Shaolin Master

Shaolin Master Review

Martial arts have captivated people for ages. Many have dedicated their lives to their study, seeing these arts as not only about striking techniques but also about mind enlightenment. Temples and monasteries were built away from civilization so that students could fully dedicate themselves to spiritual and physical enlightenment. Now, there is no need for a full life commitment to martial arts to feel Shaolin wisdom, as we have a chance to become a martial arts student in Shaolin Master slot.

This company may have been a bit late to the market, but it quickly caught up and became one of the well-known providers. Established in 2018 in Malta, this company initially focused on online scratch cards, some with impressive payouts. Later the company moved on to video slots, creating its own unique style from the start. The game distinguishes itself from others with its visuals and excellent multi-platform accessibility with a heavy emphasis on mobile devices. Currently, the company already has games in its portfolio and more future hits in development.

The reason we started was because we saw a gap in the market for new and innovative products. We started by reinventing the traditional scratchcard, then launched our slots which included our ‘Pocketz’ series that are designed primarily to be played on mobile, and now we have our first premium high fixed prize jackpot game on the market. Innovation, mobile-first experience and quality are the values which we uphold with every product that we design.

Complex gameplay enjoyers - rejoice, as Shaolin Master game is exactly what you need. Our training takes place in a 5-reel, 6-row grid temple with cluster pays. This slot game offers intricate gameplay with mechanics, which include 2 types of bonus games, multipliers, sticky wilds, free spins, and much more.

However, before You start to play Shaolin Master, I suggest you check the RTP, as according to the provider, it can vary within such numbers: 88.25%, 92.31%, 94.24%, and 96.31%. So to evade unpleasant surprises, it is better to clarify this thing before the play. Moreover, this game has medium volatility, which means that players will get a mix of frequent small-to-medium wins with occasional larger payouts. As for me, it is the safest option, as there is a reasonable chance for a big reward, and the game won’t feel like a grind because of frequent smaller payouts. Bets start from a minimal €0.1 up to €100 and the max win is juicy x10,000. This slot tries to cater to all types of players, and in my opinion, it will work out, as high rollers and more casual players will find these conditions quite pleasant.

Shaolin Master Features

To see if I'm right, let's take a closer look at the game's features.

Cluster pays mechanic

The Cluster Pays mechanic replaces traditional paylines with a dynamic system where wins are formed by clusters of 5+ matching symbols touching horizontally or vertically. Winning clusters trigger cascading reels, where symbols in the cluster disappear, and new ones drop into place, often creating chain reactions for multiple wins in a single spin.

Wilds

Wilds in this temple are really wild! Sorry for the bad pun, but there is quite an interesting mechanic involving this type of symbol. Symbol? Oh, sorry - symbols. Yeah, You read it right - there are several types of wilds in this game. Firstly, in Shaolin Master Wilds are portrayed with Orbs of Chi. If to be precise, they are wild multiplier symbols that have a chance to land on the grid. When a Chi Orb symbol is part of a winning combination, the multiplier on the Chi Orb will multiply the value of the cluster win. There are several types of them:

• Blue Chi Orb: Will land with a multiplier value of 1x and increase by +1 every time it has been a part of a cluster win.
• Red Chi Orb: Will land with a multiplier value of 1x and increase after every time it is part of a win, increasing by +1 for each symbol that was a part of the winning cluster (including any Chi Orbs).
• Balance Chi Orb: This Chi Orb appears only on cascades. When it appears, it will land with a multiplier value that is the product of any Red and Blue Chi Orb multipliers on the grid. If it is a part of a win, it will apply its multiplier value to the win, and then disappear from the grid together with the other winning symbols.

If multiple Chi Orbs are a part of the same win, the values of all the Chi Orbs in that win will be multiplied with each other before being applied to the win.

Blue and Red Chi Orbs are not removed together with the symbols of winning clusters during cascades but are persistent until the end of the round. At the end of each round, all Chi Orbs are removed from the grid.

The Student

To activate this bonus game with 10 free spins, You need to land 3 FS scatter symbols at the same time during the base game. Furthermore, if You land 4 FS scatter symbols, the Bonus Game will have 12 free spins instead! In the Student round, all paying symbols from the base game can reappear together with a special Green Chi Orb and a Green Gem multiplier modifier symbol.

This feature has multipliers below each reel. Multipliers are increased when winning clusters form, increasing by 1x for each winning symbol on the corresponding reels. The multipliers can also be multiplied by the Green Gem multiplier modifier symbol. The possible values for the Green Gem multiplier modifiers are from x2 to x10.

