5 Lions Megaways slot review (Pragmatic Play)

5 Lions Megaways is Asian-themed and builds on the 5 Lions Dance slot, released in 2020.

I like this version because you can choose how much risk you want to take, as we have 7 (!) free spins options.

The max win is capped at 5,000x the bet, making it a relatively modest one.

Not everyone wants to play the highly volatile slots, though, and Pragmatic Play also targets the players who seek gaming fun rather than the extreme wins (with obviously tiny chances of landing these).

Gameplay and Features

It’s a Megaways slot with the usual six reels with 2 to 7 symbols and the maximum of 117,649 Megaways (7x7x7x7x7x7=117,649).

Like most Megaways slots, we have the Avalanche (or Tumble) feature. You gain a free re-spin following a win. The winning symbols explode and make way for new symbols.

The highs are the typical Chinese Golden Dragon, Eagle, Frog, Fish and Turtle symbols, followed by the 10, J, Q, K and A.

The Golden Lions are the Wild symbols, and the Bonus symbols are the Ying Yang symbols.

How do you get the free spins?

You get access to the free spins if you manage to spin 3, 4, 5 or 6 Bonus Symbols.  You also win 3x, 5x, 25x or 100x in cash.

If you manage to spin these during the free spins, you’ll retrigger the more free spins.

It’s also possible to buy the free spins with the Bonus Buy feature. The cost is 100x the initial bet.

The Free Spins – how much risk are you willing to take?

You get to choose how many free spins you want to play and what the Wild multipliers will be.

The least risk option gets you 25 free spins, and the Wilds have random 2x, 3x or 5x multipliers. In this case, you’ll most likely win often, but the wins are less substantial.

You can also opt for the riskiest version, where you get 6 free spins, but with Wilds with much higher multipliers: 15x, 30x or 40x. As there are only 6 free spins to play for, odds are (more than) realistic that you end up empty-handed. But if you win, it will be more massive, thanks to the higher multipliers.

Two mathematical models – The Regular Variant or the Bet Multiplier Variant

If you play the Regular Variant, the betting range is between $€0.20 – $€100.

It’s also possible to activate Pragmatic Play’s Ante Bet (Multiplier Variant). In that case, the betting range is between $€0.25 – $€125. The latter variant gives you higher chances to land the free spins. 

5 Lions Megaways slot – Payout percentage (RTP) is 96.5%

The RTP of the main game is 96.5% (ante bet as well as the regular variant) and is more or less around the average of all Pragmatic Play slots.

If you choose to use the Bonus Buy Feature, you’ll play with an RTP of 96.50%.

Beware, though, that you check the game rules, as many casinos offer this game with an RTP as low as 94.5%.

5 Lions Megaways slot – the variance (volatility) is medium to high

Pragmatic Play rates the volatility with a score of 5 out of 5, but given the max win of 5.000x only, I tend to go for medium to high.

It (obviously) depends on your risk appetite. If you seek less volatility, you simply select the free spins option with more free spins and lower Wild multipliers.

Expect top wins of around 1,000x the bet.

Pros en Cons

Pros

• Many options when you play the free spins
• The Buy a Bonus feature always comes in handy
• If you prefer, you can play the free spins more often, thanks to the Ante Bet variant

Cons

• The win potential is a bit modest
• The slot doesn’t score high points for originality