Year of the Dragon King

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Year of the Dragon King: Slot Overview

According to Wikipedia, the dragon represents the fifth year in the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac, as per the Chinese calendar. In 2024, it was the Year of the Dragon, and this pattern repeats every 12 years. Interestingly, some cultures believe that children born in the Year of the Dragon, known as "Dragon babies," are particularly lucky and possess qualities that lead to success in life. This belief has led to observed spikes in birth rates in countries that follow the Chinese zodiac. However, whether there is empirical evidence to support or refute this belief is still up for debate. Some argue that this is a matter best left to tradition and culture, rather than being scrutinized by science.

Now, onto the game: Year of the Dragon King is an online slot developed by Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom, themed around Asian culture. As expected, the game is packed with imagery typical of the genre, including misty mountain landscapes, lanterns, coins, and, of course, dragons. However, players might find that there aren't as many dragons in the base game as they'd like. You'll have to trigger the bonus game to get your fill of dragon action.

Step one is to select a bet ranging from 10 cents to $/€250 every paid gaming round. Next, if you want to wager, activate the ante bet, which boosts the stake by 50% and doubles the probability of triggering the bonus feature. It pays to be in the mood for a very volatile slot with a 5 out of 5 rating and a default RTP of 96.08%, regardless of how Year of the Dragon King is played.

The gaming matrix is made up of five reels, each with three rows and 20 pay lines. All pay symbols give wins from left to right, beginning with the leftmost reel. The low symbols range from ten to ace card ranks, paying 2 to 3 times the wager for a five-of-a-kind hit, while lanterns and coins pay 10 to 25 times the bet for a five-matching symbol win. Wilds appear on all reels to replace any regular pay symbols, and they have the same value as the coins symbol. 

Year of the Dragon King: Slot Features

Year of the Dragon King may not have a plethora of features, but it sure knows how to keep things exciting with its Mini Slot Machine bonus and bonus buy options:

Mini Slot Machine Bonus

During a spin, if the background of random reels turns green, blue, or red, you're in for a treat. If all reels match in color, the Mini Slot Machine bonus is triggered. Here's how it works:

• When activated, 1 to 5 mini slot machines appear on the grid.
• These mini slot machines spin independently, awarding prizes for winning combinations.
• Each mini slot has one pay line and can land blanks, blue 8s, yellow 8s, or red 8s.
• Winning combinations of any colored 8s pay 1x the bet, 3 blue 8s pay 2x, 3 yellow 8s pay 5x, and 3 red 8s pay a whopping 20x the bet.
• Depending on the color of the triggering reels, each mini slot also comes with a multiplier:
    - 5 green reels trigger a starting multiplier of x1, increasing by +1 for subsequent winning spins.
    - 5 blue reels trigger a starting multiplier of x2, increasing by +2 for subsequent winning spins.
    - 5 red reels trigger a starting multiplier of x5, increasing by +5 for subsequent winning spins.
• The multiplier applies to all wins for that particular mini-slot machine.
• The feature ends when all mini-slots are locked after non-winning spins.

Buy Bonus

For those eager to dive straight into the action, you can trigger the bonus round with 5 green, blue, or red reels for 60x, 140x, or 350x the bet, respectively. Alternatively, you can opt for randomly colored reels and trigger the bonus for 100x the bet. In either case, you'll be awarded 1 to 5 mini slot machines to get the reels spinning!

Comparison with Other Games

Game Design: Year of the Dragon King

The Theme

The Chinese zodiac plays a central role in this slot. As the name suggests, it celebrates the Year of the Dragon, which occurs every 12 years in the Chinese calendar. In 2024, the dragon takes center stage, and this slot captures the essence of this auspicious year.

Visuals and Symbols

The game immerses players in an Asian-themed setting. The reels are adorned with lanterns, coins, and misty mountain landscapes. While dragons are a key element, they make their grand entrance during the bonus features.

Symbols and Payouts

• Low symbols (10 to Ace) pay 2 to 3 times the bet for a 5-of-a-kind match.
• Lanterns and coins are higher value symbols, rewarding 10 to 25 times the bet for a winning combination.
• Wilds substitute for regular pay symbols and hold the same value as the coins symbol.

Year of the Dragon King: Slot Verdict

Reviewing an Asian-themed slot from Reel Kingdom that isn't part of the Floating Dragon series felt a bit unusual. Year of the Dragon King stood out from the crowd, but not in a mind-bending strange way – just a little different from the norm. It reminded me of another game, 8 Golden Dragon Challenge, also from Reel Kingdom, which featured a similar bonus round where you spin mini slots until no new wins occur.

Another game that came to mind was The Reel King series, with its bonus triggered by lighting up reels and featuring a mini-slot element. Now, back to Year of the Dragon King – the base game was a bit lackluster, with not much excitement happening. However, things picked up during the Mini Slot Machine bonus round, where the game's max win of 5,000x the bet became a possibility. It's not easy to achieve, but having all 5 mini slots spinning at once definitely helps.

Initially, Year of the Dragon King's novelty factor was intriguing, but it wore off quickly after a few spins of the mini reels. It was enjoyable when multiple mini slots were spinning, especially with the best multiplier trail triggered by red reels. However, the game's specific mechanics might make it a hit or miss for players – it's a take-it-or-leave-it situation.