Play Dancing Drums Explosion Slot

Dancing Drums Explosion Review

Asian-themed slots never lose their popularity, as they are associated with luck, happiness, and wealth. Traditionally, the Chinese people put components of the spirit above all the material. That is why most of their talismans aim at wealth, which will subsequently lead to good luck in any area of life. Although this is a somewhat specific point of view and beliefs, we cannot dispute the wisdom of the people of Asia.

That takes us to the Dancing Drums Explosion, which makes use of the traditional Chinese theme. The intro screen shows everything you can expect from this game from Light and Wonder - Expanding Reels in the bonus round, jackpots, free spins mode choices, as well as the ability to upgrade the bonus round. We reckon all this sounds just fabulous, although such an abundance of functions can be confusing at first.

Dancing Drums Explosion – Intro Screen

Dancing Drums Explosion RTP, variance & technical data

Before we dive into this madness of bonuses and riches, here are some basic technical data you should know about first:

• RTP: 96.06%
• Volatility/Variance: Medium
• Layout: 5x3 (5x8 during Free Spins)
• Betways: 243 (up to 32,768 during Free Spins)
• Bets: €0.18 to €88.00
• Max win: €250,000

As you can see, the volatility here is medium, and the return to player percentage is also average, which is nice because you don’t have to wait long for your winnings. Let's say upfront that the free spins round plays an extremely important role due to the expansion of the reels, as it provides you with as many as 32,768 win ways. Considering that the symbols in this game pay disappointingly little, your hope is free spins and wilds, which can trigger hits of any jackpot.

The reel set is located on a nice orange background, and above the reels, you are to see a treasure chest with gold coins that might eventually become yours. At the top of the screen, you will notice the jackpots amounts - they are fixed and depend on your chosen bet. The game has the following jackpots: Mini, Minor, Major, Grand, and Explosion, where the latter promises to win €250,000 when playing with the maximum bet (€88.00). You can get any of the jackpots completely by chance, and for this, you'll need to land at least one wild at any time during the game. If you're lucky and the wild triggers access to the jackpot win, you'll be taken to a new screen where you'll see 12 gold coins. It's a Pick'Em mini-game where you have to pick 3 identical coins. As you flip the coin, you will see images of Fu Babies, each representing a different jackpot prize.

As for the main game, there isn't much going on, and the only thing that will keep you entertained is the uplifting traditional Chinese-style music and colorful, detailed symbols. The game pleases in that you receive payouts using the Any Way Pays mechanic; this means that you get a payout for any combination of 3+ symbols on a single line that starts from the leftmost reel.

While waiting for winning combinations, you will be praying for all the lucky charms that you will get 3+ Drum scatters. This will trigger free spins, but before, you will be asked to choose one of the five bonus round options.

Dancing Drums Explosion symbols

It is worth paying tribute to the developer since even though the symbols in all Asian-themed slots are quite similar to each other, the local symbols look so well-drawn that they even put you into hypnosis. However, don't let the appearance fool you, because the symbols in this game do not pay very much. As usual, the symbol set consists of high-paying symbols and low-paying symbols, and you will also benefit from wilds and scatters.

Here, winning combinations are paid according to your bet level. Since they are paid out in coins, we cannot say how many you will receive for a winning combo. That's why we decided to convert the paytable for your convenience:

• Drum/Golden Drum (scatter) - pays 50x for 5 instances on a payline
• Lion - pays 9x for 5 on a payline
• Ship - pays 4.5x for 5 on a payline
• Money Tree - pays 2.27x for 5 on a payline
• Sycee - pays 1.1x for 5 on a payline
• Golden Coins - pays 1.13x for 5 on a payline
• Royal Symbols - pay from 0.17x to 0.22x for 5 on a payline

There are two wilds in the game - Fu Bat and Golden Fu Bat, and, as usual, they replace all symbols except for the scatter. They only appear in the game on the three middle reels (2-4). Here, Wilds also activate jackpots. As for the Golden Fu Bat wild, its additional task is to double all wins and even the size of the jackpots.

What Are The Bonus Features?

As we said, the Dancing Drums Explosion slot is full of variety, where riches await you - all depends on your stakes level and patience. The main action takes place in the free spins round, but we all know that the real excitement begins in the Pick'Em mini-game, where you have to randomly choose a gift for yourself - the jackpot. But first things first.

To trigger the bonus round, you need to land at least three scatters (Drums or Golden Drums) on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost one. If you get three Drums in the base game, the bonus round will be activated, but before that, you have to choose one of the five modes:

• Mode 1 - 15 free spins (243 betways), 5х3 reel set
• Mode 2 - 10 free spins (1,024 betways), 5х4 reel set
• Mode 3 - 5 free spins (3,125 betways), 5х5 reel set
• Mode 4 - 3 free spins (7,776 betways), 5х6 reel set
• Mode 5 (Mystery Choice) - a random combination of spins and layout.

