Dragon’s Gate Bonus Choice

Dragon's Gate: Slot Overview

Three modifier games are slowly but surely taking over significant sectors of the iGaming world, and software provider Pragmatic Play has contributed another one to the growing list. Titled Dragon's Gate, it's an Asian themed version of this style of gaming, which the studio has done before on more than one occasion, as seen in the likes of Triple Pot Diamond and Triple Pot Gold. Instead of pots, though, this game has waterfalls and spreads its modifiers over both a free spins round and a sticky money symbol respins feature, with jackpot prizes on the side.

In many ways, looks amongst them, Dragon's Gate is the spiritual successor to Pragmatic Play's slot Chests of Caishen. The prize bar above the grid looks the same, as do the reels, while the background images depict a similar rural Asian paradise. One made up of waterfalls, placid water, boats, rocks, and plant life, like a traditional Chinese landscape painting. The waterfalls in this game are the collection area, and a fish swimming to the top animation indicates a triggered modifier. It's quite pleasant if you like this sort of thing.

It is possible to play Dragon's Gate on two grids at once, but for most of the time, it will likely be played on a 5x3 area, which in the base game and free spins round has 50 paylines. The theoretical RTP of the game is 96.5%, and it comes with a medium volatile math model. A wide range of gambling preferences is catered for as the minimum stake is $/€0.20, and the max is $/€240.

Starting with the lowest value first, the pay symbols in Dragon's Gate are J-A card ranks, rocks, plants, leaves, flowers, and a female character symbol. Landing 5 matching royals awards 0.5x to 1x the bet, or 5 matching premium symbols in a combination pay 1x to 2x the bet. Wild dragons land on all reels, substituting for all symbols except scatters and money symbols. Hitting a 5-of-a-kind wild win pays 4x the stake.

Dragon's Gate: Slot Features

In the base game, three types of scatters can land, and when they do, they are collected by their respective waterfall at the end of the spin. When scatters are collected, they can randomly trigger the bonus feature with 1-3 modifiers randomly active. Red may trigger Balance, Yellow may trigger Prosperity, and Blue may trigger Vitality. Should 4 or 5 scatters land, the bonus feature is triggered with 1-3 random modifiers. Before the round starts, players choose the free spins feature or the respins feature.

Free Spins

This feature starts with 5 free spins. Hitting 3, 4,or 5 blue scatters awards an extra 5, 10, or 20 free spins, respectively. If the Balance modifier is active, the round plays on two 5x3 grids. If Prosperity is active, random frames can appear on the screen, transforming symbols within them into wilds for the spin. If Vitality is active, hitting 2, 3, 4, or 5 blue scatters awards an extra 2, 5, 10, or 20 free spins, respectively.

Respins

This feature awards 3 respins, with scatters from the triggering spin transformed into money symbols. Only blanks or money symbols with values of 0.6x-30x, Mini (10x), Minor (20x), or Major (150x) may land. Money symbols are sticky, and they reset the spin count. The round ends if all positions are filled or respins run out. If the Balance modifier is active, the round plays on two 5x3 grids. If Prosperity is active, random frames can appear on the screen, upgrading the value of money symbols within them. If Vitality is active, the round starts with 4 respins and resets to 4 rather than 3. If all positions are filled with money symbols, players are also awarded the 5,000x Grand prize.

Bonus Buy

Players may trigger the bonus feature with the Prosperity modifier active for 50x their bet.

Dragon's Gate: Slot Verdict

Three pot slots are super popular at the moment, and Dragon's Gate is a pretty average example of its type. In saying that, the game has precedence, and following so closely in the footsteps of Chests of Caishen probably means there is an eager crowd ready and willing for basically more of the same. This Dragon's Gate delivers, offering much of what its predecessor did (plus a bit extra), including another tranquil scene of rural bliss, creating a relaxing atmosphere which sits well with the medium volatility of the gameplay.

What Dragon's Gate brings to the party is a free spins round that makes use of the three possible modifiers. Their effects mostly mirror those found in the respins round, apart from Prosperity, which does a symbol to wild transformation instead of money symbol value upgrade. It fits and all, but one wonders who would prefer free spins over respins, since one of, if not the main chase in Dragon's Gate is filling the grid with money symbols during the hold 'n' win round in order to lay your hands on the 5,000x Grand prize. As this prize is absent from free spins, the desire to choose that feature may take a knock.

Still, Dragon's Gate's winning potential is capped at 10,000x, and 50 paylines on a 5x3 grid might lead to something positive, no matter which bonus is chosen. Overall, Dragon's Gate is a competent but unexceptional entry in the three-modifier genre. It is visually relaxing, and players who liked the games that came before it will likely be enticed back. But, the new free spins round is a bit weak, lacking a real hook which makes them more than or even equally attractive as the respins round, which was basically already available in a previous slot.