Journey to the West

Journey to the West is a slot by Pragmatic Play that uses an Eastern theme that focuses on low-volatility gameplay. Everything is designed to give players very smooth sessions with few major swings, and with the music and graphical presentation taken into consideration, it's a solid recipe for a fun and relaxing experience. If you're looking for massive jackpots, you won't find that here, but what you will find is a constant string of small and medium wins that will keep you pushing right along with chances to run up some serious payouts in the free spins bonus round.

Slot Format

The format of this game is based on what may be the most standard layout in all of the online slot world: five reels, three rows and 25 paylines. This is a very solid foundation that is used in this game to build up a low-volatility experience in a game that doesn't really have any considerable weaknesses that we can find. Betting is based on up to 10 coins per payline, and coins range from $0.01 to $0.50 each. The minimum bet size is just $0.25 per turn, putting this game well within the bounds of any player's bankroll.

Wild Symbols

The wild symbol in this game is a green medallion with golden letters across it that spell out "wild." Five of a kind pays 400x, which is the largest regular win in the game. You can also pick up 100x for four of a kind, 30x for three or 10x for just two of this symbol lined up on an active payline. It substitutes for every single symbol in the game except for the scattered bonus symbol, which means that it can be used to make winning combinations that you otherwise would not have been paid for. Between that and the size of the payouts you get for just having wilds, it's clearly the most important symbol in the game.

Free Spins Bonus Feature

Three of more of the scattered free spins bonus symbol anywhere on the reels will give you a set of five free spins in this video slot. Every time you get three or more scatters again during the feature, you'll pick up another three spins added to your total, and there's no limit to the number of re-triggers you can get in this way. You get to pick from five different symbols to have stacked, and each of them also gives you a multiplier on all of your wins ranging from 1x to 5x.

There are two options that make the most sense in this feature in our estimation. The first is choosing to have stacked wilds with a simple 1x multiplier, and this will probably give you a lower volatility with somewhat lower average wins. On the other hand, getting the 5x multiplier with the stacked symbol of the man with the beard probably gives you a higher volatility with more value. It's up to you to decide which of the five options you want, but we recommend these two.

Top Payouts

Players can earn 100x for five of the monkey or 50x for five of the man wearing the crown. Five of the pig will get you 30x, and five of the man with the beard pays out 25x. All four of these symbols pay for two of a kind or more.

There are also four character symbols with payouts of either 15x or 13x for five of a kind, and they all need at least three of a kind to pay out.

In Summary

Journey to the West is a game that is built around a very particular style of gameplay. If you are the type of player who prefers a relaxing experience with a high hit-rate and a low volatility, then this is a title you will get a lot of play out of. However, if you prefer a higher volatility with a chance to win larger prizes, even if you win less often, then you won't be a fan of it and should look for something else like a progressive jackpot game. Overall, this is a solid title, and we believe that many people will find it entertaining and enjoyable.