Dragon Fa slot review
Dragon Fa is an Asian-themed high-volatility video slot from American Gaming Systems, a Nevada-based provider that’s been in the game since the 1990s. Released in Q2 2021, the game is played across 5 reels and 3 rows and has 243 fixed ways to win.
With Dragon Fa’s RTP sitting at 96.05%, free spins that only include higher-paying symbols, and a jackpot pick bonus with guaranteed wins, this game has a lot to offer. That said, it’s not all cream and sugar, and this Dragon Fa slot review will walk you through both the good and the bad, as well as show how and where to play it.
Highlights
RTP 96.05%
Volatility High
Stakes range 44
Max win $10,000
Number of reels 5
Number of rows 3-
Number of paylines 243 -
Jackpots No -
Slot type Slots -
Slot theme Dragon -
Software provider Ags -
Launch date 26/05/2021
64/ 100
62% Playscore based on 4 critics
Dragon Fa slot review summary
Dragon Fa is a fairly standard 5×3 video slot inspired by Chinese mythology, as evident by its golden dragons and Fu-Baby symbols. But apart from a few festival-themed details atop the reels, there’s really not much to look at here. The game doesn’t have a soundtrack, either, except during free spins.
Feature-wise, Dragon Fa centers around AGS’s well-known PowerXStream mechanic, which boosts payouts when you land a winning combination with a few extra symbols that don’t align with the payline vertically.
You also get free spins where only higher-paying symbols appear on the reels, as well as a pick’em game, which guarantees one of the four fixed jackpot prizes.
Overall, what Dragon Fa lacks in visuals, it makes up for in features. Its RTP is also strong, though the game’s high volatility doesn’t exactly make it an easy ride and should prepare you for long streaks of dead spins.
Pros
Retriggerable free spins
Jackpot pick round with guaranteed prizes
RTP of 96.05%
Cons
Longer dry spells due to high variance
Relatively high minimum bet
Low-quality visuals
Dragon Fa comprehensive review
If the general overview above doesn’t cut it for you, my in-depth Dragon Fa slot review surely will. In it, I’ll be covering the key areas that make up this online slot, including RTP, volatility, bonus features, symbols, and paytable, and sharing my firsthand experiences with you.
RTP and volatility
The Dragon Fa slot’s RTP is 96.05%.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.05% |
| Maximum win | $10,000 |
| Number of paylines | 243 |
| Volatility | High |
But this is also a high-volatility game, so wins can be quite sporadic, even if they tend to be larger when they finally land.
With a 96.05% RTP, Dragon Fa offers decent long-term returns. In theory, that figure means the game should return $96.05 for every $100 wagered, but do keep in mind that it’s calculated over millions of spins, so it doesn’t actually guarantee anything in short sessions.
My experience with Dragon Fa is a prime example of that. While taking the game out for a few spins, my bankroll dipped far below what I’m willing to admit. That said, it still didn’t feel nearly as brutal as some low-RTP progressive jackpots I recently tested, like Gold Blitz King Millions.
Obviously, I also had my fair share of dead spins, courtesy of Dragon Fa’s high-volatility label. The few base-game hits I got here and there did help, though, especially when I landed $76.80 on a $3.52 bet.
Paul Portanier
Bonus features
Dragon Fa keeps things fairly straightforward with the PowerXStream feature at the forefront. You also get 2 bonus games: a free spins round, which removes lower-paying card marks from the equation, and the jackpot pick bonus game with guaranteed wins.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Bonus features | Wilds, scatters, PowerXStream mechanic, jackpot pick bonus, free spins |
| Top features | Xtreme jackpots |
| Jackpot | Mini, Minor, Major, Grand |
PowerXStream feature
Dragon Fa’s PowerXStream mechanic evaluates your wins based on the number of matching symbols on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost position. This essentially increases your payouts when you land multiple matching symbols, even if they don’t align vertically.
Free spins
As far as the bonus round goes, you’ll need to land at least 3 scatter symbols to start it off with 10 spins that don’t impact your bankroll. Each additional dragon scatter in the base game also increases the number of free spins you get.
During the bonus round, all lower-value card symbols are removed from the reels, which boosts the payout potential. Dragon scatters can also appear as you’re spinning the reels in the bonus, so you can retrigger the feature with up to 30 additional free spins.
Jackpot pick
Land wilds on any reels, and you might trigger the jackpot pick game with 12 face-down icons. Clicking on them flips them up, revealing the Fu-Baby symbols underneath tied to a specific jackpot level. Hitting at least one jackpot is guaranteed, and you’ll be awarded the prize related to the tier that gets 3 matching Fu-Baby symbols first.
The number of bonus features in the Dragon Fa slot is nothing to write home about, but I did like what little is on offer, starting with the PowerXStream mechanics. Sure, wins still pay only left to right on adjacent reels, starting with the leftmost one. But I also noticed the difference in payouts between a standard winning combo and one with a few spare symbols next to it.
The jackpot pick game is the highlight feature here, and although revealing face-down icons was intense, I can’t say I’m sold. Maybe I’m being a bit subjective here, but the one time I managed to trigger it, my poor luck saw me walk away with the Mini prize. It hurts even more because I also had 2/3 Fu-Baby symbols for Major before I revealed the third symbol for Mini.
