According to Wikipedia, the dragon holds the fifth position in the 12-year animal cycle of the Chinese zodiac, associated with the Chinese calendar. Every 12th year, including 2024, is designated as the Year of the Dragon. In some countries where the Chinese zodiac is influential, there’s an observed increase in birth rates during Dragon years. This is attributed to the belief that ‘Dragon babies’ are fortunate and possess qualities leading to more successful lives. While it would be intriguing to see scientific research either supporting or challenging this belief, it remains a topic that may not necessarily benefit from empirical scrutiny. Regardless, this cultural phenomenon sets the backdrop for Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom’s online slot, “Year of the Dragon King.”
The game is steeped in Asian themes, overflowing with imagery typical of the genre. It features a backdrop of a mist-enshrouded, rocky, mountainous terrain, embellished with elements like lanterns, coins, and, naturally, dragons. However, dragons are surprisingly scarce in the base game, possibly falling short of some players’ expectations. Enthusiasts of dragon-themed content, or ‘draco-files’, will likely need to activate the bonus game to fully indulge in dragon-centric gameplay.
To start playing “Year of the Dragon King,” the first step involves selecting a bet amount, which ranges from 10 cents to $/€250 per paid game round. Players also have the option to activate the ante bet feature, which increases the bet by 50% but also doubles the likelihood of triggering the bonus feature. This option suits those comfortable with a highly volatile slot, which is rated 5 out of 5 in terms of volatility. The default Return to Player (RTP) rate remains consistent at 96.08%, regardless of how the game is played.
The game structure consists of a 5-reel setup, each reel containing 3 rows, and the gameplay is spread across 20 paylines. Winning combinations in the game pay out from left to right, starting from the leftmost reel. The lower-value symbols are represented by the card ranks from Ten to Ace, offering 2 to 3 times the bet for landing a five-of-a-kind (5 OAK) combination. Higher-value symbols include lanterns and coins, which can pay out 10 to 25 times the bet for a 5-symbol match. Wild symbols appear on all reels and can substitute for any regular pay symbol, holding the same value as the coin symbol.
Year of the Dragon King: Slot Features
“Year of the Dragon King” may feature dragons, but it’s not overloaded with features. It does include a Mini Slot Machine bonus and options for bonus buys.
Mini Slot Machine Bonus This bonus activates randomly during a spin when the backgrounds of reels change color. If all reels turn green, blue, or red, the Mini Slot Machine bonus is triggered. This feature presents 1 to 5 mini slot machines on the grid. These slots spin and award prizes for winning combinations. Each winning spin on a mini slot grants an additional spin on that slot. When a mini slot lands a non-winning spin, it locks up, and the feature ends when all mini slots are locked.
The mini slot machines have one payline and display blanks, blue 8s, yellow 8s, or red 8s. A line of any colored 8s pays 1x the bet, 3 blue 8s pay 2x the bet, 3 yellow 8s pay 5x the bet, and 3 red 8s pay 20x the bet. The mini slots’ multipliers depend on the color of the triggering reels:
- Green Reel Trigger: Mini slots start with an x1 multiplier, increasing by +1 with each winning spin.
- Blue Reel Trigger: Mini slots start with an x2 multiplier, increasing by +2 with each winning spin.
- Red Reel Trigger: Mini slots start with an x5 multiplier, increasing by +5 with each winning spin.
Buy Bonus For those eager to activate the mini slot bonus, options to purchase the bonus round are available. The bonus can be triggered with 5 green, blue, or red reels for 60x, 140x, or 350x the bet, respectively. Alternatively, for 100x the bet, the bonus can start with randomly colored reels. In all scenarios, 1 to 5 mini slot machines are awarded.
In Summary
Reviewing “Year of the Dragon King,” an Asian-themed slot from Reel Kingdom that stands apart from their Floating Dragon series, was somewhat unusual. The game presents itself with a distinct approach, not necessarily bizarre, but diverging from the norm in its gameplay. It brings to mind another Reel Kingdom slot, “8 Golden Dragon Challenge,” which also features a bonus round involving multiple mini slots that keep spinning and awarding wins until a non-winning spin locks them. Additionally, the game echoes elements of the Reel King series, particularly in how the bonus is triggered by lighting up reels and incorporating a mini slot aspect.
Focusing on “Year of the Dragon King,” the base game can be somewhat uneventful, lacking significant excitement. However, the Mini Slot Machine bonus round offers a glimpse of the game’s maximum win potential of 5,000x the bet, especially when all five mini slots are active, enhancing the chances of higher payouts. Initially, the novelty of the mini reels spinning is intriguing, but this can diminish with repetition.
To its credit, “Year of the Dragon King” does have its moments of fun, particularly when several mini slots are active, triggered by the red reels, which offer the most advantageous multiplier trail. Nonetheless, the unique gameplay mechanics of “Year of the Dragon King” position it as a game that players might either embrace or pass over, depending on their preferences in slot gaming experiences.
