Pixiu

Classic slots are given the reputation of being boring because of their limited screen real estate and the fact that so many of them are lacking in features. The Pixiu slot, available at Arrow's Edge casinos, breaks the mold quite a bit, however. It does this by completely jam-packing this title with lots of features and ways to get big payouts. It does some things we've never seen done in a classic-format game before, and that's the type of innovation that can bring players over to trying it out because it doesn't play like most games with this type of layout.

Game Format

The format is a big part of this title and how it works the way it does. There are three reels and three rows of symbols. You'll have five paylines to play with, and three of them run horizontally with two running diagonally. You can play with fewer than five, but it lowers the RTP of the slot, so we strongly recommend that you keep them all activated.

You pick from a variety of total bet sizes in this game. With all five paylines on, the minimum wager is $0.50 per turn, which means $0.10 is bet on each payline. We would have preferred to see a lower minimum wager for this game to be more inclusive for players. Along these lines, you can also bet up to $200, which means $40 on each payline, and that puts high rollers in a position to have pretty much whatever bet sizes they want.

Four Game Levels

For every 25 spins of this game at a given betting level, you'll cycle through four different levels of play. You'll increase the size of wins in the bonus features, increase the number of free spins and get other goodies whenever you progress through the levels, and they always cycle around. This is a gameplay element that we haven't seen before in any other game, video or classic slot, and it's something that we really think could catch on if it was given the type of attention that we think it deserves.

Feature Selector and Free Spins

The gold coin symbols are scatters, and getting three of them (no matter where they appear on the reels) will give you the Feature Selector. You actually get to pick between a bonus feature, a free spins round or a predefined instant win with this option.

For the free spins, you'll get a different number depending on which level you're on. The values are 10, 15, 20 or 25 for the four levels, respectively. You don't get multipliers or anything, but you do get more free turns the further you are into the set of levels.

The Other Bonus Feature

The other bonus round is about jade and gold coins. You'll pick between them to get instant wins, and it basically just amounts to a random payout with some pick-a-box style options mixed in. None of your choices ultimately affect the end result, but it adds a level of interactivity that players may appreciate.

Payouts and Prizes

You have three progressive jackpots that can be won at random on any given spin. They are the Cash Grab jackpot, the Mystery jackpot and the Super Slots jackpot.

Aside from that, the red dragon is the symbol that you'll want to pay the most attention to. You can win 2,000x for three of a kind, but you'll also pick up 5x for two or 2x for just one of this symbol from left to right on the paylines. This is the only symbol that doesn't pay for only three of a kind.

The blue dragon gets you a secondary jackpot value of 1,000x for three of a kind, and the bird that isn't on fire pays out 100x for three. Three of a kind of the flaming bird is worth 40x, and the jade ring gets you 30x. Wins of 20x, 10x and 10x are good for the green A, K and Q symbols, respectively.

Overview

Arrow's Edge definitely has some games in their portfolio that we aren't fans out, but we think that there's actually a bit to get excited about in the Pixiu slot. The name is a bit weird, but the gameplay is fairly strong, and it really stands out compared to other three-reel titles. With that having been said, the graphics are still pretty lackluster, which is par for the course with this developer, and that's not going to inspire a lot of players to spend a ton of time on this title.