Ultimately, it was the free spins that did it for me. While they’re not easy to come by, I liked the 10 starting free spins, and I was also lucky enough to retrigger the feature with a few extra scatters during the bonus. And with only high-paying symbols in the game, the payout was more than decent and enough to almost make me forget the bleeding I endured in the base game.
Paul Portanier
Symbols and paytable
Dragon Fa relies on 11 standard symbols. The six highest-value playing cards (9, 10, J, Q, K, and A) are the lower-paying symbols here and only appear in the base game. They’re worth 5x, 10x, and 50x for combinations of 3, 4, and 5 symbols, respectively.
The game’s higher-paying symbols are present in both the base game and the free spins round. They include golden gourds, ingots, koi fish, bats, and dragons, and they pay out as follows:
| Symbols | 3 matches | 4 matches | 5 matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gourd | 15x | 30x | 120x |
| Ingot | 30x | 60x | 240x |
| Koi fish | 40x | 80x | 320x |
| Bat | 60x | 120x | 480x |
| Dragon | 80x | 160x | 800x |
As for scatters, scoring at least 3 pays out and triggers the bonus with 10 free spins.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Chinese festival |
| Reel layout | 5×3 |
| Highest paying symbol | Dragon |
| Adjustable paylines | N/A |
| Visuals | Asian-themed |
| Sound | Traditional |
| Mobile quality | Good |
Landing 4 or 5 of them grants you returns of 880x or 4,400x, respectively.
Dragon Fa keeps its symbol set as simple as its visuals, so it really shouldn’t take more than a few spins for everything to click.
The paytable also may not look like much at first glance, but the payouts were quite decent with the PowerXStream mechanic in play. In fact, I managed to land more than a few 4- and 5-symbol combinations, and my best win resulted in a return of $76.80 on a $3.52 bet for 5 golden bats on reel 1 and 2 extra symbols on reel 2.
That said, the betting range is limited. You’re looking at 5 stake options in total: 88, 176, 352, 528, and 880, each multiplied by a denominator ranging from $0.01 to $0.05, which leaves you with $0.88-$44.
Paul Portanier
How to play Dragon Fa
Playing Dragon Fa is super easy. You start by setting the stake: that is, choosing one of the 5 bet options listed above and adjusting the denom value. Once you’ve done that, you’re free to spin away, though I’d suggest hitting the mute button in the bottom right first.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Min bet | $0.88 |
| Max bet | $44 |
| Autoplay | N/A |
| Turbo mode | N/A |
| Game history | N/A |
The menu sits in the bottom left corner and only holds another sound button and the 6-page help submenu, where you can learn about the game’s features, symbols, and paytable.
Casinos where to play Dragon Fa
Since AGS is an American game provider headquartered in Henderson, NV, you’d be right to assume that Dragon Fa is widely available across the US. Here are the top-tier online casinos where you can play this slot:
| Casino Logo | Rating | Bonus | Go-to-casino button | Show more | T&C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
89/100
Expert rating
by T2P contributor
91%
Playscore
based on
|
100% up to $1,000 + $25 On The House
|
Play now |
|
Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. MI, NJ, PA or WV only. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA & WV). |
2
|
85/100
Expert rating
by T2P contributor
86%
Playscore
based on
|
100% up to $1,000 and 2,500 Reward Credits on a $25+ wager
|
Play now |
|
|
3
|
88/100
Expert rating
by T2P contributor
92%
Playscore
based on
|
Spin the Wheel up to 1,000 Bonus Spins
|
Play now |
|
Visit Borgata.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. NJ and PA only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER. |
Expert verdict
Dragon Fa keeps most of the mechanics found in AGS’ 2016 release, Rakin’ Bacon, including 243 fixed ways to win and the PowerXStream system. This time around, though, the provider has just slapped on a few Chinese mythology-inspired details.
To be honest, the older slot looks much better than this 2021 addition to the catalog. For comparison’s sake, BGaming’s Dragon’s Gold 100 is also a Chinese culture-themed slot from 2021, and it has a much cleaner aesthetic with animated symbols and background.
I also disliked the high minimum bet, which starts at $0.88. While the number 8 is considered the single most auspicious number in Chinese culture because it sounds similar to the word for wealth, I feel like AGS didn’t have to start so high. After all, $0.08 could have worked just as well.
Visuals and the high minimum bet aside, you’re looking at fairly decent features. The pick’em game feels genuinely exciting regardless of how small the fixed 4-tier jackpot prizes are, and the free spin round offers solid payouts due to its setup that includes nothing but high-value symbols.
FAQs
What is the RTP of Dragon Fa?
Dragon Fa’s RTP is 96.05%, which is right up there with the industry average.
What is the maximum win potential in Dragon Fa?
The max win in Dragon Fa is $10,000, courtesy of the fixed Grand jackpot. As far as base game wins go, AGS doesn’t publicly disclose this number.
Does Dragon Fa have a progressive jackpot?
No, Dragon Fa doesn’t have progressive jackpots. Instead, it relies on a fixed 4-tier jackpot system led by the Grand prize of $10,000.
How do I trigger free spins?
The free spins trigger when you land at least 3 gold coin scatters, which start you off with 10 free spins. The more scatter symbols you see on the base game’s reels, the more spins you’ll have during the bonus. Free spins can also be retriggered as you’re playing.
Is this a high-volatility slot?
Yes, Dragon Fa is a high-volatility game. This means the slot tends to pay out infrequently. However, when they do land, the wins are usually larger than those in low-variance slots.
