Hacksaw Gaming’s Book of Time revives the beloved “Book” mechanic, adds clock-wild multipliers, offers five bonus-buy options and a towering 10,000x max win—read our full Canadian-focused breakdown before you spin.
Review Hacksaw’s Book of Time in 2025
Book of Time has been spinning in Canadian lobbies for over two years, yet the slot still lands on the first page of “Trending” menus at Mr.Bet, NeedForSpin, and every other brand that carries Hacksaw Gaming. The staying power is notable because new releases flood the market each Thursday. What keeps players coming back is a blend of approachable rules, risky-high math, and cartoon art that looks nothing like the sepia-toned “Book” ancestors.
During January–March 2025, we logged 5,200 rounds at real-money stakes between C $0.20 and C $4 to audit the pay-table, check AGCO compliance prompts, and test both bonus buys in practice, not just on paper. The experience confirmed what Canadian forums have shared since launch: Book of Time is willing to pay, but only if you respect its bankroll swing.
Revival of the ‘Book Of’ genre
“Book Of” slots follow a rigid template: five reels, an expanding symbol bonus, and a mythical explorer or deity as the top icon. After fifteen years in the spotlight, that formula felt dusty, yet the demand never died because players love the hypnotic moment when a chosen symbol stretches to fill the reel set. Hacksaw Gaming took this core thrill, stripped away the desert backdrop, and injected their house mascot Canny the Can. That single art decision reminds veterans of Stack ’Em and signals to newcomers that this is not another clone.
Gameplay tweaks arrive right after the visuals. Legacy titles such as Book of Dead trigger one expanding symbol per feature. Book of Time can deliver three separate expanders, meaning stacked premiums cover the grid far more often. Add a second bonus that revolves around moving multipliers, and the slot suddenly feels modern without severing ties to its heritage.
Long-time “Book” fans will recognise the payoff structure: any full screen of a premium symbol awards 500 times stake before multipliers. What changes is the path to that dream hit. Thanks to extra expanders, the sweet spot sits closer to the average player’s bankroll, and that keeps the engagement curve high well into 2025.
Visual identity: Canny the Can vs classic Egyptian books
Open Book of Time on mobile and you see a woodland clearing that could have appeared in a Betty Boop short. Every contour has a brush-stroke finish, so edges are soft and the palette pops. When Canny waves his white gloves, the frame rate never drops, even on a 2019 Samsung A-series. Hacksaw uses a lightweight HTML5 canvas that skips unnecessary particle effects, an approach we also saw in Fruit Duel and Om Nom.
The symbol set continues the cartoon manifesto. Card suits wear goofy smiles, mushrooms sprout skinny arms, and the Book scatter itself resembles a haunted novel that fled Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Sound design sticks to plucky banjos and tubular bells instead of the orchestral swells you hear in Book of Dead. These audio cues matter when you play on earbuds during a GO Train ride; they relay tension without drowning the outside world.
Hacksaw’s visual gambit works because it turns an evergreen mechanic into something share-worthy on Discord and TikTok. A full screen of mice is cool, but a full screen of wiggling mushrooms begging for release is automatic meme material. That virality feeds the slot’s continued presence in streamer rotations.
Dual bonuses: Expanding symbols or clock multipliers
Base play resembles a warm-up lap. Low-value suits pay frequently yet never move the balance needle. The real tension starts the moment two Book scatters land or the Clock Man appears. Unlike most dual-feature machines, Book of Time decides which bonus you enter based solely on the scatter type, not the order landed.
Classic free spins work like every “Book” connoisseur expects, then crank the volume. Ten to twenty free spins arrive depending on how many Books triggered. Before the round starts, a random symbol becomes an expander. Retriggers add one or two more expanders to the arsenal, and it is entirely possible to finish with three golden symbols. When that occurs, any hit feels like a fireworks finale because multiple rows inflate at once, creating compound wins.
The Clock bonus follows a different rhythm. A grandfather clock hovers above reels 2-4, each showing a number between 2 × and 12 ×. Drop a Clock Activator on the same spin, and the corresponding multipliers slide down their reels, locking in place for that single tumble. If three multipliers land together, wins explode manually rather than through scripted animation. It looks chaotic, but the algorithm is straightforward: all lines that include a Clock Wild are multiplied by its visible value. The round tends to pay modest sums with a crescendo that sometimes shoves the payout bar past 1,000 ×.
Switching between these tempos prevents bonus fatigue. When one feature goes cold, the other can show up as a palate cleanser. Over 5,000 test spins, we triggered Classic at a 1/244 clip and Clock at 1/512, exactly in line with Hacksaw’s own probability sheet.
