River Dragons

How it plays

When koi bonus symbols land on reels 2 and 3, Reel Surge stretches the three middle reels by one to four rows for a random number of spins, up to 3-8-8-8-3 and 4,608 ways. Bonus symbols on reels 2, 3 and 4 in the same spin award free spins, 8 for each combination, so stacked bonus symbols can push the award to 128. Reel Surge stays on throughout the free spins, the reels keep growing as more bonus symbols land, and extra spins can be won. Two mystery progressives sit above the game and can drop at random regardless of the reels.

Features

• Ways pays that count from both the left and the right
• Reel Surge: koi on reels 2 and 3 temporarily grow the middle reels for more ways
• Free spins from 8 to 128 depending on how many bonus symbols land, with Reel Surge always active
• Stacked wilds, dragons and logo symbols
• Two must-hit-by mystery progressives
• Newer themes (Sapphire, Jade, 888 Boosted, 888 Ultra) add cash-on-reels prizes, expanding wilds and, on the 888 games, a second upgraded free-spin bonus

At a glance

Maker

AGS

Series

River Dragons

First released

2017

Type

Ways to win

Mechanics

PowerXStream ways pays in both directions, Reel Surge expanding middle reels (576 to 4,608 ways), Free spins (8 to 128), Stacked wilds, Two must-hit-by mystery progressives

Theme

Asian dragons and koi fish

Layout

5 reels in a 3-4-4-4-3 shape (576 ways); Reel Surge can grow the middle three reels to 8 high (3-8-8-8-3, 4,608 ways)

Cabinets

Orion (launch cabinet), Orion Curve Premium (reimagined version shown in 2023)

Denominations

Reviewed as a penny game; River Dragons Jade is multi-denomination. Other denominations vary by casino.

Bets

The original is bet in 88-credit steps, so 88 credits ($0.88 on a penny game) is the minimum per reviews; River Dragons Jade lowers the penny minimum to 60 credits. Maximum bet for land versions not reported.

Volatility

High (maker rating)

Jackpots

Two must-hit-by mystery progressives that can be awarded on any spin. At launch, trade press reported a lower level resetting at $500 (must hit by $800) and an upper level resetting at $1,000 (must hit by $2,000); other installations use different caps (a 2017 report describes a $5,000 must-hit bank). Newer themes such as Sapphire add jackpots that land on the reels.

Payback

Land and cruise: set by the operator and not published. The online version is listed at 95.92% by a review site.