Book of Shadows app guide

Book of Shadows app: the short version

Book of Shadows was released by Nolimit City on 20 August 2020. The studio, now owned by Evolution, is known for extreme-volatility slots like San Quentin xWays and Mental, and this was its take on the classic book formula. You play it the same way as any slot in a UK casino app: search the lobby, open the game and spin, with your account balance shared across the app and website.

What makes it different is control. Where older book slots give you a stake button and a spin button, Book of Shadows adds options that change the grid and cost of each spin. On a phone, that means a few more menus to understand before your first tap.

Shadow Rows: how the Book of Shadows grid changes

The base grid is five reels and three rows with 10 paylines, much like Book of Ra Deluxe. Nolimit City's Shadow Rows option adds a fourth or fifth row, taking the line count to 15 or 20. Each extra row increases the cost of the spin, so the price you see on the spin button is no longer the same as your base stake.

Because UK stake limits apply to the total amount charged for a spin, the extra rows count towards the £5 cap for players aged 25 and over, or £2 for those aged 18 to 24. In practice the app will stop you selecting a combination that breaks the limit. The exact multiplier for each row is shown in the game's information screens, and the UK build may present these options differently from the version seen in international videos.

Always check the cost on the spin button after changing rows. The stake selector and the actual charge per spin can be different numbers in this game.

Playing Book of Shadows in portrait on a phone

Nolimit City builds its games mobile-first, and Book of Shadows adapts its layout to the screen. On a 5×5 grid in portrait, the reels become taller and fill more of the display, which actually suits a phone better than the wide 5×3 setup. The settings for rows and locks sit in panels around the reels, so on a smaller handset you may need to tap a menu icon to reach them.

The game has dark, detailed artwork with lighting effects, so it asks more of your phone's graphics chip than a flat classic. On a budget Android phone expect slightly longer loading and warmer running during long sessions. Turning down screen brightness and closing background apps helps battery life.

1. Open your casino app and sign in, using biometric login if you've enabled it.
2. Search for Book of Shadows in the lobby and tap the game tile.
3. Wait for the full load, then tap the menu or info icon and read the paytable, the feature descriptions and the RTP line.
4. Set your base stake, then decide whether to add any shadow rows, and check the total cost shown.
5. Tap spin and let each spin run its full length; UK rules require at least 2.5 seconds per spin.
6. Use the session timer or reality check in your app's account menu to keep track of time.

Lucky Locks: paying to hold reels

After a normal spin, Lucky Locks lets you hold chosen reels and respin the rest for a set price. The idea is to keep reels holding valuable symbols or books and pay for another try at the others. The price depends on what's on the reels you're holding, and the game shows it before you confirm.

It's important to see this for what it is: an additional bet, not a discount or a shortcut. The RTP applies to what you stake overall, so paying for respins doesn't improve your long-run return, it just changes how your money is spent. Some regulated markets restrict features like this, so check your app's version of the help screen to see whether it's enabled.

The book symbol and the free spins round

The book works as both a wild and a scatter. As a wild it fills gaps in paylines; as a scatter it triggers the free spins when three or more land. Before the free spins begin, a golden symbol is picked at random and becomes the expanding symbol for the round. Whenever it can form a win, it stretches to cover its whole reel and pays across the lines.

Nolimit City's description says the number of free spins depends on the row setting chosen for the round. Taller grids mean an expanded symbol covers more positions and more lines, which is why the game's largest outcomes come from a 5×5 grid in the bonus with a premium symbol expanding across every reel.

The international version also offers ways to gamble into the bonus and to buy it directly. Feature buys aren't offered to players in Great Britain, and Nolimit City notes that the gamble-to-bonus option may be removed in some regulated markets. In a UK app, landing books is the normal route in.

What extreme volatility means for a Book of Shadows session

Nolimit City rates Book of Shadows as extreme, its highest standard volatility band. The developer lists a hit frequency of about one in three spins, but most of those hits are smaller than the stake. The real swings come from the bonus, which can take a long time to land.

Take a 40p spin on the standard grid. Twenty pounds buys 50 spins, and at a default RTP of 96.01% the long-run expected cost of £20 staked is about 80p. That average hides how uneven the results are: a typical short session on a game like this either ends well below the starting balance or, much less often, well above it. The published ceiling of 30,338 times the stake is a theoretical maximum that very few spins ever approach.

The expected cost stays the same for the same total staked; what changes is how quickly you get there and how wild the ride is. Lower stakes give you more spins and more chances to see the bonus before the budget runs out.

Book of Shadows RTP: why your app may differ

The 96.01% figure is the default. Like most modern studios, Nolimit City supplies operators with several RTP settings, and each casino chooses one. Open the game's rules in your app and look for the theoretical return line; that is the setting you are playing. Our guide to finding a slot's RTP in an app shows where it usually sits, and the RTP range entry explains why different versions exist.

Book of Shadows demo play in the UK

You can try the free-play version only after an operator has verified your age, as UK rules have required since May 2019. Many apps put a demo button on the game tile once your account is fully verified. Because the Shadow Rows and Lucky Locks menus are easier to grasp by trying them, demo mode is especially useful here.

Book of Shadows versus similar slots

If you like the book format but want something calmer and simpler on a small screen, Book of Dead keeps 10 fixed lines and no extra menus. If the Nolimit City style appeals, San Quentin goes further into extreme territory with a very different mechanic.

Book of Shadows pros and cons on mobile

Where to play Book of Shadows on your phone

Nolimit City games are carried by many but not all UK casino apps, so search the lobby before you deposit. The offers shown are welcome deals from apps we work with; their spins apply to selected games, not to Book of Shadows. 18+, new customers, minimum deposit and full terms apply.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.