RTP 96.08%
Min bet $0.10
Max bet $40
Max Win bet x 1000
Popularity Medium
Min bet $0.10
Max bet $40
Max Win bet x 1000
Gamble Feature Walking wilds, Random wilds, Wilds, Freespins, Scatter symbols
Layout 5x3
Devices Support all devices
Configurable Winlines No
Volatility High
Progressive Jackpot No
Fortune Charm is set in Asia, with the brightly-coloured classical symbols like the jade lion and the koi fish. The game also offers an interesting collection of features that change the gameplay in considerable ways.
Asian-styled slots are a popular format when it comes to online slots and for this reason, Red Tiger released Fortune Charm in 2018. It comes with a selection of unique and colourful symbols that emphasise the setting in different ways as well as the simple but effective background. The slot has a standard 5-reel, 3-row playing field with a total of 243 ways to win.
The symbols look gorgeous, especially the high-paying ones. They borrow heavily from famous Asian cultural tropes like the koi fish and the dragon, but the way they’re drawn is definitely unique. The use of sharp, strong colours also helps in setting the slot apart somewhat from similar games.
Unfortunately, the developers decided to fill the symbol library with high card letters which just don’t mesh well with this particular setting. I don’t understand why Red Tiger decided to do it as it takes so much away from the immersion.
The music is rather toned down but clear, using the usual Asian style that so many of these slots use. While they won’t score any points in originality, the different sound-effects are in a similar style and so mix well together.
As mentioned before, the slot uses a combination of original and beautiful high-paying symbols with very simple and boring low-paying symbols. A large number of different symbols does result in a High Volatility, making wins infrequent and spread out but usually rather large.
From highest to lowest, the symbols are:
Immediately I should point out that the payouts per win are extremely low. The Necklace is considered a high-paying symbol but at a three-of-a-kind win, it is already less than your initial bet. This is slightly balanced out because of the 243 ways to win, which means that a symbol appearing on consecutive reels from left to right will grant a win. Still, it makes it difficult to get any sizeable wins during the base game.
Fortune Charm has a small number of features that show up in the base game or are exclusive to the free spins mode:
The 243 ways to win is a big part of the game and the reason why the payouts for wins are so low since theoretically, they should make it easier to get a win. In reality, I found it to still struggle with creating wins and there would be many spins without a win.
Even during the free spins mode, with walking wilds and random symbols added every spin I would not always get a win. In fact, one time with 10 free spins I only had one payout. This makes it very difficult to ever recover from the bets made to get there. Players can choose a bet between $0.10 and $40 per spin to help cushion the blow but it still makes it a risky endeavour.
The Free Spins mode starts with a wheel that’s spun to reveal the number of spins the player gets to play with. Although the wheel holds between 5 and 50 free spins, I found it to stop at either 5 or 10 free spins a disproportionate amount of times. Another strike against this game mode if you ask me.
The general feeling I had of the different features, coupled with the difficulty at getting wins and the low payout once I did was that it was unfair. There were occasional spikes in payouts that would refund dozens of spins in one go but since they were so unreliable it was a huge risk to bet too high as it could just as easily not pay out.
Bonus type: No Deposit, Low Wagering, Free Play, Sign Up, Free Money, Welcome Bonus, Registration
Min Deposit: No Deposit
Bonus type: Coupon, Code, Welcome Bonus, Registration, Sign Up, Deposit Bonus, First Deposit Bonus
Min Deposit: $10
Wagering: 60x
Fortune Charm is a slot for the player that enjoys a high amount of risk, where betting too much and too fast will simply have your funds evaporate without an opportunity at making it back. Playing with a certain level of care will be a better approach as the chance of getting a big win is definitely there, but it’s not big enough to count on.
The game looks gorgeous either way, even though there isn’t much to see in the background the different high-paying symbols are colourful and detailed. I found the low-paying symbols to be in stark contrast with only minimal attention paid to their details.
Players that enjoy a classic slot with only a few features will most likely enjoy this game, even though some of the features are rather confusing. The modern players will also find something to get out of this even though none of it is particularly experimental or inventive. The max. win of 1,000x your bet is nice but not as high as some other slots.