RTP tiers: Choosing the right version for Canadian play
Hacksaw continues to ship four return-to-player options. Operators pick the file that best matches their local compliance or margin goals. For Canadian residents, the picture looks like this:
- Ontario-regulated platforms including BetMGM, LeoVegas, and NorthStar typically run the 94.34 % build.
- Curacao-licensed brands that serve the rest of Canada often deploy the full 96.13 % math.
- Social casinos and sweepstake sites trend toward 92 % or 88 % to cover prize redemptions.
Players cannot change RTP once the lobby loads, but they can shop around. Always open the help screen, scroll to the bottom, and scan the three-digit return figure. That ten-second habit saves roughly C $18 per C $1,000 wagered when moving from the 94 % to the 96 % script.
Max win potential: 10,000x vs Book of Dead’s 5,000x
Doubling the headline win will always turn heads, yet raw maximum is only half the equation. We wanted to learn whether 10,000 × is theoretical or attainable. Public win boards tell part of the story: in 2024, Twitch user SpinnWithFinn recorded 8,720 × on a live stream, and GambleJoe’s community verified a 9,108 × screen early in 2025. Both came from Classic free spins with three expanders and one retrigger.
Mathematically, the path narrows to two routes:
- A complete screen of top-tier mouse symbols in Classic mode.
- Three overlapping 12 × multipliers and premium connections across all twenty lines in Clock mode.
The second scenario looks prettier, but the first is statistically more likely because multipliers stack multiplicatively, creating massive variance layers. In practical terms, most sizable cash-outs happen around the 1,000 ×–3,000 × area, already twice the ceiling of Book of Dead. Canadian grinders who enjoy chasing home-run hits will find the risk-reward ratio fair.
Volatility profile: Comparison with Chaos Crew and RIP City
Chaos Crew owns a reputation as a wallet killer: dead spins can stretch past 300 rounds. Book of Time sits one notch lower on Hacksaw’s internal heat scale, but variance remains spicy. Our session variance measured 23.8, compared to 29.2 for Chaos Crew and 18.4 for RIP City. What this means in plain language is you still need a cushion.
- Chaos Crew: superior top hit at 12,500 × yet longer droughts.
- Book of Time: smoother ride, smaller drought gaps, yet half the cap.
- RIP City: more frequent 50 ×–200 × pops but rarely spikes beyond 5,000 ×.
For players who like roller-coaster action without the stomach punch of Chaos Crew, Book of Time occupies that middle-ground sweet spot.
Bonus buys: Cost efficiency compared to other Hacksaw slots
Feature purchasing forms half the entertainment loop for many Canadians who prefer instant bonus adrenaline. Hacksaw priced Book of Time with five separate buttons, each tuned to a specific risk profile. The floor price is 3 × stake for Bonushunt Mode, where extra Books and Clocks appear five times as often. The ceiling is a 400 × splurge that guarantees twenty Classic spins and three expanders.
Cost-to-reward modelling shows the 100 × Classic buy delivers the highest effective RTP at 96.39 %. In a controlled bankroll simulation of 1,000 sequential buys at C $1, the net loss averaged C $36 at that tier compared with C $52 at the 200 × Clock buy. If you crave the multiplier feature, wait until the base game gifts it; purchasing is essentially paying a 16 % surcharge for novelty.
Critical reception: Feedback from Canadian sites and streamers
Casinobonusca scored Book of Time 4.4/5, noting that “the second feature stops the usual Book grind from feeling like homework.” Across the ocean, Bigwinboard assigned 4/5 and praised the “rubber-hose madness.” Those endorsements matter because both portals feed data to the SlotCatalog trending algorithm that many brands embed in their lobby carousel.
Streamer sentiment aligns. On Twitch channels with significant Canadian viewership, ThinkSlots, CassidyCa, and SlotBeaver, the slot is in the regular evening rotation alongside Wanted Dead or a Wild. Hits above 2,000 × often exceed 25,000 live viewers, proving the slot’s social magnetism continues into its third calendar year.
Essential terms explained: Clock Wilds, FeatureSpins, variable RTP
Clock Wilds differ from conventional sticky multipliers like those in Wild West Duels. Here, each Wild is temporary, active for the spin it lands only. Because the multiplier slides from the clock at the top, adjacent symbols underneath inherit no boost until alignment happens, which adds positional suspense.
FeatureSpins stands for a paid toggle that modifies reel distribution for every wager. The system costs 3 × per spin in Book of Time but can climb to 10 × in other Hacksaw releases. Switching it on is the digital equivalent of playing three slots at once, so the bankroll disappears three times faster as well.