When the Green Chi Orb symbol lands on a reel, the multiplier for that reel is activated. All activated multipliers are global. The value of all activated multipliers is added together and multiply the value of each winning cluster. Each time a multiplier is activated, 3 additional spins are awarded. Only one Green Chi Orb can land per reel. The max value per multiplier is 9,999x.

The Master

To activate this bonus game with 3 refilling free spins, You need to land 5 FS scatter symbols simultaneously during the base game. In The Master bonus game, the symbols from the base game are replaced by special Stone block symbols.

This feature has multipliers above each reel. Multipliers are increased by landing Multiplier Modifier Blocks, which can be either added or multiplied. There are Normal and Epic variants of both blocks, which affect either only the multiplier in the reel where they land or all multipliers. The max value per multiplier on a reel is 9,999x.

Adding values of modifier block are:

• Blue Gem: 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 10x
• Epic Blue Gem:: 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 10x

Multiplying values of modifier block are:

• Green Gem: 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 10x
• Epic Green Gem:: 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 10x

When an Ice block drops onto the grid, it will be crushed and a Multiplier Block will drop from the multiplier above the reel and fill the empty space. The value on each Multiplier Block is equal to the value of the reel multiplier where they drop. Multiplier Blocks fall to the bottom of the grid at the end of each drop, where they stick and stack on top of each other to gradually fill up the grid.

There is also a special Crusher Block that falls through all other blocks to the bottom of the grid and destroys all Multiplier Blocks in its path to make room for new blocks to drop in. When the Crusher Block reaches the bottom of the grid, it transforms into a Multiplier Block with a value equal to the sum of all Multiplier Blocks that were destroyed by the Crusher Block.

Every time a Multiplier Block, Multiplier Modifier Block, or Crusher Block lands, the remaining spins reset to 3. When the bonus feature ends, the payout will equal the sum of all Multiplier Blocks times the bet level. 3 spins in a row without a Multiplier Block, Multiplier Modifier Block, or Crusher Block ends the bonus round.

Bonus Buy

Shaolin students are taught to be patient. Still, we are no real Shaolin students, so we can be a little impatient. The Bonus Buy feature offers players a fantastic opportunity to skip the grind for scatters in the normal game and proceed directly to bonus rounds. There are 2 options for bonus buy:

• x100 of your initial bet - trigger The Student bonus game with an RTP increase to 96.29%
• x200 of your initial bet - trigger The Master bonus game with an RTP increase to 96.3%

There is also a Bonus Bet - each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger the bonus game for x3 of your initial bet. During this play mode, RTP increases up to 96.28%

Theme & Graphics

Shaolin Master has a oriental theme with heavy touch of martial arts. You can easily say that this game was created because of its vibrant and colorful visuals with the company’s distinct feature - characters on both sides of reels. Due to game thematics and, well, name, there is no surprise to see Shaolin master himself and his student. They are both beautifully drawn with excellent attention to detail, and the most pleasant thing is that the picture is not static - both characters are animated, as well as the background. Oh, by the way, our training with the master takes place in the tranquil Shaolin temple. This scene paired with smooth animations works perfectly for the immersion. As for reels, they are stylized in some kind of ancient Chinese wooden stand where game symbols are poured. In this slot, we will face the master with his student themselves, different orbs of Chi, various hieroglyphs, rosary beads, some kind of throwing weapon, and a fist full of Chi.

For the background music we have quite a basic Eastern melody, which, despite unoriginality, complements just fine overall atmosphere. However, it can be too repetitive, so I will understand If you want to turn it off a little after the start.

Pros And Cons Of Shaolin Master

Pros	Cons
Complex mechanics	RTP ranges
Cluster pays
Stunning visuals

Verdict

Playing in Shaolin Master was an interesting experience. This slot greeted me with visuals and thematic music that I enjoyed, even though I am far from a fan of oriental aesthetics. Then I opened the game rules and was literally stunned - complex gameplay enjoyers, You surely will be satisfied. A variety of mechanics and in-depth features are really fun to play. Still, You will feel the full specter of emotions in bonus rounds, especially in the Master bonus game, where it was hard for me to remain cool even for 10 seconds. However, this almost perfect scenery might be tainted if you aren't careful with choosing the right place to play at because of RTP ranges. Otherwise, everything is fine, and I really enjoyed my time in this game. Whether you're drawn to the serene aesthetics of Shaolin culture or the thrill of chaining massive clusters, this game can offer an exciting experience. I can certainly recommend it to gamers, especially to those, who want unusual complex gameplay.