Play Star Lanterns Mega Jackpots for Free

The Chinese are known for having contributed many inventions to mankind. From gunpowder to drinking tea, the productions of Chinese manufacturing have certainly had a big impact on the modern world. One iconic invention would be the Chinese lantern – whether it is made from simple paper or more extravagant materials, these bearers of candlelight are traditionally used in China during festivals and cultural celebrations. You might have even seen some revellers in the UK setting of lightweight Chinese lanterns into the night sky to mark significant occasions.

Star Lanterns by IGT pays homage to lanterns of all shapes and sizes, revealing some basic paper lanterns with some mythical creatures from east Asian folklore – the tiger, the koi carp and the serpent dragon. There are also some more elaborate lantern designs, with fancier looking lights paying more lucrative line bet multiplier prizes. Naturally, these spectacularly designed lanterns all rise up from the bottom of the game screen instead of the usual top to bottom action of a conventional online slot.

This is far from being a low volatility slot machine, with wins tending to come at an irregular and infrequent rate. Nevertheless, the game does boast some interesting gameplay features that will hopefully make each successful spin worth the wait. First of all, the game offers a special re-spin after every winning sequence in which all symbols in the win are replaced by new icons. It's exactly like the cascading reels feature in Gonzo's Quest by NetEnt except, of course, for the fact that the new icons rise upwards instead of falling downwards.

Other than that, the IGT slot machine features a couple of rewarding bonus symbols. First of all, there is a red lantern that acts as a wild symbol, potentially creating prize-winning sequences by replacing any ordinary icon on the reels. Other special icons included in the game include a bonus lotus flower symbols that will act as a scatter, paying a total bet multiplier of 2x whenever three appear on the reels in any position, regardless of payline position.

Not only that, but three scatters will trigger the game's free spins bonus round; players simply need to pick one of three lanterns to reveal the number of free games lie in store (the number of possible free spins is between 4 and 14).

Last, but certainly not least, this online video slot features a bonus star symbol. This shining light will award a line bet multiplier between 2x and 5x whenever it appears anywhere across the reels, adding the multiplier value if two or more appear at the same time. This star icon could also reward players with the much MegaJackpots symbol. Find four of these icons on the same spin and you will win the MegaJackpots progressive jackpot.

Besides from that ever-growing jackpot prize, players might be slightly underwhelmed by the payout potential of this video slot machine. That is because the game's top jackpot in the base game weighs in at a relatively small 1,000x line bet multiplier. After that, the largest five-in-a-row return rates are 500x, 400x and 300x – not exactly the most lucrative of returns for a video slot machine which has a fairly high variance level.

One of the best things about this game, however, is the fact that punters of all budget levels can enjoy the spinning action. That is because the line bets range from 0.01 to 50.00 credits, making for minimum total bets of 0.20 and maximum stakes of 1,000.00. That is certainly plenty of scope for casual punters and high rollers alike. That said, the game's rules do state that the chances of winning the progressive jackpot is higher when you place higher wagers.

If you are looking to light up your evening with some beautiful spinning action, then you won't go too wrong with Star Lanterns MegaJackpots by IGT software. The game may not have the most exciting of base game jackpots, but this is made up for by the MegaJackpots progressive prize kitty and entertaining bonus features.