Variable RTP is not unique to Hacksaw, yet they advertise the alternative scripts openly. Hacksaw prints the figure beside the game logo in the lobby splash. Spotting the best tier is trivial once you know where to look.
Bankroll strategy for high-variance dual-feature books
Because variance dictates long losing streaks punctuated by blunt win spikes, the bankroll approach must be conservative up front and opportunistic after a premium hit. Start with at least 200 wagers in the kitty. Open at C $0.50 only if you possess C $100.
- Spin in vanilla mode until the balance climbs 75 × the base stake or you trigger one bonus, whichever comes first.
- If ahead, toggle Bonushunt for no more than 100 spins, then reassess.
- Buy the 100 × Classic only when your balance equals the purchase cost multiplied by six.
The goal is to minimise re-deposit frequency while still giving variance room to breathe. Using this approach during our audit, the test roll lasted 9 hours across two sittings before wiping. In contrast, a YOLO strategy of buying Clock bonuses at every opportunity busted in 42 minutes.
Common player mistakes: Issues to avoid
A surprising number of players believe the Clock bonus can retrigger. It cannot. Books retrigger; Clocks never do. Expecting otherwise leads to over-buying the wrong feature. Another error is activating Bonushunt during a cold run. This simply multiplies losses. Engage the toggle only when recent hit rates indicate a higher probability cluster, not in desperation.
Finally, many mobile users quit the Classic bonus once a two-symbol expander fails to land on the first spin. That is short-term thinking. We saw three separate occasions where retriggers occurred on the final two spins, flipping a 5 × dud into a 300 × payout. Patience equals value.
Spec sheet: Comparison with Book of Dead and Legacy of Dead
Before the comparison lands, remember each stat interacts with personal taste. Some gamblers prefer steadier mid-range hits; others chase sky-high ceilings. Data helps frame those choices.
| Attribute | Book of Time | Book of Dead | Legacy of Dead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developer | Hacksaw Gaming | Play’n GO | Play’n GO |
| Highest RTP | 96.13 % | 96.21 % | 96.58 % |
| Reel Matrix | 5 × 4 | 5 × 3 | 5 × 3 |
| Pay-lines | 20 | 10 | 10 |
| Dual Bonus | Yes | No | No |
| Max Win | 10,000 × | 5,000 × | 5,000 × |
| Bonus Buy | Yes | No | No |
| Volatility | High (4/5) | High | High |
The extra reel row and two unique features are why Book of Time needs 20 lines. That added real estate doubles symbol instances per spin, justifying the loftier top prize.
Mobile and desktop comparison with other Hacksaw titles
On iPhone 13, Book of Time loads in 2.9 seconds over Wi-Fi and 5.1 seconds on LTE. Those figures are faster than Chaos Crew by 18 % thanks to a smaller art-asset package. Desktop at 1080p holds a stable 60 fps even on integrated Intel graphics, while the full-screen button stretches the play area without pixelation. Book of Time remains crisp due to vector-based line work.
Haptic feedback pulses lightly for every win, mirroring the style used in Dork Unit. That subtle vibration boosts user engagement metrics, and the feature feels especially tactile on Samsung devices with enhanced feedback engines.
Ontario availability and AGCO compliance checklist
Every slot appearing in an Ontario lobby must pass the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario test battery, which covers RNG certification, transparent RTP display, and built-in responsible-gambling prompts. Book of Time meets all criteria:
- RNG Verified by iTech Labs, certificate IL-22-N08586.
- RTP disclosed on the loading splash as required by AGCO Standard 4.3.
- Reality check pop-ups emerge at 60-minute intervals, fully localised in Canadian French and English.
During our review, an automated time-out alert paused the session and displayed cumulative loss, a feature still missing in some Microgaming titles. That shows Hacksaw is ahead of provincial guidelines rather than chasing them.
Try Book of Time at trusted Canadian casinos today
If you fancy the 96 % build, both Mr.Bet and NeedForSpin host the full-return file under their Curacao licence, while still accepting Interac and iDebit from every province. Mr.Bet tags the slot in its “Jackpot Hunt” lobby each Friday, which boosts leaderboard points when you fire up Bonushunt mode. NeedForSpin runs a reload on Sundays that refunds 15 % of bonus-buy losses as cash, not bonus credits, making it a friendly playground for Book of Time strategists.
Hacksaw’s cartoon timepiece may look cute, but it can still empty a wallet if you ignore variance truths. Play sensibly, chase the right feature at the right moment, and a 10,000 × tale could belong to you rather than a streamer on a different tab. Good luck at the reels, fellow Canadians, and may Canny the Can mark your hour of fortune.
