Lanterns and Lions Hold and Win

Lanterns and Lions Hold and Win Overview

As part of their hold and win slots series, iSoftBet has explored a wide range of themes. This latest product introduces players to the world of ancient China, a colourful and exciting world full of amazing palaces, golden coins and fabulous paper dragons. Unlike other iSoftBet Hold and Win slots, this game has a tempting top win and an extensive range of features that exist outside of the main Hold and Win bonus. Mechanically, this is a 5-reel slot with 25 pay lines and an RTP of 96%. The top payout here is 8,888x the stake.

The first feature you will notice here is the stacked wild feature, which comes into play when three Cai Shen wilds land vertically. This will create one large stacked wild. The next feature is called the lucky envelope feature and is triggered when one of these envelopes lands on the reels. These have within them an instant cash prize. On the other hand, three scattered lions mean the activation of the dancing lions feature. This will reveal either a bonus game or access to the hold and win game. Finally, the Hold and Win feature awards players three re-spins and a chance to score jackpot prizes.

Theme and Symbols

The theme for this game is ancient China, meaning players are taken to the centre of a large palace within which are various temples and other significant buildings. We can usually tell that a theme is Chinese because of the liberal use of gold and red. These colours have a lot of significance in Chinese culture, as they represent power, respect, and prosperity. Although we say this is an ancient Chinese theme, many of the large palaces and temples shown in this game have been preserved immaculately, so this could be modern-day China (not that that makes any difference to the game).

The background puts players in the centre courtyard of a grand and opulent palace, perhaps the Forbidden City, located in the very heart of Beijing. This huge and impressive structure was built during the Ming dynasty and is the world's largest and best-preserved wooden complex building. The palace is so beautiful and delicate that it was given UNESCO world heritage status in 1987. This background looks very much like the palace's interior, with the same details used to decorate the structure.
The playing board for this game is an ornate golden rectangle with a dark red interior that works well in contrast to the main gold symbols.

The symbols for this game are split into low-value, high-value and special symbols. The low-value symbols are the 9, 10, J, Q, K and A in playing card royals. The most valuable symbol of these is the A, worth 8x the stake. On the other hand, the more valuable symbols are the golden coins, the firecrackers, the tortoise, and the golden cat. The cat is the most valuable, worth 15x the stake for the top combination. The specials comprise the Chinse man wild (Cai Shen), the golden lantern and the lion scatters.

Game Play

Lanterns and Lions Hold and Win is played on a 5-reel, 4-row machine with 25 fixed pay lines. To win combinations, players must land three or more matching symbols on pay lines moving from left to right, starting from the leftmost reel.

The betting range for Lanterns and Lions Hold and Win is 25p to £100 per spin. To adjust their bet levels, players can toggle their stake up and down using the tool located at the bottom left-hand side of the screen.
Further information, including a short tutorial and a display of the paytable, can be found via the menu button in the right-hand corner of the screen. The spin and auto spin buttons are located in the centre of the screen.
Volatility for this slot is rated in the medium range. The return to player percentage for Lanterns and Lions Hold and Win is 96%, which is average. The biggest payout that players can win on one spin is 8,888x your stake.

Features

The first bonus feature in this game is the wild feature. Cai Shen (the Chinese man) is the wild in this game. He can fall either in singles or in stacks of three in an extended format. In either form, the substitutes other symbols to help form more wins.
The next feature included here is the lucky envelope feature. This bonus occurs every time a lucky envelope falls onto the reels. It will instantly award players a cash payout between 8x and 8888x the stake when it does.

Land three of the lion scatters on the reels, and you'll trigger the dancing lions feature. This will give you a choice of two dragons, either revealing the free spins or hold and win game.
The free spins game will give you between 8 and 12 spins with between 25 and 100 extra wilds. The free spins can also be retriggered by landing additional scatters from within the game.

To trigger the Hold and Win game, you'll need to either land it through the dancing dragon feature or land five or more lanterns on the reels. This bonus gives you three re-spins with all lanterns remaining stuck in place when triggered. Any new lanterns that fall onto the reels also become stuck and refresh your re-spins to three. This game also gives you the chance of winning jackpots by landing special symbols. The biggest jackpot you can land is worth 1,000x your stake.

Conclusion

With more going on than most hold and win slots and with a good win potential, Lanterns and Lions Hold and Win is an exciting game with plenty of promise. RTP is respectable, volatility is relatively low, and the top payout is pretty tasty. You'll love this game if you like Chinese themed games with a hold and win dynamic at their core.