Book of Ba: The Secret of the Netherworld is the latest release from Tom Horn Gaming. Set in ancient Egypt, it’s a nine-payline poker machine filled with symbols both new and familiar.

The Egyptian theme has proven to be quite popular among pokie players over the years. If you happen to be a fan of such things, please read the following review for more details.

Where to Play

If you want to play Book of Ba, you’ll need to find an online casino that carries titles from Tom Horn Gaming. The most notable option for Aussies is King Johnnie, which happens to be one of my current favorites.

Range of Wagers

This pokie has nine fixed paylines, which means they’re all active during every spin. The player has a total of nine possible wagers to choose from, and these range from $0.50 to $100. While high rollers might use it in a pinch, Book of Ba is better suited for low to medium bankrolls.

Shatter Mode

When the spin button is pressed, things happen a bit differently than with most pokies. Instead of spinning, the symbols fall from the top of the screen.

If a winning combination occurs, those symbols shatter. New symbols then fall down to replace the missing ones. This can happen up to four times, and each occurrence increases the bonus multiplier by 1x (up to 4x).

Virtual reels on the Book of Ba poker machine from Tom Horn Gaming

Book of Ba Pay Table

The pay table for the Book of Ba is easy to read. That’s because it never changes, regardless of the size of the player’s wager. Each winning combo is simply multiplied by the initial bet, making everything nice and easy.

  • Queen, Jack and Ten – These traditional poker symbols are all worth 0.5x for three matches, 2.5x for four, and 10x for five.
  • Ace and King – The two highest-ranking poker cards in the game, each of these pays 0.5x for three matches, 4x for four, and 15x for five.
  • Ankh – In ancient Egypt, the ankh was used in writing and art as a symbol of life. Here, it pays 0.5x for two matches, 3x for three, 10x for four, and 75x for five.
  • Scarab – This was a popular symbol in ancient Egypt, especially when it came to amulets and impression seals. It’s worth 0.5x for two matches, 3x for three, 10x for four, and 75x for five.
  • Eye of Horus – Also known as a “wedjat,” this symbol was a representation of health, protection, and royal power. In this game, it pays 0.5x for two matches, 4x for three, 40x for four, and 200x for five.
  • Ba – In the ancient religion of Egypt, the soul was depicted in the form of a bird with a human head (to illustrate mobility). In this game, it’s worth 1x for two matches, 10x for three, 100x for four, and 500x for five.

Free Spins Mode

The Book of the Dead icon serves as the game’s scatter symbol. When three or more appear on the reels, the player is awarded 10 free spins. These spins can be re-triggered during the bonus round.

At the beginning of the bonus round, a special expanding symbol is chosen at random. This symbol then expands to cover an entire reel.

Final Thoughts

Book of Ba is a well-designed game that doesn’t stand out in any particular area. It offers a decent betting range, solid graphics, and adequate payouts. While it won’t win any awards for creativity or innovation, it should still provide punters with hours of gambling enjoyment. And, in the end, isn’t that all that really matters?

Additional Reading

If you’d like to read more reviews for online poker machines, be sure to check out the following: