Slot machine Jin Chan’s Pond of Riches from developer Thunderkick is a contentious entry into the Asian-themed market. The fact that it openly uses one of the worst non-jackpot RTP ratings to cross the desk in a while makes it controversial. Is this a precursor to something worse? Is this going to be the proverbial canary in the coal mine that everyone remembers and uses as evidence? Ultimately, only time will tell. Let’s see what Jin Chan’s Pond of Riches’s expanding wilds and free games can do for us right now.
One such game that looks great and has that distinct Thunderkick style is Jin Chan’s Pond of Riches. The game’s reels, royal symbols, and general aesthetic are all reminiscent of their Beat the Beast series of slots.
Bets range from 10 p/c to $100/€100 each spin, allowing players of all budgets to test the waters. The pagoda-like building housing the slot machine’s five reels and fifteen paylines is adorned with lavish red and gold decorations, and animals of every type border the outside edges of the screen.
‘Money frog’ or’money toad’ is the literal translation of the Chinese character (Jin Chan). You know those frog sculptures that have three legs and a coin in their mouth, right? This is a Jin Chan. Similar to other Chinese symbols used in slot games, Jin Chan denotes financial success or good tidings. More concretely, an RTP rating of 94.27% may protect gamers from the Jin Chan effect.
The mix of high volatility and great potential may be more appealing to the discriminating gamer. The question of whether you care enough about the high stakes and low return to risk them all is an important one.
Looking at the payout schedule, we see that the lowest paying icons are the red 9s through Aas from the royal family. Five of a kind of a heron, koi, or turtle, or the frog, Jin Chan, is worth 50 times your initial wager.
Features of Jin Chan’s Prosperous Pond
The qualities of Jin Chan may seem little at first, but when unleashed to their full potential, they are devastating. In comparison to other game elements, the Wild is highly sought after. When included in a winning combination, it acts as a wild and triggers multipliers in addition to substituting for other pay symbols. Each reel has its own multiplier value, thus a wild appearing on reel one has a multiplier of x1, a wild appearing on reel three has a multiplier of x3, and so on. Having a wild on reels 1, 3, and 5 on the same payline results in a multiplier of 120x.
The gold coin scatter also activates free spins, awarding 8, 12, or 16 spins, accordingly, in addition to the wild multiplier feature. Scatters may now be kept in play and collected during free games.
If you gather 3 scatters, you’ll get 1 extra wild for every free spin from then on; if you collect 6 scatters, you’ll get 2 extra wilds for every free spin; and if you collect 9 scatters, you’ll get 3 extra wilds at the start of free spins. Free games are added to the total for each scatter that is found. After a total of nine have been gathered, no more wilds will appear, but more free spins will be awarded.
In addition, the Sticky Respin feature is activated whenever a win occurs during a free spin. Locking in winning symbols while respinning the board for further winning combinations. extra matched symbols result in extra free spins. When the grid is filled or no more winning symbols emerge, the Sticky Respins feature ends.
Conclusion of Jin Chan’s Rich Pond
Let us begin by praising Jin Chan’s Pond of Riches for its many redeeming qualities. First of all, it looks fantastic, with art that lives up to the Thunderkick aesthetic and has chubby, appealing characters with a touch of charm. Thunderkick has followed the standard pattern for this type of slot machine design while also injecting their own flair into the game.
The features, in addition to the appealing design, are quite rewarding. Although a multiplier of 120x is quite unlikely, the effects of a Wild Multiplier at maximum capacity can be profound. The free spins feature adds more wilds and free games, so it’s a win-win if a bunch of scatters appear. Everything seems nice thus far, and the possible payout of 10,000 times the initial wager is just icing on the cake. Unfortunately, Thunderkick’s low return to player rating effectively nullifies any positives.
Jin Chan’s Pond of Riches has several cool extras, but the ridiculous return to player percentage will be the talk of the town. Does Thunderkick want to see what happens? Is it safe to assume that developers will go all out if a sizable audience approves of the rating? It would be impolite to reduce the rate without a good cause, such as a prize. It’s also possible that this is an isolated incident that disappears back under its rock of origin.
Regardless of how you slice it, Jin Chan’s Pond of Riches has a sophisticated appearance, enormous potential, and many helpful features. It would have been a great go-to Asian themed slot if not for the unfavorable RTP.