Play The Emperor's Tomb for Free

At the top of a mountain range, with its head in the clouds, lies the tomb of this revered Emperor. Two warrior statues stand guard on plinths. A crystal-clear pool and a red carpet lead us up a few steps to the mausoleum. The 5x3 reels are filled with symbols of ancient China in reds and golds.

The game's design and soundtrack create an atmosphere of peaceful solitude. This is a place for reverence and contemplation. The tranquil environment, though, is not necessarily what you'd typically associate with adrenaline-fuelled online gambling.

But you’ll find there's a long tradition of slots drawing on zen-like cultures out there.

Superb games like the gorgeous Rise of the Empress by Genesis Gaming present a stylized ancient China setting to great effect. Betsoft's restorative Great 88 also creates a tranquil tone that works perfectly for online slots.

Low-paying symbols feature playing cards that range from 10 through to Ace. The picture symbols are the Great Wall of China, the Terracotta Army and a pagoda. The wild and scatter symbols also pay prizes for landing just two or more in a combination.

Payout prizes for all of these range from the low 3x to the generous 4500x your line bet. With line bets maxing out at 2000.00 per spin, you can see how wins could be substantial, if you have the bankroll to play high roller stakes.

In addition to good payouts, there are some very familiar extra symbols that serve to boost win lines. Qin Shi Huang, the Emperor of the game's title, acts as a wild symbol to substitute symbols for more win lines. He'll reward from just two of a kind up to 4000x your line bet for all five.

Scatter symbols are the horse-drawn carriage and, if you land five of them in a matching combination, they reward with the game's top prize. However, you're more likely to trigger the bonus with the scatters. Indeed, it's the special features where you're most likely to hit the big real cash boosts.

Evoplay Entertainment isn't looking to reinvent the wheel, and the special features demonstrate that well. While other developers are desperately inventing new features to attract players, Evoplay Entertainment is sticking with the traditional – at least as far as modern online slots go.

The Emperor's Tomb video slot contains a bonus side game that’s triggered by three bonus symbols. There's also a free spins round that's triggered by three or more scatter symbols. As far as latest releases go, it's unusual to come across a shiny new slot with this very traditional setup. But it works.

The bonus side game is atmospheric and ties in nicely with the theme. Players are taken inside the mausoleum to a treasure chamber. The floor is covered with golden treasures, and five large and ornate doors fill the wall ahead. Select doors for prizes and continue through the bonus as the number of doors decreases. If you don't open the door that says “collect”, you can amass a good sum of coins for your bank balance.

The scatter symbols trigger 15 free spins, during which all your win lines are awarded triple multipliers. Again, this is a seriously good bonus that can reward very well.

The Emperor's Tomb video slot is mobile-optimized with well-designed functions. It's a great game to play on your smartphone with an easy and pleasant theme to dip into and out of as you travel about.

While play-for-free versions are available, players familiar with general video slots play won’t find it taxing to get their head around this slot. If you enjoy the thrill of real cash prizes, there's no reason not to hit the ground running with the real money version.

Most of the big online casinos feature Evoplay Entertainment games. If too much choice leaves you struggling to find the right site, then you should check out our best online casinos page for our expert recommendations.

You’ll find an equally peaceful vibe in another Chinese-themed slot – the Emperor of the Sea by Microgaming. Here are stylized images coupled with a delightful soundtrack that offers a restful atmosphere. And yet, the gentle theme hides some surprisingly dynamic action. There are 100 paylines that feature rolling reels and growing wilds, plus a top fixed jackpot of 1,650,000 coins.

This straightforward 9-payline slot is a simple delight. Its Zen aura, evocative of an ancient culture, makes it an ideal game for a few spins in your downtime. There's enough action to hold your interest plus good real cash prize potential.

You'll be laughing if you're lucky enough to hit big with bonus and jackpot wins. The slot’s low RTP of just 93.7% is somewhat of a let-down, though, but hopefully those mesmerising reels might just help to overcome your disappointment.

Great for smartphone play, the free Emperor's Tomb slot can be spun anywhere, at any time. While there’s nothing radically new or dynamically action-packed to this game, we like it because it’s chilled and very playable. And that’s why we feel the Emperor's Tomb is a solid go-to game that a whole range of gamblers should have on their list.