Dancing Lanterns 2 Slot Review - Illuminate the Reels for Cascading Wins
The festival is back and brighter than ever. Dancing Lanterns 2 from Red Tiger Gaming is a direct sequel that takes the popular Asian lantern festival theme and supercharges it with enhanced visuals, a more volatile engine, and a progressive multiplier that can light up the night sky with huge wins. It's a vibrant, cascading grid slot built for thrilling chain reactions.
️ Game Specifications
Category | Details | Player Advantage | Visual Cues |
Reel Structure | 6x6 Grid, Cluster Pays (5+ symbols) | Modern, cascading gameplay | Nighttime festival backdrop with floating lanterns |
Volatility | High | Upgraded from the original for bigger potential wins | Enchanting Asian-inspired melody with satisfying win sounds |
RTP | 95.74% | Standard for Red Tiger, slightly below industry average | Displayed in the game info section |
Max Win | 5,019x stake | A solid, festival-topping payout | "Lantern Festival" win celebration |
Bet Range | $0.10 – $40 | Accessible to all players | Traditional-style bet interface |
Bonus Buy | Not Available | Pure gameplay progression | N/A |
Symbols & Special Features
Symbol Tier | Examples | Payout (for a 20-symbol cluster) | Special Ability |
Wild | Golden Koi Fish Wild | – | Substitutes for all paying symbols. Key to triggering the multiplier. |
Scatter | Bonus Lantern | – | 3+ trigger the Free Spins bonus round. |
High-Paying | Purple, Blue, and Green Lanterns | 50x–200x | – |
Low-Paying | Red, Orange, and Yellow Lanterns | 10x–30x | – |
Special | Multiplier Trail | – | The core mechanic that increases wins. |
Bonus Features Deep Dive
1. Cascading Wins & Multiplier Trail
- This is the core mechanic of the game. Every time a winning cluster is formed, the symbols explode and disappear.
- New symbols cascade down from above to fill the empty spaces.
- Each cascade increases a win multiplier by +1. This multiplier applies to the next cascade in the same sequence.
- The multiplier resets to x1 at the start of a new spin.
2. Free Spins (Lantern Festival Bonus)
- Trigger: Land 3 or more Scatter symbols (Bonus Lanterns).
- Awards: 3 Scatters = 8 free spins, 4 Scatters = 10 free spins, 5 Scatters = 12 free spins.
- Persistent Multiplier: The main upgrade from the original. The cascade multiplier does NOT reset between spins during the free spins round.
- It starts at x1 and can only go up, creating the potential for massive, escalating wins across the entire bonus round.
3. Wild Symbol Activation
- When a Wild symbol is part of a winning cluster, it activates before the cascade.
- When activated, it applies the current multiplier value to the entire win from that cluster before the multiplier increases for the next cascade.
Strategic Play Guide
Play Style | Bankroll % | Target Session | Key Focus |
Festival-Goer | 1.5% - 2% | 150+ spins | Enjoying the cascades and base game multiplier, waiting for a natural bonus trigger. |
Lantern Chaser | 1% - 1.5% | 200+ spins | patiently building bankroll for a free spins round with its persistent multiplier. |
The Optimist | N/A | N/A | Hoping for long cascade sequences in the base game with high multipliers. |
Market Comparison
Feature | Dancing Lanterns 2 (Red Tiger) | Dancing Lanterns (Red Tiger) | Gonzo's Quest (NetEnt) |
Core Mechanic | Cascade Cluster Pays + Persistent Bonus Multiplier | Cascade Cluster Pays + Resetting Multiplier | Avalanche™ Reels + Increasing Multiplier |
Theme | Asian Lantern Festival | Asian Lantern Festival | Spanish Conquest |
Max Win | 5,019x | ~2,500x | 37,500x |
Volatility | High | Medium | High |
Unique Edge | Improved persistent multiplier in bonus for bigger potential | Simpler, more casual gameplay | Higher max win & iconic status |
Final Verdict
Pros:
- Visually stunning: The lantern festival theme is beautiful and executed with vibrant colors and smooth animations.
- Engaging cascades: The core gameplay of watching wins explode and multipliers build is always satisfying.
- Improved bonus round: The persistent multiplier in free spins is a significant and welcome upgrade from the first game.
- Simple yet effective: Easy to understand but with enough depth to keep players engaged.
Cons:
- Lower RTP: The 95.74% RTP might be a turn-off for players who seek out games with higher theoretical returns.
- No Bonus Buy: Cannot skip directly to the best part of the game.
- Multiplier resets in base game: The potential is capped on each individual spin outside of the bonus.
Expert Rating: 8.2/10