Although in the West New Year has already begun, in China, their celebrations are still on the horizon and what better way to celebrate Chinese New Year than with a brand new top slot from Microgaming – Gung Pow.

This is a 5×3 reel game that offers 243 ways to win on each spin and in full accordance with the many traditions surrounding Chinese New Year, the game is packed to the brim with symbols celebrating this hugely important date in the Chinese calendar.

Part of the attraction of the base game and running perfectly alongside the brightly coloured graphics, is an Oriental themed soundtrack which is as relaxing as it is enticing. Spectacular animations celebrating the theme of Chinese New Year also help bring this vivid and beautifully realised slot to life.

The base game sees Wilds on reels two and four, which can radically increase your chances of a win, however the bigger money is won in the free spins section, which is triggered when the player lands 3, 4 or 5 scatter symbols anyway across the reels.

Regardless of how many scatter symbols you trigger, you receive 15 free spins. During this round you can still land Wilds on reels 2 and 4 and any wins during free spins are subject to a 3x multiplier. Furthermore, if you land three or more scatter symbols on the reels again during free spins, then you’ll retrigger yourself another 15 free spins.

There are potential wins available of up to 90,000 coins in the free spins round but you can double all your wins by taking part in the gamble feature. Simply predict what the colour of the next card is going to be and if you predict correctly, you can double whatever you have won in the free spins section at a stroke.

Gung Pow is a fantastic and timely addition to Microgaming’s portfolio; a simple, fun to play and spectacular slot celebrating all the great aspects of Chinese New Year.