Floating Dragon: Hold and Spin Demo & Review

This online slot game is the one that started it all. Floating Dragon (Hold and Spin) is the original 2021 hit from Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom that quietly became a massive player favourite. Its success was so great that it launched a whole series of spin-offs, including popular titles like Floating Dragon Megaways, Floating Dragon – Dragon Boat Festival™, Floating Dragon New Year Festival Ultra Megaways™ Hold & Spin, and Floating Dragon – Year of the Snake. We’ll review the original, the one that perfected the "two-bonus" model by combining the famous "fish collection" feature with a separate "Hold & Spin" round, and to tell you why it’s still a must-play.

Floating Dragon (Hold and Spin) Slot Summary

Floating Dragon Hold and Spin Demo

This game has two completely different bonus rounds, so I strongly recommend playing the demo first. It’s the best way to get a feel for its high volatility and to see how the two completely different bonus rounds are triggered.

Game Overview

Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom launched this classic in April 2021. It’s a standard 5-reel, 3-row slot with 10 fixed paylines. The game's standout feature is its fantastic RTP of 96.71%, which is well above average. This is paired with high volatility, so it's a game that requires patience. For South African players, the bet range is very flexible, typically starting from R1.50 and going up to R3,750 per spin, with a solid max win potential of 5,000x your stake.

Theme and Storyline

The theme is a beautiful and tranquil Asian kite festival. The background is a serene sky filled with gently drifting cherry blossom petals. The reels are filled with colourful kite symbols, including a ship, a peacock, and a butterfly. The main character is the elegant princess, who plays a crucial role in the bonus round. There's no complex story; it's all about creating a peaceful, calming atmosphere.

Graphics, Sounds and Animations

The visuals are stunning. The art style is delicate and colourful, and the animations are smooth, especially the gentle floating of the kites and the blossoms. The soundtrack is a standout; it’s a soft, traditional Asian melody that is incredibly relaxing. This creates a brilliant contrast with the game's high-volatility engine; it's one of the most relaxing-sounding high-risk slots I’ve ever played.

Gameplay

At first, the gameplay looks like a simple 10-payline slot, but that’s not the full story. This game is a hunt for two completely different bonus symbols. You are simultaneously watching for the Dragon Scatter to trigger the free spins, and the golden Coin symbols to trigger the Hold & Spin feature. This dual-trigger system makes every single spin exciting, as you have two different ways to hit it big.

How to play

Playing the game is very straightforward. You use the plus and minus buttons to set your bet and then hit spin. Wins are formed by landing 3 or more matching symbols on one of the 10 paylines, from left to right. The key is to understand the four special symbols:

• Lady Symbol: This is the Wild, but she only appears during the Free Spins, where she substitutes for symbols and collects fish.

• Dragon Scatter: This symbol triggers the Free Spins feature.

• Fish Money Symbols: These have cash values but can only be collected during the Free Spins.

• Coin Money Symbol: This symbol appears on the middle reel and is the key to triggering the Hold & Spin feature.

Floating Dragon (Hold and Spin) Bonus Features

This is where the game truly shines, by offering two completely different bonus rounds.

Free Spins Feature (The Fish Collection)

This is the feature that fans of Big Bass Bonanza will instantly recognise. It's triggered by landing 3, 4, or 5 Dragon Scatter symbols, which awards 10, 15, or 20 free spins.

• During this round, the Lady symbol can appear on the reels. She acts as a Wild and, more importantly, she "collects" the cash values from any Fish Money symbols on the screen at the same time.

• Every time a Lady symbol lands, she is collected in a meter above the reels. Every 4th Lady you collect retriggers the feature, awarding +10 extra spins and increasing the multiplier for all future fish collections, first to x2, then x3, and finally to a massive x10.

Hold & Spin Feature

This is a completely separate bonus, triggered in a unique way. You must land 3 Coin Money symbols on the middle reel (Reel 3).

• The three coins lock in place, and all other symbols fade away. You are awarded 3 re-spins. The only symbols on these special reels are new Coin symbols and Diamond symbols. If a new coin lands, it also locks in place, and the re-spin counter resets back to 3.

• The Coin symbols have values from 1x to 20x your bet. The rare Diamond symbols are what you're really hunting for, as they can hold massive values from 100x to 4,993x your bet!

• The game has a brilliant safety net. If you finish the 3 re-spins and your total win is less than 20x your bet, the game gives you 3 more re-spins to try again.

Payouts & Volatility

This slot has a surprisingly high volatility that hides behind its peaceful theme. This means that while the base game can be quiet, the bonus features have the potential for explosive wins. The RTP is a fantastic 96.71%. In the paytable, the high-paying symbols are the colourful kites, with the Ship being the most valuable. The 10 to A card royals fill out the low-paying end. The ultimate prize is the 5,000x max win, which is most likely to be hit in the Free Spins with a high multiplier or by landing a massive Diamond in the Hold & Spin.

Tips for playing Floating Dragon (Hold and Spin)

1. Know Your Triggers: Remember that you are looking for two different things: Dragon Scatters (on any reel) to trigger the free spins, and Coin symbols (on the middle reel only) to trigger the Hold & Spin.

2. Budget for High Volatility: This game might look peaceful, but it can be tough on your bankroll. Set a strict budget and use a bet size that will let you ride out the dry spells while you hunt for one of the two bonus rounds.

3. The Free Spins Goal is Retriggers: The first 10 free spins are just the setup. The real money is made after you collect 4 Ladies and activate the 2x multiplier.

4. Hold & Spin is All or Nothing: The Hold & Spin feature is a lottery. You're hunting for those rare, high-value Diamond symbols. Don't be discouraged if you only get a 20x win; that's just the built-in guarantee.

5. Enjoy the Calm: This is one of the few high-volatility slots that won't give you a headache. Enjoy the relaxing music and don't get frustrated by the base game grind; that's just part of its design.

What is the RTP for Floating Dragon (Hold and Spin)?

The theoretical RTP (Return to Player) for Floating Dragon (Hold and Spin) is 96.71%.