You also have a chance to get an "improved" version of the scatter - Golden Drums. These symbols can only appear in the base on reels 1, 2, and 3. If the triggering combination has at least 1 Golden Drum, you will be offered to choose among the improved versions of free spins:

• Mode 1 - 15 free spins (1,024 betways), 5х4 reel set
• Mode 2 - 10 free spins (3,125 betways), 5х5 reel set
• Mode 3- 5 free spins (7,776 betways), 5х6 reel set
• Mode 4 - 3 free spins (32,768 betways), 5х8 reel set
• Mode 5 (Mystery Choice) - a random combination of spins and layout.

The feature ends when you run out of free spins or hit the max win. By the way, you can re-trigger this feature and extend its duration if you collect two more scatters during the bonus round (as usual, starting from the leftmost reel). After that, the game will reward you with three extra spins.

As for the Wilds, they play one more significant role in this slot besides helping you to form wins. Thanks to them, at a random time, the Pick'Em mini-game can be activated, where the jackpot can be won. There are two types of wilds - Fu Bat and Golden Fu Bat, which look like old Chinese notes depicting a bat.

The Fu Bat wild appears on reels 2, 3, and 4 during both the base and bonus games. The Golden Fu Bat wild can only appear during the base game on the same reels as the Fu Bat. How are these wilds different? Well, the Golden Fu Bat wild is more valuable as it doubles your wins and the jackpot values.

If you are lucky, you will find yourself on a new screen, where 12 ancient Chinese coins will be depicted. Your task is to open the coins one by one, and three identical coins will show you a certain jackpot value. Different Fu Babies, whom you can see on the main screen above the reels, represent each jackpot.

If you activated the Pick'Em game with a regular wild, you will be able to access the Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand jackpots, the values of which change depending on your bet. In this case, the max win with the Grand jackpot is 1420x.

If you trigger the Pick'Em game with the Golden Fu Bat wild, then all jackpot values are doubled, and the Grand jackpot is upgraded to the Explosion level. Here you can win max 2840x, which is €250,000 when playing with the max bet!

How to play

The interface of the game is quite simple and intuitive, so experienced players can just look through this section because we wrote it mostly for beginners and those who are not familiar with Light and Wonder's games.

When you launch the game, you will see an intro screen showing all the main highlights of this slot - this will be the first thing that will draw your attention to the game. Next, a reel set will open in front of you, above which the jackpot values will be displayed (they change depending on your bet level).

Dancing Drums Explosion – Game Screen

To the right of the reels, you will see several icons. The topmost icon will give you the following options: music on/off, right-handed/left-handed screen adaptation (PC version), and a question mark icon. By clicking on this icon, you will be taken to the rules of the game and get acquainted with the paytable, which is dynamic and changes depending on your bet.

Right below the settings icon, you will see the autoplay setting. You can set up this feature with between 10 and 200 autospins. The feature can be set to stop when your balance has increased or decreased by a certain amount. Below is a coin-shaped icon - this is your current bet, which can be increased from €0.18 to €88. You can see your current balance right below the reels.

Where to play Dancing Drums Explosion?

If you are an experienced player or feel that the game is “the one”, then you can start playing for real money here right away. Although the slot machine is made on a mathematical model with medium volatility, we still recommend adjusting your bets from time to time and preparing your bankroll accordingly.

In case you are not yet sure that all this mix of colors and bonuses is right for you, don't worry. Even experienced gamers sometimes find it helpful to try out the free version of a game first before jumping into the action. If you want to get a feel for the gameplay and understand your optimal bet level, then follow this link to play Dancing Drums Explosion for free. You can also find it at the very top of this overview page.

Review Summary

When you ask yourself a question of what is the coolest thing in this game, it is impossible to answer quickly and unambiguously. The provider Light and Wonder has prepared for you many nice features and bonuses that not only look colorful and detailed but can also reward you with solid winnings in the long run. To be honest, the only drawback of the game is the low value of the symbols, but all this pales in comparison to the Expanding Reels that offer a whole sequence of wins. It is also convenient that you can choose the free spins mode yourself because everyone has their preferences. Don't forget to keep an eye on the wilds, especially the Golden Fu Bat, as not only do they unlock the promised jackpots, but can also double prizes value. Cross your fingers for good luck, as this slot is of medium volatility, which means you have a real chance to get one of the jackpots!

Pros

• 5 fixed jackpots
• 5 free spins modes that you choose yourself
• Special wilds that double your winnings and jackpot values
• Medium volatility and average RTP (96%)
• Wins of up to €250,000

Cons

• Cliched Chinese theme