In a simple, regular yellow frame set against rolling green hills and the sinuous curves of the Great Wall of China, the 5X3 reel grid of the online video slot title Dynasty embodies the curious mix of minimalism and ostentation that characterises the game. It has no storyline, but its symbols reinforce the unmistakeable theme of Chinese imperial glory continuing through successive dynasties ruling this ancient culture.
Dynasty’s game controls are ranged below the reels in simple blocks, providing access to game information, payline and bet settings, the gamble feature, plus the spin and autoplay functions. There are 25 paylines, and players must decide how many lines to play, as well as set a wager of between 1 and 100 coins per line, before they spin the reels.
Payline Symbols Win up to 5,000 Credits
Simplicity is again evident in the plain font chosen for Dynasty’s six low-value icons, the playing card values 9, 10, J, Q, K and A, enlivened by their contrasting bright hues. These symbols are grouped in equal-value pairs, with As and Ks each winning 200 credits for five of a kind.
Four Dynasty themed symbols are rendered in clear lines and bold colours: a pair of crossed swords, an imperial dragon banner, an open-air pagoda, and a sword-wielding warrior. The swords and banner are also equal in prize values, and the pagoda and warrior pay prizes for just two matches on a payline or more. For five matches, they win respective prizes of 1,000 and 5,000 credits.
Dynasty Wild can Stack
An imperial seal, bearing a stylised gold dragon on a rich red block, serves as the Dynasty Wild. There are no prizes for Wild-only combinations, but it can stand in for any of the ordinary payline symbols to complete winning sequences.
On Reels 2, 3 and 4, the Wild can appear stacked. When it covers an entire reel, it improves the player’s chances of winning multiple prizes on the same spin. However, it cannot substitute for Dynasty’s Emperor Scatter, so it is not any help in triggering free spins.
Players can also try to double or quadruple any win using the gamble feature, in which they will have to guess either the colour or suit of the next card out of the deck. Experienced slots players will make use of the gamble only when a win is lower than the full bet staked on the previous spin. Players want to break even or better on their winning spins, so it can pay to risk smaller wins in the hope of doubling or quadrupling them. Substantial wins, on the other hand, are silly to risk with a gamble.
Emperor Scatter Unlocks Riches
The haughty Chinese emperor is the Dynasty Scatter icon, winning a multiplier of the total spin bet for two or more appearances in any windows. Multipliers of X2, X5, X20 and X100 can be won.
In addition, three or more Emperor Scatters trigger Dynasty’s free spins bonus. This consists of a fixed number of 10 free games, although the bonus can be retriggered by three more Scatters during the round. During free games, all prizes are doubled.