By Genesis
RTP 98.00%
Min bet $0.01
Max bet $100
Max Win bet x 750
Popularity Low
Min bet $0.01
Max bet $100
Max Win bet x 750
Gamble Feature RTP, Freespins, Multiplier, Sticky wilds, Scatter symbols
Layout 5x3
Devices Support all devices
Configurable Winlines No
Volatility Low
Progressive Jackpot No
Hop on aboard a dragon boat and sail away in this calm and relaxing slot. The game is a stream of constant small wins.
Genesis Gaming released Lucky Dragon Boat in the spring of 2017. Just like roughly half of the slots made by Genesis, this one is also based on Chinese culture. The stars of the slot are the titular dragon boats, which are often used in celebration and in festive racing.
Even though it has dragon boats, it’s not a festive slot, nor is it rambunctious in any way. This is a very calm game with an easy-going atmosphere. The point is to slowly enjoy it and not to get worked up about anything.
The game achieves this by having a massive 98% RTP and a low volatility. You are constantly winning something, even though it’s not anything big.
Lucky Dragon Boat is based on a Chinese culture and builds the theme around that. The game is designed to be a relaxing experience, where you can just calmly play your slot for as long as you want.
The calming effect is emphasised by the fact that there are no actual reels. The symbols just float on water in the same formation as they would if there actually were reels there. If you win anything, the winning symbols sink under the surface and bob right back up. I found this to be a charming detail.
When it comes to the sound and music, I have polarised views. On one hand, the music is nice, thematic and relaxing, but on the other, the sound effects are annoying. There is a short and soft jingle that plays every time you win. The jingle is fine, but it loops in a way that cuts it too fast and it ends up sounding harsh. That’s not something you want in your tranquil setting.
The symbols are the weakest link of this game. Some of them don’t match the theme and some are very hard to distinguish from each other.
The low-tier ones are card symbols from ten to ace. They have nothing to do with the setting and are not even stylised to fit the visuals properly. The high-tier symbols are the dragon boats, but they all look the same and only differ slightly in colour. There are two also special symbols, the wild and the scatter.
When I first started to play, I kept wondering why those dragon boat symbols aren’t giving me any wins, even when I got them on the first three reels. Then I noticed that the colour of their face and neck slightly vary. This is a problem, and even bigger one for those who have issues seeing specific colours.
This slot has an interesting win structure. It has a massive 98% RTP, which is abnormally high. This combined with low volatility means that the player will be constantly winning something. Unfortunately, all the wins are small.
This slot is perfect for those players, who want to feel like a winner by hitting something all the time. Just don’t pay too much attention to how much you are winning and you’re good. You need a minimum of four symbols to even get your wager back. The good thing is that the game has 50 paylines, so getting those three-of-a-kinds can hit multiple lines.
Scatters unlock the free spin feature in Lucky Dragon Boat and the boats themselves are in the spotlight in it. Free spins start with a minimum of three scatter symbols and you get 5, 8 or 12 spins depending on how many you get.
The spins start with a choice, you get to pick one boat to be your favourite. That boat, and also the regular wild symbol, become sticky wilds. They stay in place until the free spins are over.
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
This game has its ups and downs. There are some good things that I like and some bad design choices that I don’t. In short, I would say it ends up somewhere a tad under mediocre.
I like the fact that this game gives you a constant stream of wins. There are no dry spells and even the free spins activate really often. This makes you feel like a big winner, until you actually look at what you won. All the wins are tiny and getting something like a 100x times your wager is a rare occasion.
The thing I didn’t like about this slot is the overall design. The theme and idea behind the slot is good. There is a lot you could do with dragon boats, but that’s not what Genesis did. They just took a boat, slapped it on the reels and called it a day. And let’s not forget the poor symbol design where you can’t easily tell some of them apart. This just screams lazy design.
