Fu Lai Slot
Fu Lai doesn’t translate as anything particularly deep and meaningful, as it’s just a Chinese surname, which perhaps explains the completely random choice of symbols in the Fu Lai video slot from GamingSoft. But we won’t dwell too long on the meaning behind this online casino slot machine, and in fact, we’re not entirely sure there’s a theme of any sort, however it looks good and has the potential for some handsome rewards.
GamingSoft seem to specialise in Chinese-inspired slot machines and this game is typical of their range, from the choice of traditional symbols like monkeys, turtles and dragons, to the backdrop of cherry blossoms, carved columns and even the Oriental soundtrack that accompanies the spins of the reels.
Talking of reels, we have 5 of them here, where the symbols are in 3 rows, and there’s a 243 ways to win system in place, which means that spinners only need to land enough symbols of the same type across adjacent reels from the left side to get paid out for a prize.
Playing Fu Lai
While the theme and topic may be a little unclear, we at least have some nice graphics and animations to enjoy. There’s also a bet range that starts at 1.00 per spin, which may be a little high for those on limited budgets, so perhaps getting some practice spins in via the free Fu Lai video slots that most casinos feature would be an idea worth considering. It has a high return to player percentage though and like all GamingSoft online casino slot machines, it plays fair.
An attractive design extends to the symbols, with lots of colour and rich details to each. Symbol values are unusual, as all the playing card icons 9, 10, J, Q, K and A are worth 15, 25, or 60 coins when landing on 3, 4, or 5 connected reels from the left side, while all unique picture symbols of turtles, monkeys, white tigers and dragons are worth 20, 40, or 80 coins for the same combinations. But it makes it easy to follow what’s going on and this low-volatility slot has lots of winning spins, with multiple lines of matching symbols frequently found in a single one.
Any of these symbols can be replaced by the wild icon, which is a decorative red and gold box that opens up when it’s in the right places to complete a win-line. The wild symbol can also expand when it’s on the middle reel, which makes it easier for it to fill in any breaks in a continuous run of matching symbols, while the normal wild can stretch a win over extra reels to the right side. It isn’t worth anything on its own, however, and it can’t substitute for the various bonus symbols.
Free Spins for Wager-Free Winnings
The free spins symbol starts a special bonus round when it stops on reels 2, 3 and 4 at once. Although punters are only awarded an initial 8 free games, every time the ‘+1 Free Spin’ symbol appears, an extra game is added on. In theory this could go on forever, which would be nice, but pretty unlikely, although it can certainly create a couple of additional chances to land a prize at no risk.
GamingSoft have added another unusual twist to this slot game by making the free spins symbol an extra wild, although once more, it’s not worth anything on its own and can’t replace other bonus symbols.
Mysterious Fortune Transformations
A bright red box symbol can appear in any spin and when it lands, it will open up to become a randomly-selected playing card, or animal symbol, which isn’t actually guaranteed to create a winning line, but can certainly help if there are already several examples of that symbol on the reels in the same spin.
Four Progressive Jackpots
If the boy and girl symbols stop on reels 1 and 5 at the same time, you are guaranteed to win at least a portion of any of the 4 progressive jackpots featured in this and most other GamingSoft online casino slot machines.
The Mini, Minor, Major and Grand jackpot values are shown above the reels, and they gradually increase as part of all bets made across the range is set aside for individual players to scoop. The aim in this round is to click on the lucky coins that are lined up in 3 rows of 4, and once 3 of the same jackpot is found, you get paid a percentage of it, dependant on the bet size.
At the minimum stakes, 10% of any jackpot is awarded and it’s only at the maximum bet that winners can cash out 100%.
Our Verdict on Fu Lai
While there’s a huge number of Chinese-themed online slot machines, the Fu Lai video slot manages to be a little different, mainly due to the unique bonus features like extra free spins and the Mysterious Fortune box. If there’s any downside that we can see, it’s mostly due to the fact that this isn’t a mobile-optimised game, but if you prefer playing at a desktop PC or laptop, it’s a high-quality slot that’s well worth a closer look.