Floating Dragon Megaways Demo & Review

Pragmatic Play has done something very interesting with Floating Dragon Megaways. This game is the sequel to their popular 2021 hit, Floating Dragon Hold and Spin, which has since grown into its own successful series with titles like Floating Dragon – Dragon Boat Festival™. But this isn't just a simple upgrade. They've created a unique hybrid by combining three popular ideas into one online slot game:

1. The beautiful Asian kite theme and Hold & Spin feature from the original game.

2. The powerful Megaways engine, which creates thousands of ways to win.

3. The famous Fish Money collection feature, popularised by the Big Bass Bonanza series.

Floating Dragon Megaways Slot Summary

Floating Dragon Megaways Demo

This game has two completely different bonus rounds, so I strongly recommend playing the demo first. It’s the best way to understand how both the Free Spins and the Hold & Spin features are triggered and how they play out, which is crucial for your strategy.

Game Overview

Pragmatic Play, working with Reel Kingdom, launched this innovative sequel in September 2022. It’s played on a unique 6-reel grid. The main reels can have up to 6 symbols each, but above reels 2, 3, 4, and 5 is a special top row of 3 symbols that spins independently. At every spin, the symbols on this top row can be locked or unlocked, creating up to 147,456 ways to win. The game has an excellent RTP of 96.70%. The volatility is high, as you’d expect from a game with a massive max win potential of 20,000x your stake. For South African players, the bet range is very flexible, typically starting from around R3.00 and going up to a maximum of R3,750 per spin.

Theme and Storyline

The game continues the beautiful and tranquil Asian kite festival theme from the original. The background is a serene sky filled with cherry blossoms, creating a peaceful atmosphere. 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.

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. A really interesting visual touch is how the symbols themselves don’t have a fixed size. This is all part of the Megaways engine; on a spin where a reel has only two or three symbols, they will appear huge and detailed, like a massive Ship kite taking up half the space. On the next spin, that same reel might have six symbols, and they will all be much smaller to fit. This makes the game feel incredibly dynamic and alive. The soundtrack is a calming, traditional Asian melody that is very pleasant on the ear, creating an interesting contrast with the game's high volatility.

Gameplay

The gameplay here is incredibly rich and layered. At its core, it uses the Megaways engine paired with a Tumble Feature, so wins can create chain reactions. However, the real genius of this game is that it has two separate bonus features that are triggered by different symbols. You’re simultaneously hunting for Dragon Scatters to trigger the Free Spins and Coin symbols to trigger the Hold & Spin round, making every spin feel like it has double the potential.

How to play

Getting the hang of this game is all about understanding its cast of special symbols. While the basic controls are simple, just use the plus and minus buttons to set your bet, the real action comes from how the different features interact. The base of the game is the Tumble Feature, where any winning combination is paid, disappears, and new symbols fall down for another chance to win. The true strategy lies in understanding how this all works together to create big win potential.

Floating Dragon Megaways Bonus Features

What makes this game different is its rich combination of special features and the multiple ways you can trigger a bonus round. It’s a very interactive experience, but all these moving parts can also make it a bit complex. The game's true potential is unlocked when these different features interact with each other.

Core Game Mechanics

The game is built on two core mechanics that work together on every single spin.

• The Megaways Engine: This is the system that randomly changes how many symbols land on each reel with every spin. This means the number of potential ways to win is always different, creating an unpredictable and exciting experience.

• The Tumble Feature: After any winning combination is paid, the winning symbols disappear from the screen, and new symbols fall down from above to fill the gaps. This gives you a chance for multiple wins from a single spin.

Special Symbols

Even before you trigger a main bonus, several special symbols keep the action going:

• Wild Symbol: This is your standard wild, a blue symbol with the word WILD in pink. Its job is to substitute for all the regular paying symbols (the kites and card royals) to help you form winning combinations. It has a very specific rule: it can only appear on the special top row above the main reels.

• The Lady Symbol: This special symbol is the star of the Free Spins feature. She is not a wild and only appears on the main reels (reels 1-6) during the bonus round, where her job is to act as the collector for the Fish Money symbols.

• Fish Money Symbols: These fish have cash values attached (from 2x all the way up to a massive 5,000x!). They don't do anything in the base game, but they are the prize the Lady collects in the Free Spins.

