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Which free spins do you take? That question is what makes 5 Lions Megaways worth sitting down with. Pragmatic Play’s Chinese-themed Megaways slot gives you seven different bonus configurations before the round even begins, trading spin count for wild multiplier strength. More spins means smaller multipliers. Fewer spins means the chance of higher multipliers on every wild that hits. The stakes of that choice are the most interesting thing about an otherwise familiar Asian-themed slot, and whether the maths works out depends almost entirely on how the wilds fall across your chosen setup.
After every spin that produces a win, all winning symbols disappear, and new ones fall from above to fill the gaps. Tumbles continue until no further winning combinations form. Each tumble’s win is added to the total for that spin. New symbols landing in the same size as the initial result means the Megaways count can shift between tumbles within a single spin cycle.
The golden Fu Lion acts as the wild symbol, appearing on reels 2, 3, 4 and 5. When it forms part of a winning combination, a random multiplier is applied to all wins on that spin and any resulting tumbles. In standard play, possible values are 1x, 2x, 3x, 5x, 8x, 10x, 15x, 30x and 40x. Multiple wilds on the same spin can stack their multipliers. The wild does not substitute for the scatter symbol.
Landing 3 or more scatter (Yin-Yang) symbols anywhere on the reels triggers free spins. Before the round begins, choose one of seven configurations. Each trades spin count for multiplier strength. Special reels are active during the free spins round. Three or more scatters landing during free spins retrigger the same number of spins as the chosen option.
The seven options and their wild multiplier ranges are shown in the table below. The multiplier applies a random value from the selected range whenever a wild forms part of a winning combination.
| Option | Free Spins | Wild Multiplier Range |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Lion | 25 | 2x, 3x or 5x |
| Red Lion | 20 | 3x, 5x or 8x |
| Gold Lion | 15 | 5x, 8x or 10x |
| Blue Lion | 13 | 8x, 10x or 15x |
| Orange Lion | 10 | 10x, 15x or 30x |
| Green Lion | 6 | 15x, 30x or 40x |
| Mystery | Mystery | Mystery multiplier |
The Yin-Yang scatter pays directly on landing regardless of position. At a $2 bet, 6 scatters pays $200 (100x total bet), 5 pays $50 (25x), 4 pays $10 (5x), 3 pays $6 (3x). The scatter symbol does not disappear during tumbles.
An optional bet multiplier that increases the total stake to 25x the coin value. With Ante Bet active, the probability of triggering free spins naturally is doubled. Symbol paytable values are not affected. Activating Ante Bet disables the Buy Free Spins option.
Available where permitted, at a cost of 100x the current total bet. Purchasing instantly triggers the free spins feature with the full seven-option selection screen. The RTP remains 96.50% in buy mode. Ante Bet must be switched off before the buy option is accessible.
The choice of free spins option is the single most important decision in 5 Lions Megaways, and understanding what each option actually means is worth doing before the round triggers. The wild multiplier only applies when a wild symbol forms part of a winning combination. A spin or tumble with no wild in a winning line produces no multiplier regardless of the selected range. Picking 6 spins for the 15x/30x/40x range is not a guaranteed high-return setup. It is a high-variance bet that produces little if wilds don’t land in wins, and a strong return when they do. The 5,000x win cap applies to the total round; if that threshold is reached mid-round, all remaining spins are cancelled and the capped amount is awarded.
Bets run from $0.20 to $125 per spin. The free play version runs identically to real-money play, making it the most practical way to try each free spins option before committing a stake.
Values below reflect a $2 total bet. The paytable scales with your chosen stake.
| Symbol | 6 of a kind | 5 of a kind | 4 of a kind | 3 of a kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon | $50.00 | $8.00 | $4.00 | $2.00 |
| Phoenix | $10.00 | $5.00 | $2.50 | $1.50 |
| Frog | $10.00 | $3.00 | $1.50 | $1.00 |
| Koi Fish | $5.00 | $2.50 | $1.00 | $0.60 |
| Tortoise | $5.00 | $2.00 | $1.00 | $0.60 |
| A / K | $2.50 | $1.00 | $0.60 | $0.40 |
| Q | $2.00 | $0.80 | $0.40 | $0.20 |
| J / 10 | $2.00 | $0.80 | $0.40 | $0.20 |
5 Lions Megaways gives you a genuine decision before the bonus starts, which is more than most slots in this genre offer. Whether that decision matters depends on the wild, land it in a win and the multiplier earns its keep, miss it and the spin count shrinks fast. A solid game that deserves credit for the concept, even when the execution disappoints.
The free spins round triggered naturally during the demo session. Opting for the 6-spin green lion option with multipliers at 15x, 30x or 40x, the round returned $6.40 from a $2 bet, a modest 3x the stake for a bonus with a 40x multiplier in range. Disappointing rather than disastrous since it triggered in regualr gameplay, but a clear illustration of what happens when the wild stays out of winning combinations. If the wild doesn’t land in a winning combination on a given spin, no multiplier fires regardless of the range selected. The 40x potential is real, but so is a round where it never shows up.
A $200 bonus buy at the same stake gave the 6-spin option a second chance. Six additional spins retriggered during the round, giving 12 in total, and the session returned $44.40. Less than a quarter of the buy cost, but not an error in the maths. The wild multiplier needs to land in wins repeatedly across a short window to generate meaningful returns, and in both sessions it didn’t cooperate. Two tests are a small sample and reflect the unlucky end of a genuinely high-variance format rather than a flaw in the design.
On audio, the ambient Chinese instrumental track is pleasant for the first few minutes but becomes noticeably repetitive over the course of a session. The separate music and sound effects volume controls are worth knowing about. Muting the music while keeping reel sounds active is a better experience for longer play.
Players deciding between this and 5 Lions Megaways 2, released February 2025, should know the sequel is the more complete game in almost every respect. The wild multiplier climbs to 100x rather than 40x, ways to win extend to 262,144, the max win reaches 8,000x, and the addition of Super Free Spins, Max Free Spins and the Level Up Coin system gives the bonus round significantly more depth. Both carry the same 96.50% RTP. If the free spins choice format is the appeal, the sequel does it better. The original is the entry point to a series that has since moved on.
The free spins round is activated by landing 3 Yin-Yang scatters or by purchasing the bonus buy.
Our small $44 win highlights the high volatility in this game.
