Mystic Dragon Slot Machine
Mystic Dragon is a 5-reel video slot developed by the German software firm Merkur Interactive. Not to be confused with other slots of the same name, this version has just five paylines rather than the customary 10 or 20, a brace of totemic symbols and an epic storybook feel.
If dungeons and dragons are your kind of thing, the 5-reeler is a good option when you fancy a little flutter. Explore the dragon’s ominous landscape and attempt to uncover matching combinations of spooky trees, dusty, leather-bound books and, of course, those fire-breathers.
A suspenseful edition known for its solid gameplay and cult style design, Mystic Dragon was launched in 2011. The game includes both a wild and a scatter symbol, the presence of which improves your chances of forming line wins. While all wins pay left to right, as is standard in video slots, the scatter happens to pay wherever it lies. There’s also the added bonus of a free spins bonus round, which comes with an additional multiplier on all wins formed. Not only that, but the free spins can be re-triggered.
Dragon rules
In Mystical Dragon, stakes range from 0.05 all the way up to 10. Simply click on the Spin button after determining your stake.
The slot includes an Auto Start mode, which allows players to automatically commence games using the pre-determined stake. With the exception of scatters, all wins are paid on lines played on consecutive reels, starting from the leftmost column. Coinciding wins on alternate paylines are added together to give the end result.
Dragon’s lair
Mystic Dragon is characterised by the same simple, no-frills design as other Merkur slots we’ve encountered. The black 5x3 reel grid appears against a red backdrop and the name of the game is etched in craggy script above. The controls are minimal, though there are tabs along the bottom of the screen for lines, bet/line and bet. There’s also a running tally of your credits and the aforementioned Auto Start button.
The icons in Mystic Dragon mostly accord to the theme, with the exception of five playing cards, which stretch from 9 to King. As you;d expect, these are the lowest-value symbols, with the 9 paying two for two, five for three, 20 for four and 100 for five. The 10, Queen and Jack are identical except they award 25 for four; the king is the same, only it pays 50 for four. The ace grants 10 for three and 50 for four.
Other symbols include a stark, gnarled tree, a thick Domesday-style book, a circular, six-pronged weapon that looks like a torture instrument, a circular wooden board, a dragon’s eye, a dragon head shot and a mountain wild.
The wild substitutes for all symbols except the scatter, and it also pays the best sums in the game. You can expect to win 10 for two, 100 for three, 1,000 for four or 5,000 for five in a line. All wins in which the mountain wild plays a part are also boosted by a generous 2x multiplier.
The snarling dragon is the scatter. As well as paying 10 for two, 25 for three, 100 for four and 500 for five, it triggers the free spins bonus. Simply land three or more on an active line and you’ll win 15 free games, with all prizes in the bonus round trebled. Remember, the scatter is exempt from the payline rules, meaning you don’t have to form combos starting from the furthermost left reel.
The free spins bonus can also be re-triggered during a round of free games. During free spins, the colour of the backdrop changes from red to purple (don’t ask us why), and when the dragon is involved in wins, it animates, spitting and snorting fire.
The dragon’s eye symbol is another lucrative one. This one can furnish your pockets with two for two, 20 for three, 100 for four and 1,000 for five in a row. Providing the mountain wild is involved in helping you to form five, you’ll of course win 2,000 instead of 1,000. Not bad, huh?
Mystical or much ado about nothing?
Mystic Dragon is a decent effort from Merkur – the gaming company has certainly gone to some lengths to design a slot that’s user-friendly, albeit not especially innovative. Play for free or with real money at an array of online casinos. You never know, you might just win big.