• Mystery Symbols: These lanterns have two different functions. In the base game, when they hit, they all transform into the same paying symbol to help create a win. In the Free Spins, they have a special power: if a spin ends with a Princess on screen but no fish, Mystery Symbols can randomly appear and transform into other symbols, giving you another chance to win.

• Coin Money Symbols: These golden coins appear with random money values from 1x to 2,000x your bet. They are the key to unlocking the Hold & Spin feature.

Free Spins Feature (The Fish Collection)

This feature is triggered by landing 3 or more Dragon Scatter symbols. It will be instantly familiar to fans of the Big Bass Bonanza series. Depending on whether you land 3, 4, 5, or 6 Scatters, you will be awarded 10, 15, 20, or 25 free spins.

• How it works: During this round, the special Lady symbol can appear on the main reels. Whenever she lands on the screen at the same time as the Fish Money symbols, she will collect all of their cash values and add them to your winnings. A brilliant extra touch is the firecracker animation: if a spin ends with one or more Lady symbols on the screen but no fish, a firecracker can randomly appear and make Fish Money symbols appear in random positions!

• The Collector Trail: For every 4th Lady symbol you collect, the feature is retriggered, awarding you +10 extra free spins and increasing a multiplier for all future fish collections. The first retrigger gives a x2 multiplier, the second gives a x3, and the third gives a x10 multiplier. After that, every subsequent retrigger still awards +10 spins and adds another +10 to the multiplier, with no limit!

Hold & Spin Feature

This bonus is triggered completely differently, by landing 3 or more golden Coin Money symbols.

• How it works: When triggered, all the normal symbols disappear. The triggering Coin symbols lock in place, and you are awarded 3 re-spins. The goal is to land more Coin symbols or special Diamond symbols. Every time a new symbol lands, the re-spin counter resets back to 3.

• Symbol Values: The Coin symbols can have values ranging from 1x to 2,000x your bet. The rare Diamond symbols are even more valuable, with potential values from 50x to 2,000x your bet!

• Win Guarantee: The feature includes a brilliant safety net. If the round ends and your total winnings are less than 20x your bet, you will be awarded 3 more re-spins.

Buy Bonus Options

For players who want to jump straight to the action, this game offers two separate buy-in options:

• Buy Free Spins: For a cost of 100x your current bet, you can instantly trigger the Fish Collection feature.

• Buy Hold & Spin: For a cost of 120x your current bet, you can instantly trigger the Hold & Spin feature.

Payouts & Volatility

This is a game for players who enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay. Its high volatility is the engine that drives its massive win potential, so you need to be prepared for some dry spells while hunting for those big bonus rounds. The RTP is a fantastic 96.70%, which is well above the industry average. In the paytable, the Ship kite is the most valuable symbol, followed by the peacock, butterfly, and bird kites. The traditional 10 to A card symbols represent the lower-paying values. The ultimate prize is the huge 20,000x maximum win, which can be won in either of the bonus features.

Tips for playing Floating Dragon Megaways

• Know Which Bonus You're Chasing: The game's two bonus rounds are triggered by different symbols. Understand that the Scatters lead to the fish collection, while the Coins lead to the Hold & Spin. This can help you focus your excitement.

• Use the Demo to Understand the Features: This is not a simple slot. Spend time in the demo to see how the collector trail in the Free Spins works and how the re-spins reset in the Hold & Spin feature.

• Don't Ignore the Base Game Tumbles: The Tumble Feature, paired with Megaways and Mystery Symbols, can still produce very solid wins on its own. It's not just about waiting for a bonus.

• Budget for the Volatility: With a 20,000x max win, the game's volatility is very high. Your budget needs to be able to handle periods with fewer wins. A smaller bet size will give you more spins and more chances to trigger one of the lucrative features.

• Weigh the Bonus Buy Costs: The game offers two bonus buys at different prices (100x for Free Spins, 120x for Hold & Spin). This higher price for the Hold & Spin suggests it may have a higher average payout potential. Use the demo to see which feature you prefer before ever considering a bonus buy.

What is the RTP for Floating Dragon Megaways?

The theoretical RTP (Return to Player) for Floating Dragon Megaways is an excellent 96.70%.