Lantern Luck Demo & Slot Review

I’m a big fan of online slot games with a strong theme, and Lantern Luck delivers in spades. It’s almost a zen-like experience,  until the features kick in, that is! The way the lanterns light up and expand is a fantastic touch, and it creates some seriously exciting moments.

Lantern Luck Slot Summary

Play Lantern Luck Demo for Free

Before you put your own money on the line, I always say it’s a good idea to play the demo version. You can find it on nearly every major gambling site in South Africa that hosts Habanero games.

Game Overview

Habanero launched Lantern Luck in February 2022, bringing a gorgeous Asian-inspired theme to players. It’s a 5-reel, 3-row slot with 25 fixed paylines. The RTP is most commonly found at 96.71%, but this can vary. The game has a wide betting range, suiting casual players and high rollers, with a maximum potential win of 702x your stake.

Theme and Storyline

The game transports you to a colorful, traditional Asian setting, with beautiful temples and gently swaying lanterns in the background. The theme is about luck and fortune, symbolised by the glowing lanterns. There’s no complex narrative here; the game focuses on creating an immersive atmosphere, which it does brilliantly. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual high-energy, noisy slots.

Graphics, Sounds and Animations

I wouldn't call the graphics "crisp," but they have a lovely, cute, and cartoony style that works with the Chinese theme. The colours are all appropriate for the aesthetic, and even the font used for the text is very suggestive of Chinese culture, which is a nice touch. The background is dynamic; during normal play, it's a pleasant daytime scene, but it cleverly shifts to a violet night background when you hit a feature, and changes again to celebrate a win. Each lantern symbol is unique and pretty, and they come to life with nice effects when they land on a payline. The soundtrack is a traditional, calming Asian tune that fits the theme perfectly. It’s not intrusive and adds to the overall relaxing vibe of the base game.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Lantern Luck is built around a simple yet powerful core mechanic. It’s a standard 25-payline slot, so wins are formed by landing matching symbols from left to right. The real excitement comes from the Wild Lantern symbols. They don't just substitute for other symbols; they trigger the game's main features, turning a standard spin into a thrilling event with big win potential.

How to Play

Before you can see those lucky lanterns light up the reels, you'll need to get your bet sorted. The process is straightforward and revolves around two main settings, bet level and coin, which you'll find at the bottom of the screen.

Bet Controls and Paylines Mechanics

You can easily adjust your Bet Level (from 1 to 10) and your Coin Size (from 0,01 to 20) to set your total wager for each spin. The 25 paylines are fixed, so you don’t need to worry about adjusting them. Just set your bet, hit the spin button, and watch the lanterns fly.

Wilds and Feature Triggers

In this game, the Wild symbols are the key to everything. The six different coloured lanterns act as Wilds and only appear on reels 1, 3, and 5. When a lantern lands, it lights up all other lanterns of the same colour, turning them wild for that spin. There are no traditional Scatter symbols; instead, landing 3 or more Wild Lanterns of any colour is what triggers the main bonus feature.

Lantern Luck Bonus Feature

Lantern Luck doesn't have a traditional free spins round with scatter symbols. Instead, its main event is a combination of two clever features that work together.

Lantern Multipliers

You'll notice that some lantern symbols land on the reels already lit, with fireflies buzzing around them. For each one of these lit lanterns that is part of a winning payline, a +1 multiplier is added to that line's win. So, if you have three lit lanterns in a single winning line, your payout for that line is multiplied by 3x!

Re-Spins Feature

This feature kicks off whenever a Wild symbol lands on reel 1, 3, or 5. When it hits, the real fun begins:

1. Symbols Lock: All symbols on the screen lock into place.

2. Reels Move Up: After your initial win is paid, the entire set of reels moves up by one row for a re-spin. The symbols on the top row are removed from play.

3. Continuous Re-Spins: This process continues with the reels moving up one row on each re-spin. The feature is not capped and will keep going as long as any part of a Wild symbol is still visible on the screen.

This creates a fantastic sense of anticipation, as a single Wild can lead to a long chain of re-spins and potential wins as the symbols shift and new combinations are formed. All re-spins are played at the same bet level as the spin that triggered the feature.

Payouts & Volatility

Let’s get down to the brass tacks: the money.

RTP and Volatility Analysis

As I mentioned, the most common RTP for Lantern Luck is 96.71%. However, just like with other Habanero games, casinos can choose different versions. You might find it with an RTP as high as 97.95% or as low as 92.01%. My golden rule is to always check the game’s info at the casino you’re playing at to see which version they are using.

The game has high volatility. This means you might need a bit of patience, as wins can be less frequent. However, when the wins do come, especially during the re-spin feature, they have the potential to be more significant.

Symbol Payout Table Summary

The paying symbols in this game are all beautifully designed lanterns of different colours. There are no separate low-paying card symbols or other icons; it's all about the lanterns. The different colours represent different payout values, with the red lantern being the most valuable of the regular symbols.  To get the biggest wins, you’ll want to land five of the blue and pink lanterns on a payline.

Max Win Potential

The maximum win potential in Lantern Luck is 702x your total bet. While this isn't the biggest jackpot you'll find, the game's mechanics and high volatility mean that hitting this top prize is still a thrilling chase.

Tips for playing Lantern Luck

Based on my time playing the game, here are five tips to help you on your way.

• Play the Demo First: Get a feel for the game’s rhythm and how the re-spin feature works by playing for free before you wager real money.

• Manage Your Bankroll: This is my number one tip for any high-volatility slot. Set a budget before you play and stick to it. The game can be streaky, so you need to be able to ride out the quiet spells.

• Aim for the Re-Spins: The base game wins are okay, but the real potential is in the Lantern Re-Spins feature with those sticky wilds.

• Bet Responsibly: Because the max win is lower than in some other games, don't be tempted to bet bigger than you're comfortable with to chase a huge jackpot. Play at a level that allows for a good amount of session time.

• Enjoy the Atmosphere: This is a beautiful game. Don't just focus on the wins; take a moment to enjoy the calming graphics and sound design.

What is the RTP for Lantern Luck?

The most common RTP (Return to Player) for Lantern Luck is 96.71%. However, this percentage can be different depending on the online casino, so it's always a good idea to check the game's information file before you play.