5 Dragons, created by Aristocrat, is a popular gaming machine most of us have come across in New Zealand. It features 5 reels and 25 paylines, and while it’s not linked to a progressive jackpot, it still offers plenty to enjoy.
What makes it stand out
- Free Spins: You can trigger up to 20 free spins by landing three or more golden coin scatters. During these spins, multipliers can go as high as 30x.
- Wild Symbols: The green dragon acts as the wild, helping complete winning lines.
- Scatter Symbols: The golden coin triggers the free spin bonuses and often leads to some of the best payouts.
RTP and Volatility
- RTP: 95.17%
- Volatility: Medium to high.
My Experience
Playing 5 Dragons feels easy. I’ve had a few sessions with free spins, and some multipliers. You’ll find this machine across NZ. If you’re after a pokies game with decent payout potential and easy to understand, give it a try.
In this review
Pros
- Owned by Aristocrat
- 243 ways to win
- Dragons give free games
- Symbols are easy and understandable
Cons
- Limited availability
- No bonus game or jackpot is available
The game features 243 possible winning combinations, offering ways for players to achieve payouts.
Free spins, wilds, and jackpot bonuses are key features that can enhance the gameplay experience by offering additional payout opportunities.
Dragons inspire the game’s theme, mythical creatures often revered in Asian cultures as symbols of strength and prosperity.
The game features a dragon theme in vibrant shades of purple and detailed graphics designed to enhance players’ visual experience.
When a winning combination is achieved, the graphics include animations, such as the dragon icon displaying a burst of flames, adding a dynamic element to the game.
The game design
The background design features blue tones that resemble ocean water at the bottom and a lighter sky-like colour at the top.
Golden-coloured arches are placed on the reels, with matching borders to create a consistent visual theme. Each reel features a red and black background, with themed symbols alongside standard playing card icons.
Symbols
The symbols in Dragon 5 pokies are straightforward and designed for easy recognition and play. The game provides clear information about payouts, with each symbol having a specific value based on its appearance.
The game features five different coloured dragons—Gold, Green, Blue, Red, and Grey—each corresponding to a specific number of free games: 25, 20, 15, 13, and 10, respectively.
- Gold Coin – scatter, 50x the bet
- Green Dragon – wild
- Gold Dragon and Gold Fish – 800x
- Gold Turtle and Red Money bag – 300x
- Ace and King – 200x
- Queen, Jack, 10 and 9 – 100x
How do you play?
The game operates on a 243-way system, meaning players don’t need to select individual pay lines.
Players can adjust their coin value by selecting the ‘credit’ button and using the ‘bet one’ button to set a multiplier.
Players should verify the displayed ‘bet’ number at the top of the screen before starting a spin.
The betting range starts at 30c and goes up to $9. Players can select the ‘ante’ feature by using the ‘5 Reels + Extra’ button.
While mostly neutral, this can be rephrased to avoid over-promoting the return-to-player (RTP) percentage increase.
The Golden Dragon and Golden Fish symbols offer a payout of 800 per credit for a combination of 5 of a kind.
The Golden Coin acts as the scatter symbol, triggering the bonus feature, while the Fire and Dragon symbols combine to create a wild symbol.
The remaining symbols include playing cards from ace through nine, maintaining a consistent design style in similar games.
The 243-way payout system enables multiple potential winning combinations on each spin.
After a winning spin, players can gamble their winnings by using the ‘bet max’ or ‘bet one’ buttons, which change to ‘gamble’ options.
Players who choose the gamble option will be taken to a new screen to select between a red or black card, which is randomly dealt.
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Free Spins Feature
Once three gold coins appear, players are presented with five options to choose from, triggering the bonus feature.
Players can select between more free spins with a lower win multiplier or fewer spins with a higher multiplier, depending on their strategy.
Selecting the ‘ante’ bet during regular play modifies the available spins and multiplier choices. This feature can also be re-triggered during gameplay.
The feature allows players to complete their current round before offering another selection of spins and multipliers. Red Packets may appear on reels 1 and 5 during the free spins bonus feature.
How to win the game?
To play and win Dragon 5 pokies, you should always check the paytable and symbols payouts. Apart from this, here are some tips to win Dragon 5:
- Familiarize yourself with the rules, symbols, and bonus features.
- Knowing how the wilds, scatters, and free spins work will help you make better decisions during gameplay.
- Since 5 Dragons offer 243 ways to win, betting on all paylines ensures you don’t miss any potential winning combinations.
- When you trigger the free spins feature, you have options with different numbers of spins and multipliers.
- Understand the payouts and check how you can trigger the free games feature.
- Try to play as many lines as possible to increase your chances of winning.
Rules to keep in mind
Dragon 5 offers straightforward gameplay with symbols and free game features that are simple to recognise. However, there are some aspects worth noting.
- The game has five reels and 243 ways to win, which eliminates the need for traditional paylines.
- The green dragon is the wild symbol, substituting for all symbols except the scatter. It appears only on reels 2, 3, and 4.
- A golden coin represents the scatter symbol.
- Three or more scatter symbols trigger the free spins feature.
- The game offers five different free spins options, each with varying numbers of spins and multipliers:
- 5 free spins with a 10x, 15x, or 30x multiplier
- 10 free spins with a 5x, 8x, or 10x multiplier
- 15 free spins with a 3x, 5x, or 8x multiplier
- 20 free spins with a 2x, 3x, or 5x multiplier
- 25 free spins with a 2x, 3x, or 5x multiplier.
- After any win, you have the option to gamble your winnings.
- The game offers an auto-spin feature, enabling the reels to spin automatically for a set number of spins
- Players can adjust their bet amounts using the plus and minus buttons at the screen’s bottom.
- Bet sizes range from a minimum of $0.25 to a maximum of $100.
Editor’s Verdict
Dragon 5 by Aristocrat features straightforward gameplay and 243 ways to win, making it suitable for those seeking a simple pokie experience.
The game includes an Asian-themed design, a free spins feature, and multiple spin/multiplier options, enhancing the gameplay variety.
However, the game does not include a progressive jackpot or bonus games, which may limit its appeal for players looking for more features.
Additionally, the game has limited availability across platforms, which could be a consideration for players on specific devices. Dragon 5 offers a simple, easy-to-understand experience that may appeal to players seeking a more traditional format.
FAQs
Does 5 Dragons Pokies have a wild symbol?
The 5 Dragons Pokies wild symbol is a green dragon that appears only on reel 3. It can substitute for any other symbol except the scatter symbol.
How do I trigger the free spins bonus?
To trigger the free spins bonus in 5 Dragons, you must land three or more scatter symbols – anywhere on the reels.
What is the RTP of this game?
The RTP of 5 Dragons Pokies is between 95% and 97%.