The Golden Empire is a highly popular online casino slot game developed by Microgaming, one of the most renowned providers in the industry. Launched in 2016, this five-reel, twenty-payline video slot has captivated players with its rich theme, engaging design, and generous payouts.
Theme and Design
The Golden Empire is set against a stunning backdrop of an ancient Chinese city, complete with pagodas, temples, and winding rivers. The game’s title itself conveys the idea of wealth and prosperity, which is reflected in the Golden Empire majestic symbols that populate its reels. These include intricately designed dragon masks, golden urns, lacquer boxes, and other oriental treasures.
The slot’s design exudes opulence and grandeur, with ornate patterns and vibrant colors used throughout. The game’s music and sound effects perfectly complement its theme, immersing players in a world of Far Eastern mystique. With the ability to play from 0.25 credits up to 125, this online slot appeals to both casual gamers looking for budget-friendly entertainment and high rollers seeking bigger wins.
Symbols
The Golden Empire boasts an array of symbols that cater to various player preferences. These include classic playing cards (9-A) adorned with golden filigree, which pay out the lowest winnings in each combination. The mid-paying symbols are more intriguing, featuring beautiful dragon masks, a jade turtle, and other oriental artifacts.
Higher-value symbols showcase even greater opulence, including golden urns overflowing with gems, intricately decorated lacquer boxes, and majestic gold dragons guarding temple gates. Each of these high-paying icons offers varying payouts for matching combinations on the slot’s twenty paylines.
Payouts
As mentioned earlier, each symbol has a corresponding payout value in credits. To provide clarity, we have outlined the standard payout values below:
- Low-value symbols (9-A): 2-25x total bet
- Mid-value symbols (Dragon mask, Jade turtle, etc.): 10-50x total bet
- High-value symbols (Gold urns, Lacquer boxes, Gold dragons, etc.): 100-1,000x total bet
Wilds and Scatters
The Golden Empire offers two special symbols that can significantly boost player wins: Wilds and Scatters.
- The dragon symbol serves as the game’s Wild icon, substituting for all regular paying icons to create winning combinations.
- The Temple of Fortune scatter is represented by a stunning golden temple. When three or more scatters appear anywhere on the reels, they initiate ten free spins with tripled payouts during this bonus feature.
Bonus Features
The Golden Empire features an intriguing array of bonuses that not only enhance gameplay but also provide players with exciting opportunities to win big:
- Temple Bonus : Activated when a combination of three or more Temple scatters appears. This rewards players with ten free spins, tripled payouts.
- Lacquer Box Free Spins : Triggered by landing the Lacquer box symbol on reels 1 and 5 simultaneously. Players receive eight free spins with double multiplier applied to all wins during this round.
- Golden Dragon Bonus : When a combination of three or more Golden dragon icons appears, players are awarded seven free spins with a maximum of 50x total bet payout for each win.
Free Spins
The Golden Empire’s bonus features can award up to ten free spins per activation. Some rounds offer tripled payouts while others double all wins during the respective feature. A unique aspect is that both Wild and Scatter symbols remain active throughout these special sessions, further increasing winning chances.
Return-to-Player (RTP)
Microgaming has officially listed a Return-to-Player rate of 96.07% for Golden Empire. While this figure might seem lower than average in comparison to other slots, it should be noted that the game compensates through its numerous bonus opportunities and high RTP within those rounds.
Volatility
The volatility level of Golden Empire is considered medium-high. This means that while wins may occur relatively infrequently compared to low-volatility games, each payout has a higher average value due to the increased reward potential associated with landing specific symbols in combination.
Betting Range and Max Win
The game’s betting range accommodates players with various bankrolls:
- Minimum bet: 0.25 credits (approximately $0.31 USD at an exchange rate of 1:1)
- Maximum bet: 125 credits
Regarding the maximum win, Golden Empire offers a rather impressive top payout potential of x10,000 on each single spin or free spins session.
Gameplay
To play Golden Empire online, players can follow these basic steps:
- Select an authorized casino website offering this game.
- Register for an account if necessary and receive the welcome bonus (if applicable).
- Choose your desired bet level within the allowed range of 0.25-125 credits per spin.
- Spin the reels to initiate gameplay, potentially triggering free spins or bonuses based on landing specific symbols.
Mobile Play
Since Golden Empire was developed using Microgaming’s Quickfire platform, this slot is fully compatible with various mobile devices running Android and iOS operating systems:
- Visit a supported casino website from your smartphone or tablet.
- Access the game through their library of available titles.
- Begin playing at an optimal screen resolution tailored to smaller screens.
Player Experience
The Golden Empire has gained widespread acclaim among online slot enthusiasts due to its captivating theme, engaging gameplay mechanics, and multiple bonus features that can lead to generous payouts.
Reviewers praise the well-designed interface for both desktop and mobile play, citing intuitive controls, crystal-clear graphics, and immersive sound effects. Overall, this title embodies the rich history of Microgaming’s slot game development while providing fresh insights into Eastern culture through its engaging theme.
Overall Analysis
The Golden Empire has solidified itself as a flagship online casino slot due to its perfect blend of entertainment value, payout potential, and rewarding bonus features:
- Rich Theme : Captivating players with an immersive Far Eastern setting.
- Engaging Gameplay : Combining medium-high volatility with potentially lucrative payouts on each spin or free spins session.
- Rewarding Bonus Features : Offering various opportunities to win big through both Wild and Scatter symbols.
While minor improvements could be made regarding RTP, this game compensates with other aspects of its design that resonate well with gamers worldwide.