5 Lions Review

The game art is exquisitely rendered, with the touch of gold that flows through the symbols and background elements creating a magical sense of prosperity. The Lion is Wild, and applies a random multiplier to the wins in which it is involved. Of the 11 regular symbols, the Dragon is the highest paying, awarding 20x bet for 5 of a kind. It is followed by the Phoenix, Frog, Fish and Tortoise. The Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 and 9 comprise the low symbols. The Yin Yang symbol is the Scatter.

5 Lions Features

5 Lions comes with an epic Free Spins feature, but before we talk about that, it’s worth mentioning the random multiplier that boosts wins involving a Wild in the Base Game. The possible multiplier values are 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 15, 30 and 40x. The presence of these multipliers gives players a chance of striking it very lucky as they try to trigger Free Spins.

Free Spins

To unlock the Free Spins feature, 3, 4 or 5 Scatters must land on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel. This is a departure from standard slot functionality, where Scatters can land anywhere on the reels. Landing 3, 4 and 5 Scatters comes with the added bonus of 2x, 5x or 20x your bet respectively. During the feature, an extra symbol position is added on Reels 2, 3 and 4, boosting the number of ways to win to 576. The feature comprises seven bonus games, each offering a different multiplier range and number of spins:

• 25 Free Spins with 2x, 3x or 5x Multiplier
• 20 Free Spins with 3x, 5x or 8x Multiplier
• 15 Free Spins with 5x, 8x or 10x Multiplier
• Mystery Choice – a mystery number of spins and multiplier range, both selected from the other Free Spins options
• 13 Free Spins with 8x, 10x or 15x Multiplier
• 10 Free Spins with 10x, 15x or 30x Multiplier
• 6 Free Spins with 15x, 30x or 40x Multiplier

During the feature, if 3 or more Scatters land on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost one, a new Free Spins round begins after the current round. Players can choose a different Free Spins option before starting the new round, and there’s no limit to the number of retriggers.

The 200 Spins 5 Lions Experience

We put 5 Lions through the 200 spins test to which we subject every game we review on Slot Catalog, and here’s what we found.

Our opening flurry of spins prove largely uneventful, but a few spins later, we land Scatters on the first 3 Reels – Free Spins time! All seven Free Spins options look enticing, but in the end we decide to throw caution to the wind and select the last option – 6 spins with a multiplier range of 15, 30 and 40x. It doesn’t work out for us, because all our spins are non-winners, and we exit the feature with only the $1 we won when we triggered it. We resolve to try a different option the next time we trigger the feature, and think we’ve done exactly that when we land Scatters on Reels 2, 3 and 4. It takes us a moment to remember that not only do the Scatters have to be adjacent, but the first one must be on the leftmost reel. Persisting in our efforts, we succeed in triggering Free Spins again, and this time we opt for Mystery Choice. We’re awarded just 6 spins, with a relatively low multiplier range of 8, 10 or 15x. We manage 3 winning spins, on each occasion an 8x Wild multiplier is applied, and this sees us exiting the feature with 21x our triggering bet.

Review Summary

5 Lions has much to recommend it, from the stunning art, through the Wild Multipliers, to the winning potential on offer. Of course, the Free Spins feature is the star of the show, regardless of whether you opt for the maximum number of spins with the lowest multipliers, the lowest number of spins with the highest multipliers, or something in between.

Pros

• Dazzling graphics and excellent soundtrack
• Wild Multipliers carry significant winning potential
• Seven different Free Spins options

Cons

• Scatter functionality is atypical and somewhat confusing
• Wild Multiplier applied in Base Game is frequently only 1x

If you enjoy 5 Lions you’ll probably like:

5 Lions Gold Following the success of 5 Lions, Pragmatic Play released 5 Lions Gold in 2019. This game is very similar to 5 Lions in every respect, but what sets it apart from the original is the Grand, Major and Minor Jackpots that award 2000x, 150x and 15x your bet respectively. Another great addition is the Cashien Random Award, which can award Free Spins, or the Jackpot Bonus pick and match game.

Three Star Fortune If you enjoy 5 Lions because of the excellent graphics, Asian theme and high volatility action, you’ll certainly like this 2020 release, also by Pragmatic Play. It features 3 Expanding Wilds that award a free Respin when they land, and offers a maximum jackpot of 500x your bet.

Playboy One of many Microgaming titles offering some form of Free Spins selection. The Playboy Club comprises four distinct Free Spins games, each hosted by a different Playmate. It’s a little different to the Free Spins feature in 5 Lions, in that you cannot take your pick immediately. Instead, as you rack up the required number of visits to the Playboy Club, the Free Spins games are unlocked in sequence