Feng Shen draws inspiration from ancient Chinese mythology, specifically focusing on the concept of Bagua, a fundamental philosophical principle in Taoism. The slot's background creates a mystical and traditional Chinese atmosphere, utilizing a rich color palette dominated by red and gold hues. These colors are culturally significant in Chinese tradition, representing good fortune and prosperity.
Core Game and Mechanics:
Feng Shen operates on a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 243 paylines. The game uses a cascade feature, where winning combinations trigger a chain reaction. After a win, the winning symbols disappear, allowing new symbols to fall from above and potentially create new winning combinations. This process continues until no new wins are formed.
The slot incorporates both high-value themed symbols and lower-value card symbols (A, K, Q, J). The game's Wild symbol appears on reels 2, 3, and 4, substituting for all symbols except the Scatter. The Scatter symbol, when landing three or more times on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost, triggers the Free Spins bonus.
The base game has a hit frequency of 0.19, indicating that winning combinations occur in approximately 19% of spins. The average win-to-bet ratio is 4.9, suggesting moderate potential for wins in the base game.
Bonus Features:
- Free Spins Bonus:
- Triggered by landing three or more Scatter symbols on adjacent reels from left to right.
- At the start of the bonus, players choose one of four Bagua options, each offering a different combination of free spins and win multipliers.
- Players face a strategic choice: opt for a large number of free spins with a smaller multiplier, or fewer spins with a larger multiplier.
- During free spins, the Wild symbol takes on the color of the chosen Bagua option and applies a random multiplier to wins.
- The bonus can be retriggered, extending the free spins session.
- The bonus round has a significantly higher average win-to-bet ratio of 55.4, indicating substantial win potential.
- Enhanced Wild Feature:
- During free spins, the Wild symbol becomes more powerful.
- It adopts the color of the chosen Bagua option and applies a random multiplier to any wins it contributes to.
- Extra Bonus Prize:
- During free spins, special symbols appearing anywhere on reels 1 and 5 award an extra bonus prize.
- The prize value can be 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 50 times the total bet.
- Bagua Selection:
- This feature allows players to customize their free spins experience.
- Each Bagua option provides a unique balance of free spins quantity and win multiplier magnitude.
- This adds an element of strategy and personal preference to the bonus round.
- Buy Feature:
- The slot includes a “Buy Free Spins” option, allowing players to directly access the bonus round for a predetermined cost.
Interesting Feature:
The most intriguing aspect of Feng Shen is its Bagua selection feature. This mechanic adds a layer of strategy to the slot, allowing players to tailor their bonus experience based on their risk preference. The choice between more spins with lower multipliers or fewer spins with higher multipliers creates a meaningful decision point, enhancing player engagement and potentially affecting the overall volatility of the bonus round.