In a genre packed with fire-breathing beasts and cinematic explosions, Smoking Dragon takes a puff, leans back, and does things differently.
Above the Clouds, Beneath the Fire
Smoking Dragon, the latest release from Hacksaw Gaming, is a relaxed yet feature-packed slot set in a serene sky realm, where a laid-back dragon keeps watch over the reels and its treasure trove. Built on a 5×4 grid with 1,024 ways to win, the game blends an easygoing aesthetic with a handful of layered mechanics that aim to please casual players and feature-chasers alike.
Bets range from $/€0.10 to $/€100, and the slot offers a maximum RTP of 96.3%. It’s also one of Hacksaw’s more mellow offerings in terms of volatility, sitting at 2 out of 5 on the studio’s scale.
Cascades With a Twist
At the heart of the gameplay is a unique Row Cascade system. Instead of wiping out all winning symbols, only the bottom row vanishes when a win lands. Remaining symbols fall down, new ones drop in up top, and the combo party can keep going if more wins appear. Wilds and Epic Wilds enhance those chains, with multipliers from 2x to 100x—stackable if more than one joins the same win.
Epic Wilds come with a little extra heat: their multiplier doubles with each successful cascade in which they stick around. It’s a nice payoff for players who manage to keep the streak going.
Dragon Eggs & Bonus Game Variety
Landing three Dragon Egg symbols scores an instant win worth 500x the stake. But there’s a cap—only three eggs can be on the reels at once, and after they hit, they lie dormant until cleared through cascades.
The bonus game section offers a little something for everyone:
- Puff of Luck (3 scatters): 10 free spins with boosted chances of hitting Wilds, Epic Wilds, and Dragon Eggs. Extra scatters during the round can top up spins.
- Smoldering Riches (4 scatters): Also starts with 10 spins, but adds a Multiplier Bar outside the reels. This bar starts at 1x and climbs as players hit 10 Row Cascades at a time, going all the way to 25x.
- Fire and Fortune (5 scatters): The top-tier bonus round guarantees at least one win and one Wild or Epic Wild per spin. It skips scatter symbols and kicks off with a 5x Multiplier Bar.
Bonus Buys for the Impatient
If slow-burn spins aren’t your style, the game’s feature buy menu gives direct access to the bonus rounds or high-chance spins. Options scale in cost, depending on how much feature access you’re looking to buy upfront.
A Strategic Move for Hacksaw
Smoking Dragon comes on the heels of Hacksaw’s U.S. expansion via bet365 and Light & Wonder, with titles now rolling out in Pennsylvania. This latest release fits right in with the studio’s current push: slots that are light on clutter but packed with layered bonus mechanics to drive player retention.
For players looking for a slot that tones down the chaos without sacrificing feature depth, Smoking Dragon offers a cool change of pace—and a hot shot at multipliers that can stack fast.
