Return of the Dead is a five-reel, 10-payline pokie that was designed by Reel Kingdom and released by Pragmatic Play. The theme of the game involves a handsome explorer and his adventures inside tombs constructed during the days of ancient Egypt.

Where Can You Find This Game?

Return of the Dead is available at any online casino offering titles from Pragmatic Play. For Aussie players, I suggest options such as Woo Casino, Tangiers Casino, and Winward Casino.

Volatility

Pragmatic Play ranks the volatility of their poker machines from one to five lightning bolts. Return of the Dead is rated five lightning bolts, which ranks it as extremely volatile.

So what does this mean? Well, high volatility games usually pay out less often, but they have a larger chance to provide big wins within a short span of time. This sort of game requires patience and a strong bankroll, so consider these factors before you start to play.

RTP Percentage

This percentage, which is also known as “return to player,” is an expression of a pokie’s long-term payout. For example, a game with an RTP of 94% would, over thousands of spins, pay back an average of $94 for every $100.

Return of the Dead has an RTP of 96.71%. This is a strong percentage, and it’s actually superior to what you’ll find at most online casinos. This element alone provides reason enough to recommend it.

Betting Options

Return of the Dead offers players a wide range of betting options. You’ll wager on 10 lines per spin, and you can select the number of coins per line, as well as their value. The smallest amount is $0.10 per spin, while the largest is $250.

This diversity makes the game perfect for players with a low to medium-sized bankroll. While the $250 maximum can work for high rollers in a pinch, they may still want to look elsewhere.

Virtual reels from the Return of the Dead poker machine

Return of the Dead Paytable

The paytable is my favourite part of any poker machine, as it details all the symbols and their accompanying payouts. It’s always important to remember that prizes vary based on your wager, so taking big risks are more likely to result in substantial payouts.

For the examples below, I’ve used a wager of $10 per spin. However, the maximum wager is $250, so much larger paydays are available to bold punters.

  • Queen, Jack and Ten – These poker symbols are worth $5 for three matches, $25 for four, and $100 for five.
  • King and Ace – The last of the game’s poker icons. Both pay $5 for three matches, $40 for four, and $150 for five.
  • Scarab and Horus – The scarab was popular in ancient Egypt, often as an amulet. Meanwhile, Horus was a deity depicted as a man with a falcon head. Each is worth $5 for two matches, $30 for three, $100 for four, and $750 for five.
  • Mask of Tutankhamun – This is the death mask of King Tut, which dates back to 1323 BC. It pays $5 for two matches, $40 for three, $400 for four, and $2000 for five.
  • Explorer – This explorer spends his days searching dangerous tombs in remote parts of the world. He’s worth $10 for two matches, $100 for three, $1000 for four, and $5000 for five.
  • Return of the Dead Book – This symbol serves as both the game’s scatter and wild. As a scatter, it awards 2x the total bet for three matches, 20x for four, and 200x for five. As a wild, it pays $10 for two, $100 for three, $1000 for four, and $5000 for five. Three or more also trigger the Free Spins Feature.

Free Spins Feature

To trigger this bonus, you’ll need to get three or more book icons on the reels. This awards the player 10 free spins and begins the bonus.

Before the round begins, a symbol is selected at random to be an expanding icon. Expansion is only triggered if enough symbols for a win are present. When this occurs, the symbol expands vertically to cover all three positions on the reel.

The bonus can also be re-triggered. To accomplish this, just get three or more book symbols during one of your free spins. When this occurs, you’ll receive another 10 complimentary spins.

Final Thoughts

Return of the Dead is a solid option for low to medium rollers. The RTP is above-average, and the high volatility can lead to some impressive payouts in short order. The overall gameplay doesn’t break any new ground, but it’s worth adding to your list of games to try in the near future.

Additional Reading

For some enjoyable (and potentially profitable) poker machines, please see the following reviews: