Released by iGaming powerhouses Pragmatic Play in May 2018, the original 5 Lions slot has established itself as a staple within the Asian-themed genre of games today. This title laid out the foundations for many sequels that would follow, with the detailed Far Eastern visuals pairing with a handful of inventive gameplay mechanics impressively. These range from multiple free spin rounds and multiplier features, all the way to expanding symbols, all of which add some dynamic layers to this longstanding and popular 5 Lions slot.

Mechanical Features

As is the case for many modern online slots, this 5 Lions title uses a classic 5×3 playgrid layout that is framed in gold. However, instead of using a traditional number of paylines, the total count has been boosted to 243, with each route working left to right horizontally across the columns.

While the format differs from table games such as online roulette, both offer distinct ways to experience online casino gaming. To keep the interface minimalistic, all of the game buttons, as well as the player’s balance and bet, can be found along a black footer that sits along the playscreen’s bottom border.

As well as this, Pragmatic Play has built the 5 Lions slot using HTML5 technology, something that allows it to run smoothly across tablets, smartphones, laptops, and desktops. This framework, used in many other top releases on the market, automatically adjusts to different screen dimensions, maintaining visual and gameplay quality in the process.

Visual Design

When considering the name of the 5 Lions slot, it should not come as a surprise that some golden lion statues sit fixed to the top of the reels in this release. The backdrop itself is dominated by some deep blue tones, with these being decorated with traditional Asian patterns that depict waves and clouds. While it shares thematic roots with titles such as 88 Fortunes and Bonsai Spins, the overall aesthetic of the 5 Lions slot still remains a distinct one. 

5 Lions Slot Series

As we have already mentioned, this 5 Lions slot was the first title in its series, with this founding release having since inspired a number of direct follow-ups and sequels. One of the most notable ones is 5 Lions Megaways 2, a title that preserves many of the visual elements, but implements a dynamic playgrid and payline system that changes with every spin.

Slot Symbols

The 5 Lions slot features 11 base game symbols in total, with the lower-valued 6 being a series of traditional playing card ranks, all of which are styled with golden accents in order to match the aesthetic. When it comes to the higher-valued symbols, though, these instead depict mythical creatures and animals often associated with the Far East, with these also being rendered in gold. All of which are assigned a set number value that could be unlocked as a result of landing a combination.

Lower Value Symbols:

• 9
• 10
• Jack (J)
• Queen (Q)
• King (K)
• Ace (A)

Medium Value Symbols:

• Golden Tree Frog
• Golden Koi Fish
• Golden Tortoise

Higher Value Symbols:

• Golden Dragon 
• Golden Phoenix

5 Lions Bonus Features

Represented by a golden lion, the wild symbol in the 5 Lions slot could substitute itself for all other 11 base game symbols that make up the paytable. This is because it can assume the value of different icons and potentially fill in gaps across the 243 paylines that work across the reels.

One of the symbols the golden lion wild cannot take the place of, however, is the Yin & Yang scatter. If 3 or more of these land at the same time, this could trigger the main bonus round in the 5 Lions slot. This presents players with 6 different lions to choose from, each of which has its own number of free spins and range of multipliers that could be attached to wilds.

• Grey Lion: 25 spins with 2x, 3x, and 5x wild multipliers.
• Red Lion: 20 spins with 3x, 5x, and 8x wild multipliers
• Orange Lion: 15 spins with 5x, 8x, and 10x wild multipliers
• Blue Lion: 13 spins with 8x, 10x, and 15x wild multipliers
• Yellow Lion: 10 spins with 10x, 15x, and 30x wild multipliers
• Green Lion: 6 spins with 15x, 30x, and 40x wild multipliers
• Purple Lion: Random number of spins and a random wild multiplier range.

5 Lions Slot Summary

Coming with a detailed Asian-centric theme and multiple bonus round variants, it is clear to see why the 5 Lions slot became such a popular addition to Pragmatic’s portfolio and spawned numerous spin-offs. Overall, the design of 5 Lions follows a similar art style and gameplay structure as the other titles in the market in order to maintain a consistent format throughout the different releases.