February the 1st marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year. This will be the Year of the Tiger. According to Chinese customs, the celebrations around the New Year may last up to 16 days. However, not all of them are considered public holidays. Nevertheless, gamers will have more than enough time to enjoy new games that celebrate the Year of the Tiger.
People born in the Year of the Tiger are considered to be vigorous and ambitious. They adore good challenges and adventures love competitions. Also, they have a sense of justice and want to help others for the greater good. Taking all of that under consideration, we can conclude that the games that are created to celebrate the Year of the Tiger offer loads of adventures and extra features. Furthermore, these games should be generous to players, offering big wins.
We will see whether Pragmatic Play and BetSoft had these characteristics in mind when they developed Lucky New Year – Tiger Treasures and Gold Tiger Ascent.
1. Lucky New Year – Tiger Treasures (Pragmatic Play)
The 2022 release will take you directly to celebrate New Year with Pragmatic Play. Traditional music, a cheering crowd, and loads of fireworks in the background is what is waiting for you. The game comes with 5 reels, 3 rows, and 25 fixed paylines, which pay left to right, starting from the leftmost reel. Get at least three matching symbols on a payline to win a payout. The slot is of medium volatility and comes with an RTP of 96%.
The visuals are right and colorful, as expected from a game with such a festive theme. Symbols on the reels include standard playing cards that act as low-paying icons, as well as Apples, Drums, Firecrackers, and a Dragon, which represent high-value symbols. The Tiger is the Wild that substitutes for all symbols but the Scatter and the Money Symbols. The Golden Tree is the Scatter that triggers the Free Spins feature. The Money Symbol triggers the Money Respin feature.
The Money Symbol, presented by a Red Lantern, can appear on every reel. It carries random values. When 6 of them are found on the reels simultaneously, the Money Respin feature is triggered. All other icons are removed from the reels. Players get 3 respins. Each time you land a new Money Symbol, the number of respins resets to 3. The feature ends when you either fill all cells with Money Symbol or when you use all of your respins, whichever comes first.
If all cells are filled, you get the Grand Jackpot. If not, all the values that appear on the Money Symbols will be combined to deliver the total prize. Players may also win the Minor or the Grand jackpots. This feature is available both during the base game and the Free Spins feature.
As for the Free Spins feature, it triggers when 3 Golden Tree Scatters on reels 1, 3, and 5 land at the same time. Players get 5 free spins, but the feature can be retriggered indefinitely. During free spins, the three central reels become one giant reel, displaying a giant symbol. This will give players a chance for bigger wins.
The Grand Jackpot offers a 1,000x bet as the maximum win. Both features provide more than enough opportunities for hefty payouts, proving the fact that Tigers are generous to other people for the greater good.
2. Gold Tiger Ascent (BetSoft)
The good people of BetSoft decided not to develop as festive and adventurous video slot as their colleagues from Pragmatic Play. In BetSoft’s video slot, called Gold Tiger Ascent, you will find this magnificent creature meditating on a lonely mountain covered in snow and ice. In front of his temple, players will find a 3×3 grid that benefits from 10 fixed paylines.
Players need to land 3 matching icons on a payline to win a payout, and it’s as simple as that. This game offers a max win of 2,520x per spin and has an RTP of 95.37%. So, the maximum payout is not that bad, but players will need to work hard for it.
The visuals are crisp and clear, and the soundtrack fits the theme perfectly. Do not walk into the trap and give yourselves to meditation while playing Gold Tiger Ascent. It could easily take all your money if you do not pay attention. The Tiger only keeps you company while you spin the reels. He does not appear among symbols. Red Envelopes with a Tiger mark on them are the essential icons here.
Magic Red Envelopes will bring you all sorts of prizes. The Envelopes can even reveal Scatters that trigger free spins. Wilds substitute for all regular symbols. The Sack of Gold is the top-paying regular symbol, followed by Firecracker, and three Chinese symbols, which act as low-paying icons.
Every spin may bring you 3-5 Magic Red Envelopes anywhere on the reels. Once the reels stop, the Envelopes will open and reveal a prize. Prizes include instant wins, the Sack of Gold symbol, the Firecracker symbol, Wilds, and Scatters. It is important to say that all Red Envelopes that appear in the same spin reveal the identical prize.
If you get at least three Scatters on the reels at the same time, you will trigger the Free Spins feature. Depending on the number of Scatters landed, players get 6, 8, or 10 free spins, alongside a payout of 1.5x, 3x, or 6x the bet, respectively. During the Free Spins feature, 3-9 Magic Red Envelopes will appear on every freebie.
So, even though Gold Tiger Ascent may seem like a simpler game than the Pragmatic Play title, there is plenty to play for in the BetSoft product. Again, we prove that the game themed after the Tiger is adventurous and ready to help others for the greater good. Of course, only the worthy among gamers will get their reward.
