, low volatility games are likely to offer a steady stream of smaller wins.

Each type of game has its pros and cons. I suggest finding the one that best fits your style of play and then sticking to that type moving forward.

Betting Range

There are 10 fixed paylines on the reels, which means all of them must be wagered on. The lowest possible bet is $0.10 per spin, while the highest is $100.

This should satisfy all low and medium rollers, as well as a certain percentage of high rollers. Of course, the gambling elite will probably want to look elsewhere.

Return to Player

Also known as “RTP,” the return-to-player percentage measures the average payback of a pokie. This amount varies a great deal over dozens or even hundreds of spins, but it always proves true over thousands of spins.

The RTP for Book of Xmas is 95.9%. This means, on average, you can expect a return of $95.90 for every $100 wagered. This is slightly below average for an online slot, but it’s not enough to warrant crossing it off the list.

Virtual reels from Book of XMas pokie

Book of Xmas Paytable

Below, I’ve listed all the reel symbols for Book of Xmas, as well as their potential payouts. Just remember that cash values depend on the size of your wager. If you want to win big, you’ll need to take an appropriate financial risk.

For the examples below, I’m assuming a wager of $50 per spin.

  • Queen, Jack, and Ten – These poker symbols are worth $5 for three matches, $25 for four, and $100 for five.
  • Ace and King – The final two poker icons pay $5 for three matches, $40 for four, and $150 for five.
  • Reindeer and Christmas Snacks – Both of these holiday-themed symbols pay $5 for two matches, $30 for three, $100 for four, and $750 for five.
  • Snowman – The personification of the winter months, the snowman is worth $5 for two matches, $40 for three, $400 for four, and $2000 for five.
  • Santa Claus – This jolly old elf is valued at $10 for two matches, $100 for three, $1000 for four, and $5000 for five.
  • Book of Xmas – The titular icon serves as both a scatter and wild. As the latter, it substitutes for any symbol. As the former, it triggers the bonus round when three or more land on the reels. The following multipliers are also available: x2 for three, x25 for four, and x250 for five.

Free Spins Round

Three or more scatters trigger the bonus round. When this occurs, the player receives 10 free spins.

Before that, however, they’re required to spin a wheel containing all the symbols from the base game (minus the scatter). The symbol that lands will become expanding for the duration of the bonus round.

Buy the Bonus Round

You also have the option of paying to trigger the bonus round. You get to select the size of your wager, which then determines the price of activation.

The buy price is 100x the player’s wager. Therefore, a bet of $1 would result in a buy price of $100.

Final Thoughts

While the reel artwork is impressive, the overall theme seems derivative based on previous book-themed releases from Spinomenal. Still, that’s not reason enough to suggest a pass on the game.

Book of Xmas is somewhat boring compared to other pokies out there. The RTP is also a bit below average, so it makes more sense to choose a game with a higher percentage. Still, if you’re dead set on a Christmas pokie, this title should do the trick.

Additional Reading

If you just can’t get enough of online pokie reviews, then I suggest taking a look at the following: