Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year (Fa Chai Gaming) Review

Inviting you to get to know Eastern culture better, the Chinese New Year is an exciting slot from Fa Chai Gaming offering a 5x3 playing field with 243 betways. Despite the huge number of paylines for such a simple setup, combinations are sequences of 3+ identical symbols. You need to land matching icons from left to right, starting from the first reel, to claim cash prizes.

Chinese New Year will delight you with a decent RTP of 96.02% and not too risky mechanics (as the volatility is medium to high). Although the maximum multiplier of x12,000 will not impress every slot player, this is fixed by a wide betting range from $0.60 to $600 per spin. In my experience, every 4-5 spins bring a payout, so the base game does not disappoint.

In this slot, we still have low-paying card symbols from Jack to Ace with multipliers up to x1. There are also many themed symbols, such as a jug, coins, fish, a lion, and others, paying out prizes of up to x5 the bet size for the maximum combo. The developers have equipped the slot with special symbols so that you can form combos more often and also have access to a bonus round with free spins.

Chinese New Year Slot - Reels Screen

Chinese New Year Features

Like many other titles from Fa Chai Gaming, Chinese New Year focuses on simple gameplay with a minimal set of bonus features. However, there are a few extras tied to special symbols. Moreover, it is the in-game bonuses that can lead you to the maximum prize, so they are worth exploring in more detail.

Wild

The lion playing the role of the Wild is the center of attention in this slot. It performs traditional substitution functions to give you more chances to win prizes. Unlike some games, here the Wild appears not only in the base game but also during the free spins round, helping to unlock its full potential.

Scatter and Free Spins

According to the rules of the Chinese New Year slot, you will receive 13 free spins for a combination of at least 5 Scatters. Moreover, you must have at least one Scatter on each reel. The game will reward you with additional multipliers ranging from x3 to x72 if you land 6 or more Scatters on different reels.

Land at least 5 more Scatters during the free spins, and you will extend the bonus game for another +13 FS. This can be done up to 100 times in a row. Another nice feature is that the next round of free spins will start with the same extra multiplier you received on the previous trigger.

Chinese New Year Slot - Free Spins

Autoplay Feature and Speed Mode

You can run 50 to 999 spins in a row without pressing the Spin button each time. Simply select the number of rounds and activate Speed Mode to minimize animation for faster results. However, I was a bit disappointed that there is no option to change the bet size or set, for example, loss limits to exit Autoplay mode in certain scenarios.

Theme & Graphics

The developers of the Chinese New Year slot have done their best to help you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of this important Eastern holiday. You will see fish, coins, jugs, fish, and other attributes of the Chinese New Year against a backdrop of red lanterns and fireworks. Although there are no 3D graphics, the animation is pleasing to the eye, and the sounds and music complement it perfectly. Using a mobile-first approach, Fa Chai Gaming has optimized this title for mobile gadgets so you can enjoy it even on the go.

Pros and Cons of the Chinese New Year Slot

Our Verdict

I played many rounds and realized that the Chinese New Year is my favorite holiday slot. Thanks to 243 paylines (despite the simple 5x3 grid), it feels modern. However, the rather low payout multipliers for the symbols result in meager payouts in the base game, which is somewhat disappointing.

I liked the free spins bonus with up to x72 extra multipliers, but I only managed to get the x20 option. In addition, I saw free spins quite rarely, as the requirement of 5 Scatters on each reel is quite difficult to fulfill. But if luck smiles on you, the bonus round turns into a real extravaganza with big prizes.

Although the Chinese New Year slot offers some extras, it is much less complicated than many of its modern counterparts. So, it can be a good choice even for beginners, despite its above-average volatility. To get a feel for the mechanics and immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere without any risk, start with the free demo game available right on our website.