Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity Casinos

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity, from Play’n GO, dives deep into the world of cosmic horror, drawing heavily from the unsettling and mysterious universe of H.P. Lovecraft. As a follow-up to Tome of Madness (2019), this slot brings back the fearless adventurer Rich Wilde, this time facing off with the dreaded Yog-Sothoth, one of Lovecraft’s Outer Gods and a key player in the Cthulhu Mythos. For fans of Lovecraftian horror, this one leans more towards the obvious in its cosmic dread, but it could have benefited from an even darker, more immersive atmosphere. Nonetheless, it’s a fun, accessible tribute to the master of cosmic horror.

Visuals & theme

In Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity, Play’n GO has done a great job of incorporating the Lovecraftian theme into the slot’s design, though it’s a bit restrained. You’ll find Rich Wilde, looking younger than in his last adventure in The Wandering City, standing beside a 5×5 gaming grid in a candlelit room, with mysterious symbols and a foreboding atmosphere.

While the visuals capture some of the eerie, otherworldly essence of Lovecraft, there’s a lingering feeling that the game could’ve pushed the cosmic horror envelope even further. Yog-Sothoth makes his presence felt during the Damnation Free Spin, and there’s no mistaking the cosmic dread that looms over the gameplay. Still, compared to something truly unsettling like Print Studios’ Darkness, Tome of Insanity stays a bit more approachable.

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity: How does it play?

At the heart of the action is a 5×5 grid, where symbols drop down, and wins are achieved by connecting 4 or more matching symbols either vertically or horizontally. The cluster pays mechanic means that once a winning cluster is formed, the symbols vanish, allowing new ones to cascade into place. This continues as long as new winning clusters keep forming, offering the potential for multiple wins in a single spin.

Behind the scenes, a medium volatility math model (rated 6 out of 10) ensures a steady balance of risk and reward, while the game’s RTP is set at 96.2%, though alternative configurations might offer lower RTP values, depending on the casino.

Symbols

The symbols in Tome of Insanity are divided into low-paying gems and high-paying items, keeping in theme with the mysterious, arcane vibe. The low-paying symbols include four different colored gems, while the high-paying symbols are more elaborate, consisting of items like:

• Potion bottles
• Severed tentacles
• Pocket watches
• Cyclopean skulls

Cluster payouts range from 0.1 to 2 times the bet for clusters of four symbols, while landing clusters of 10+ symbols can reward you with up to 100x the stake. It’s all about chaining those wins and watching clusters build up for bigger rewards.

Betting & volatility

Bets range from 10c to $/€100, making the game suitable for both casual players and high rollers. Medium volatility ensures a balanced experience, with a good mix of smaller, consistent payouts and the potential for bigger, rarer wins. Tome of Insanity might not deliver huge hits often, but it keeps the gameplay engaging, especially when you start triggering cascades or unlock the free spins feature.

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity: Slot Features

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity offers an intricate, feature-packed experience where players aim to charge a Portal meter by achieving cluster wins that set off cascading symbols. The ultimate goal is to reach the Damnation Free Spin, where the Lovecraftian deity Yog-Sothoth may make an appearance as a powerful wild symbol. Let’s dive into the details of these features.

Wilds

There are several types of wild symbols, all of which substitute for any symbol and can trigger special effects:

• Book Wilds: These wilds may activate Portal effects when they appear on the grid, contributing to cascading wins.
• Multiplier Wilds: These come with multipliers of x2, x3, x4, or x5 in the base game, and x2, x3, x5, or x10 in the Damnation Free Spin. Only the highest multiplier is applied when more than one Multiplier Wild is part of a winning cluster. In the case of Yog-Sothoth Wilds, their multipliers are multiplied with the Multiplier Wild values, boosting the potential for huge wins.
• Yog-Sothoth Wild: A powerful 2×2 wild that moves across the grid for 3 steps during the Damnation Free Spin, increasing the chance of forming large clusters.

All-Seeing Eyes

The All-Seeing Eye is a feature that may appear in both the base game and the Damnation Free Spin. In the base game, an All-Seeing Eye is located beneath regular symbols and can be opened when a win occurs on its position. This reveals 2-4 Book Wilds, which are added to the grid when no further winning clusters form. The Damnation Free Spin offers 12 regular eyes and 6 special eyes, which add extra layers of excitement to the gameplay.

Portal Feature

The Portal meter is charged by winning clusters, and each stage unlocks powerful features:

• 8 charges: Awards 2-4 Book Wilds.
• 16 charges: Awards another set of 2-4 Book Wilds, and a win with these wilds triggers the Harvest feature. Harvest destroys symbols that are 2 spaces away diagonally and 3 spaces away horizontally and vertically.
• 30 charges: Rewards 2-4 more Book Wilds. If you form a win with these, you trigger the Abomination feature, which upgrades low-value gems into higher-paying ritual items.
• 48 charges: Unlocks the coveted Damnation Free Spin.

Damnation Free Spin

Reaching 48 charges guarantees Damnation Free Spins, which come with at least 3 Portal features. You can overcharge the Portal meter by collecting additional wins—every 4 additional symbols overcharge the Portal, up to 7 Portal features total.

During the Damnation Free Spin, the game triggers a random Portal feature when no further wins appear after a cascade. This continues until all Portal effects have been used up. The Yog-Sothoth Wild makes its dramatic entrance in this round by unlocking all the All-Seeing Eyes on the grid. Moreover, unlocking 4, 5, or 6 All-Seeing Multiplier Eyes will boost the Yog-Sothoth Wild with x2, x3, or x4 multipliers, respectively, significantly enhancing its value.

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity: Slot Verdict

Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity marks the return of the daring adventurer after a brief hiatus, and it’s clear that Play’n GO isn’t ready to retire their iconic character just yet. Rich Wilde, looking younger and fresher than ever, is back to delve into the dark and eerie world of Lovecraftian cosmic horror, facing off with Yog-Sothoth, the Outer God from the Cthulhu Mythos. If you’re a fan of Lovecraft and his mind-bending mythos, this slot is a must-see.

A Lovecraftian delight

For those intrigued by H.P. Lovecraft’s work, Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity taps into the cosmic horror theme with great effect. The Cthulhu Mythos has long been a treasure trove for inspiration in various media, and Play’n GO has once again successfully tapped into its rich world. A deeper exploration of the mythos in future slots, perhaps morphing into a Lovecraftian trilogy, would be thrilling for fans, offering endless possibilities for dark, eerie, and sinister storytelling.

Interestingly, the slot’s atmosphere and meter-charging gameplay bring to mind another Play’n GO title—Lordi: Masters of Rock. Both games share a moody tone, with a focus on charging features through repeated wins and unleashing powerful effects once the meter is full. However, much like in Masters of Rock, reaching the Damnation Free Spin rewards you with a single, supercharged free spin, which may be a bit of a tease, but the potential rewards are hefty.