Chests of Cai Shen is a tidy 5×3 lab where simple line wins feed a Hold & Spin experiment that can stack jackpots, upgrade coin values, and even run on two boards at once. Clear mechanics, satisfying cause-and-effect, and a top prize big enough to make statisticians hum. Score: 7.5/10
Specs
- Provider: Pragmatic Play
- Release: Oct 10, 2024
- Reels/Rows: 5×3
- Lines: 25 fixed
- RTP: up to 96.47% (alt configs 95.47%, 94.47%)
- Volatility: High
- Hit frequency: ~1 in 3.11 spins
- Feature frequency: ~1 in 51.61 spins
- Max win: 10,000× bet
- Jackpots (Hold & Spin): Mini 10×, Minor 20×, Major 150×, Grand 5,000× (full board)
- Bet range: 0.25 – 250
- Bonus Buy: Yes (50× random modifiers; 100× all three modifiers)
Introduction
If you’ve ever wanted a neat little cause-and-effect lesson inside a red-and-gold festival, this is it. Coins of three colors drop, chests above the reels fatten, and when the lab buzzer goes off you’re whisked into a Hold & Spin where simple rules cascade into surprisingly meaty outcomes. It’s less fireworks show, more controlled experiment—my favorite kind.
Gameplay & Mechanics
Base game is classic 25-line fare: 5×3, left-to-right wins, wilds sub for regulars. The twist comes from Bonus Coins—green, red, and purple—which both collect into the matching chest and can also land in bunches. Land six+ of the same color at once or trigger via chest collection and you enter the chest’s flavor of Hold & Spin.
Chest Respins (the core lab)
Inside the feature, only Money symbols and blanks appear. You start with 3 respins (purple makes it 4), and each Money symbol that lands sticks and resets the counter. Values range from modest multipliers to fixed jackpots, and if you fill all 15 positions you also bag the 5,000× Grand.
The three chest modifiers
- Green — “Upgrade Lab”: randomly upgrades up to 3 Money symbols during the round.
- Red — “Double Board”: runs the Hold & Spin on two synchronized 5×3 grids.
- Purple — “Extra Time”: gives 4 starting respins and lets up to four resets occur instead of three.
Best of all, these combine. Trigger two colors? You get both behaviors. Trigger all three? Enjoy the whole chemistry set—upgrades, dual boards, and extra time—at once.
Bonus Buy (skip to the good part)
- 50× bet: Chest Respins with 1–3 modifiers at random.
- 100× bet: Chest Respins with all three modifiers guaranteed.
Chests of Cai Shen Bonus Buy Options
Regional Availability: Bonus buy features may not be available in all jurisdictions. UK players and residents of other regulated markets may find these options restricted or absent. Always check your local gaming regulations and the game’s feature availability in your region before playing.
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
- Three chest variants that combine—clean, modular Hold & Spin design.
- Local jackpots plus a 5,000× Grand for full boards; top exposure 10,000×.
- Transparent maths and pacing; easy to “see” why totals grow.
❌ Cons
- No traditional free-spins round—most excitement is in Hold & Spin.
- High volatility means long calm seas between storms.
- Theme leans familiar; won’t wow if you want heavy novelty.
RTP, Volatility & Maths
The game ships in multiple RTP configurations up to 96.47%. Volatility is high: line hits steady the hand, but the real experiments—and variance—live in the chest round. Expect dry runs punctuated by bursts when upgrades stack or the double-board red chest pulls its weight.
Max Win & Win Potential
Top exposure is 10,000×. Realistically, the juiciest outcomes come from two or three modifiers working together—green upgrades boosting values while purple keeps the timer generous, or red’s twin boards doubling your landing pad for jackpots.
Theme, Visuals & Audio
Traditional celebration vibes—lotus ponds, lacquered trims, and a music loop that says “festival, but focused.” Visuals keep your eye on what matters: coin colors, chest state, and sticky Money symbols. It’s the UI equivalent of good lab labeling.
Paytable & Lines
- Lows/Highs: 10–A royals as lows; themed creatures and Cai Shen as highs.
- Wild: substitutes for regulars (not Money/Bonus Coins).
- Lines: 25 fixed; wins pay L→R from reel 1.
Bankroll & Playstyle Fit
If you like modular bonus design and clear feedback loops, this is your lab bench. Budget for variance, treat Bonus Buy like espresso (helpful, not hydration), and let board state guide decisions. The Grand is rare; the fun is watching systems stack into tidy jackpots.
Where to Play
Choose licensed operators that disclose RTP configuration and provide safer-gambling tools. Always check the in-game info panel for the actual RTP before you spin.
Similar / Alternative Games
Enjoy the “power combo” flavor? Explore other Hold & Spin titles with combinable modifiers and local jackpots. If you want free-spins-first pacing, consider Pragmatic’s scatter-centric classics instead.
FAQ
No. The main feature is Hold & Spin via the chest system; that’s the “bonus game.”
Up to 96.47%, with lower operator configs available.
10,000× bet, with a 5,000× Grand jackpot for full-board Hold & Spin completions.
Yes—either random modifiers (50×) or all three modifiers (100×).