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Two facts about 5 Lions Megaways refuse to sit comfortably together. Pragmatic Play stamps it with a 5-out-of-5 volatility rating — the maximum risk, the deep end of the pool. And yet it boasts of a maximum win of only an ordinary 5,000×. Slots at the extreme end of the volatility scale almost always dangle 10,000×, 20,000×, or more to justify the slim chance. So, which one exactly is 5 Lions Megaways — a brutal high-roller machine, or a gentle slot with the wrong label? The answer, and it’s the whole reason this game is worth reviewing, is that the decision lies with you.
| Engine | Big Time Gaming Megaways (licensed) |
|---|---|
| Reels | 6 reels — each shows 2 to 7 symbols per spin |
| Ways to win | Up to 117,649 when the reels open fully |
| RTP (default) | 96.5% (lower builds of 95.52% / 94.54% exist) |
| Volatility | 5 / 5 rated — but adjustable via the bonus menu |
| Max win | 5,000× your stake (roughly 1 in 900,000 spins) |
| Bet range | 0.20 – 125 per spin |
| Released | June 2021 |
| Signature feature | Free-spins menu — a built-in volatility slider |
What is a Megaways slot, anyway?
Now if the word “Megaways” doesn’t ring a bell to you, start here, because it changes how the whole game mechanic works. As you may already know, Most slots have a fixed number of paylines — 20, 25, and so on. Now here’s the kicker, a Megaways slot doesn’t have that. It licenses Big Time Gaming’s Megaways engine, in which the number of symbols on each reel changes every single spin, and with it, the number of ways to win.
In 5 Lions Megaways specifically however, there are six reels, and within each reel, it can display anywhere from two to seven symbols on any given spin. When the reels are open up to their maximum, that produces up to 117,649 ways to win. You win by landing matching symbols on consecutive reels starting from the leftmost one — and there is no fixed line required, just adjacent reels. Then, Pragmatic layers its Tumble feature on top, so when winning symbols pop, new ones can drop in for chained wins, which is where a shifting Megaways grid really comes alive and rakes in the satisfying chained pops.
The theme and symbols
Thematically, you’re on very familiar ground: a golden Far-East aesthetic built around prosperity and mythology, with lions, wise turtles, auspicious dragons, and the phoenix as premium symbols, and brush-stroke card royals (10 through Ace) filling the low pays. Tie that with a classic Chinese instrumental soundtrack, it just completes the mood. If you’ve ever played any 5 Lions game — or honestly any Pragmatic play Far-East slot — the furniture is instantly recognizable. It’s always the two special symbols that do the heavy lifting: the wild symbol, which substitutes for paying symbols and carries a random multiplier, and the scatter symbol, which unlocks the feature that makes this game truly distinct.
The bonus menu: your volatility slider
Now pay attention closely, this is the feature the entire review hinges on. Trigger the free spins with three or more scatters, and 5 Lions Megaways does something the vast majority of slots never does: it presents you with a menu of seven different free-spins options and lets you decide what kind of bonus round you want to play, the final decision on Your Hands.
At one end of the menu: you’d get more free spins paired with lower wild multipliers. This is the stabler, longer, lower-risk bonus, one that produces more frequent, more modest wins and aims for a top payout in the region of 1,000×. At the opposite end however: you’d get fewer free spins paired with much higher wild multipliers — a short, violent round built to take a real swing at the 5,000× max win. And there are five more configurations sitting between those two poles, some might go for the middle, having just the right combination of risk and stability.
| The bonus menu | Stable end | Aggressive end |
|---|---|---|
| Free spins | More spins | Fewer spins |
| Wild multipliers | Lower | Much higher |
| Session feel | Longer, steadier, more frequent modest wins | Short and violent |
| Aiming for | A top payout around 1,000× | A real swing at the 5,000× max win |
| Best for | Modest bankrolls, longer entertainment | Ceiling-hunters with budget to spare |
This brings us back to the contradiction we opened with. That 5-out-of-5 volatility rating is only fully true if you pick the high-multiplier, few-spins options. Select the spin-heavy end of the menu and 5 Lions Megaways plays far more like a medium-high slot with regular action and manageable swings. In 5 Lions Megaways, you are not stuck with Pragmatic’s idea of variance — you dial in your own. It’s the closest thing to a built-in risk slider I’ve ever seen from a mainstream slot, this effectively makes one game serve two completely different types of player.
How to play it well
Now this might be a bit more of a controversial take. I personally believe a little strategy makes a real difference here, more than in most slots, and it’s precisely because of that menu. If your bankroll is modest, you’d serve well to deliberately pick the high-spin; if just you want a longer, more entertaining session, the low-multiplier options is your go-to — you’ll stay in the game longer and see wins more often, even if they’re smaller, you’ll still get the dopamine of the winning pops. If you’ve got the budget and you’re specifically hunting the ceiling, take the low-spin / high-multiplier end and accept that most of those rounds will end quietly in exchange for the occasional big hits.
Beyond the menu: remember to check your RTP in the paytable before betting, because lower operator builds (95.52%, 94.54%) exist and plenty of casinos run them. If the Bonus Buy isn’t offered in your region, the Ante Bet is your friend — it raises your stake by 25%, but it doubles your natural rate of triggering the bonus feature, which is worthwhile since the whole game lives and breathes on that bonus menu. And as always, keep your bet size proportional to your balance, so when a cold streak happens it doesn’t cut the session quick before you reach the free spins.
The numbers
The default RTP should be 96.5%, comfortably above the 96% average, with the lower variants noted above to pay attention on. The 5,000× max win hits roughly 1 in 900,000 spins — which is actually a solid probability for a max win, even if the max win itself is modest by Megaways standards. The regular bets run from 0.20 to 125 a spin. It’s held a spot in casino lobbies since its June 2021 release, which given it’s track record, tells you the formula works.
Conclusion
So to end the discussion on our opening contradiction. 5 Lions Megaways is neither a modest slot that is faking extremity nor is it an extreme slot that forgot to raise its max win. It’s a slot that hands you the volatility dial and lets you decide the risk for yourself, and that modest 5,000× cap is the price for that flexibility — you simply can’t offer a genuine risk menu and a 20,000× top prize without the math collapsing. If your only goal is the biggest possible number, look elsewhere; it’s close predecessor 5 Lions Megaways 2 raises the max win to 8,000×. But if you value control over raw upside winnings, and you like a Megaways slot that bends to your will instead of dictating it, this remains one of Pragmatic’s smartest Far-East releases. 5 Lions Megaways have aged well precisely because they let you choose how loudly they roar.
