Fei Cui Gong Zhu

Fei Cui Gong Zhu is a Chinese-themed video slot developed by Playtech. Released in September 2015, this 5-reel, 20-payline game offers players a mix of classic slot mechanics and bonus features set against a tranquil Asian backdrop. With an RTP of 96.93% and medium volatility, Fei Cui Gong Zhu aims to provide a balanced gameplay experience for both casual players and more seasoned slot enthusiasts.

The slot draws inspiration from traditional Chinese aesthetics and mythology. The background depicts a serene landscape with misty mountains, hanging gardens, and a calm sea, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The game's symbols include iconic Chinese elements such as jade toads, fans, Ming vases, and various ideographs in different colors.

Fei Cui Gong Zhu seems to be a spiritual successor to Playtech's earlier slot, Nian Nian You Yu, which also featured Chinese themes and imagery. However, this game stands as its own entity and is not explicitly part of a larger series.

Core Game Mechanics

The base game of Fei Cui Gong Zhu is played on a standard 5×3 grid with 20 adjustable paylines. Players can choose to activate any number of paylines from 1 to 20, with bet sizes ranging from 0.01 to 20.00 per spin when all lines are active.

The paytable consists of ten regular symbols, with the jade toad being the highest-paying regular symbol, offering 500x the line bet for five of a kind. The Jade Empress wild symbol is the most valuable overall, paying out 10,000x the line bet for five on a payline. The wild substitutes for all symbols except the scatter and bonus symbols.

Bonus Features

1. Secret Garden Bonus: This feature is triggered by landing three or more dragon gate bonus symbols consecutively on an active payline, starting from the leftmost reel. In this pick-and-win style game, players select flowers to reveal cash prizes. Each flower hides a multiplier ranging from 10x to 100x the line bet. This bonus can be activated during both the base game and free spins round.
2. Free Games: Landing three or more temple scatter symbols anywhere on the reels awards 10 free spins. During this feature, all wins (except those from the Secret Garden bonus) are tripled. The free spins can be retriggered indefinitely by landing additional sets of scatters during the bonus round.
3. Dragon Jackpot: Fei Cui Gong Zhu features a progressive jackpot system with four tiers: green, blue, red, and yellow. The jackpot game can be randomly triggered after any base game spin, regardless of the outcome. Higher bets increase the chances of entering the jackpot game.

Upon triggering the jackpot feature, players are presented with a wheel containing 10 positions. Each position corresponds to one of the four jackpot levels. Players spin the wheel and must collect three matching colored symbols to win the corresponding jackpot.

An interesting aspect of Fei Cui Gong Zhu is its combination of a pick-and-win style bonus (Secret Garden) with a free spins feature that offers a significant multiplier. This dual approach to bonus features provides players with varied gameplay experiences and multiple paths to potential big wins. The inclusion of a multi-tiered progressive jackpot further enhances the game's appeal, offering the possibility of substantial payouts even during lower-stakes play.