Lion Dance (IGT)

Lion Dance Review

Many Asian-themed games exist, and here is another Chinese release called Lion Dance. The gameplay is engaging. The features provide plenty of Wilds and Multipliers both in the base game and free spins, and players can win over 3,000x the stake.

Lion Dance - Slot Outlook

Much like any other Oriental slot, Lion Dance has a fairly typical outer look and can't really boast of anything original. With red and gold colors dominating the color scheme, the reels are backgrounded to classic Chinese pagoda buildings, and the grid itself is decorated with familiar lanterns and coins. Coins at the very top aren't just cosmetic though, as they fall into the Wilds Mania area beneath the reels to trigger the feature whenever it gets filled. Traditional Chinese music adds a final touch to the rich Asian atmosphere, and it picks up the tempo during bonus features to become more dramatic.

The actions take place across a 5x4 grid producing 40 ways to play, and players drop in by setting bets. The long-term payback, or RTP, varies, and the maximum win value is 3,333x the bet. Not the best-balanced math model indeed.

The paytable in the Lion Dance slot includes 8 regular symbols that are split in half into highs and lows. The lower section comprises fans, discs, lanterns, and drums, while the premium lot is made up of red envelopes, Baoding balls, a lady, and Chinese Lions. All symbols pay for three-of-a-kind and more, except the latter one, which needs only two. Meanwhile, 5-of-a-kind low symbol wins are worth 1x the stake, and higher-value symbols pay from 1.2x to 1.6x. However, better payouts are possible when Wilds show up, though, those can appear only during the Wilds Mania feature, explained below.

Lion Dance - Bonus Features

There's an empty spot below each reel where 1 to 5 coins may randomly fall into on any spin. When all 5 are filled, the Wilds Mania feature is triggered, and that's where most payouts in the Lion Dance slot come from. Any additional coins collected in the area will be placed in random positions on the respective reels above it, transforming those positions into Wilds. What's more interesting is that one coin per reel may appear with a random multiplier value attached to it, which can be either 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 10x, 15x, or 20x. If a Multiplier Wild substitutes in a win, that win will be multiplied by the corresponding multiplier value, plus if more than one Wild takes part in a single win, the multipliers are added together.

Look out for Chest symbols that are available only on reel 3, as whenever it appears, the Wilds Mania feature is triggered automatically. Moreover, it places one additional Wild symbol per each reel to produce bigger winning opportunities. If those are placed on an already Wild position, that symbol multiplier is increased by 1, up to a maximum of 21x.

Whenever Scatter symbols land simultaneously anywhere on the three middle reels, players are awarded 15 Free Spins. The bonus plays out in a similar way to the base game, though, a major difference is that reel 3 contains more Chest symbols. Finally, retriggers are possible, up to a maximum of 600 spins.

Lion Dance - Slot Verdict

With primitive Chinese visuals and straightforward yet enjoyable gameplay, Lion Dance is not a bad slot and might even be a nice option for those really into the Chinese thing. The Wilds Mania feature can dish out solid payouts if high multipliers are drawn, and Free Spins provide you receive those pretty often. However, not bigger than 3,333x the stake, which is certainly lower than the potential you would like to have. All up, Lion Dance delivers enough entertainment, but the mediocre math model and cliched outer look might scare some players away.