Laughing Buddha Demo & Review

If you’re looking for a high-volatility slot that balances a vibrant theme with the potential for monumental payouts, Laughing Buddha by Habanero tops the list. This top online slot masterfully blends a serene atmosphere with a high-volatility engine, where the main attraction is a powerful free spins round that triggers powerful bonus features.  

Laughing Buddha Slot Summary

Laughing Buddha Demo

Game Overview

Laughing Buddha was developed and released by Habanero Systems in August 2022, a well-regarded software provider of online casino games founded in August 2009.

The game is structured on a familiar 5x3 grid with 28 fixed paylines, making it easy to get into. Its high volatility is paired with an RTP of 96.61%. The real headline here is the staggering maximum win potential of up to 56,043x your stake, making it an attractive offer for any serious jackpot hunter.

Theme and Storyline

The game is set against a tranquil temple backdrop with cherry blossoms in full bloom. The symbols are beautifully rendered, featuring golden dragons, jade vases, and the Laughing Buddha himself. This is all tied together with a peaceful soundtrack using traditional Asian instruments.

The game's genius is its calming theme, which offsets the harsh patience demanded by its high-volatility model, making the sudden, large wins feel more explosive.

Gameplay

Under the hood, it's a familiar 5-reel, 3-row setup with 28 fixed paylines. This means you're betting on all 28 lines every single spin. Despite its potential for complex wins, the base gameplay is intuitive and "easy-to-understand," so you'll feel right at home if you've ever played a slot before.

How to play

Even though the Laughing Buddha slot game is considered high volatility, the gameplay is purposefully straightforward to match any skill level. Here’s a basic how-to guide to get you started,

Set Your Bet: Once you’ve logged in to your online casino of choice, use the controls to adjust your bet level and coin value. Keep an eye on your total stake. 

Wilds and Scatters: The pearl represents the Wild Symbol, which substitutes for all regular symbols to complete wins. It can also land with an x2 or x3 multiplier, which is applied to the payout of any winning line it is part of. The golden urn Scatter is your key to the bonus round. Land 3 or more anywhere on the reels to trigger the Free Spins feature.

Buy Feature: For players who want to get straight to the main event, Laughing Buddha includes a 'Buy Feature' option. This allows you to purchase direct entry into the Free Spins round for a fixed price, typically a multiple of your current bet.

Laughing Buddha Bonus Feature

The gameplay in Laughing Buddha is centred around two key features that provide a direct path to the game's highest payout potential.

Buy Feature

For players who prefer to get straight to the action, Laughing Buddha includes a "Buy Feature." This option allows you to purchase direct entry into the Free Spins round for a fixed price, which is displayed on the screen. This bypasses the need to land Scatter symbols through normal play and immediately starts the main bonus round.

Free Spins

The main event of the game is the Free Spins feature, which is where the potential for significant wins truly lies.

Trigger: The round is activated by landing 3 or more Golden Urn Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels during a single spin. This awards 8 free spins.

Expanding Symbol Mechanic: Before the free spins begin, one of the regular paying symbols is randomly chosen to become a special expanding symbol for the duration of the feature.

Gameplay & Payouts: When you are playing your free spins, if enough of your chosen special symbols land on the reels to create a win, they will expand vertically to cover all positions on those reels. Crucially, these expanded symbols pay out on all 28 paylines, even if they are on non-adjacent reels (they pay like Scatters). This mechanic is the key to achieving the game's biggest payouts, especially if a high-value symbol is chosen at the start.

Bonus Multipliers & Retriggers: The x2 and x3 Wild multipliers remain active during the Free Spins round, giving you the chance to further boost any wins. If you land another 3 Scatter symbols during the feature, you will retrigger the bonus and be awarded an additional 8 free spins.

Payouts & Volatility

Volatility: The game is rated as High volatility. This means players should be prepared for less frequent wins, but with the potential for large payouts. This is best suited for players with a higher risk tolerance and a sufficient bankroll to handle the variance.   

RTP (Return to Player): The RTP is variable, but the most commonly advertised RTP is  96.61%. Make sure to check the specific RTP at your casino before playing.   

Symbol Payout Table Summary: The game includes lower-paying card royals and higher-paying premium symbols like golden dragons and jade vases. Payouts are awarded for three or more matching symbols on a payline, with five-of-a-kind premium symbols offering the highest base game returns.   

Max Win Potential: The game's maximum win potential is a massive 56,043x your stake. This payout is achievable during the Free Spins feature, typically by landing a full screen of the top-paying expanding symbol combined with a wild multiplier.

Tips for playing Laughing Buddha

• Manage Your Bankroll: Given the high volatility, set a budget that allows for a high number of spins to increase your chances of triggering the valuable Free Spins feature.

• Use the Buy Feature with Caution: The Buy Feature is a high-risk option that does not guarantee a profit. It can result in large wins or pay very little, so it should be used strategically.  

• Focus on the Feature: The primary goal is to trigger the Free Spins round, as this is where the largest payouts are concentrated.

• Understand the Expanding Symbol: Pay attention to which symbol is chosen to expand. A high-value symbol offers significantly more potential than a low-value one.

• Check the RTP: Before playing, check the game's information screen to confirm the RTP percentage offered by the casino. Opt for higher settings (96.61% or above) when possible.

What is the RTP for Laughing Buddha?

The RTP for Laughing Buddha is variable, ranging from 92.23%, 94.00%, 96.61%, and 97.93%. The most common version found online has an RTP of  96.61%. This means that theoretically, for every R100 staked on the game, R96.61 will be returned to players on average.