Bao Shi Demo Game: Review

Bao Shi is an online slot machine produced by Play'n GO, set in an oriental temple steeped in Chinese mythology. The protagonist is Lioras, the Lion of Prosperity turned to stone by a curse, who watches over the reels from above waiting to awaken. The game grid has a 5×4 format and offers 1024 ways to win with adjacent combinations from left to right.

The game combines a relaxing visual and sound atmosphere with powerful game mechanics: there are special Wild symbols, a Lioras Blessings feature that adds multipliers and enhanced symbols, and a Free Spins round where you can win up to 15,000× your bet. Below we analyze all the technical features of Bao Shi in detail.

Theme and Graphics of Bao Shi

Bao Shi's theme draws from Chinese mythology and folklore, set in an ancient temple wrapped in a mystical aura. The guardian Lion Lioras dominates the scene from above the reels, flanked by a carved dragon, creating a notable visual impact. The graphics feature richly detailed symbols in gold and vibrant colors: red lanterns, golden fish, gold coins and sycee (gold ingots) stand out on the reels, along with classic royals 10, J, Q, K, A in oriental style.

The background shows the temple gate and steps shrouded in mist, contributing to a serene and immersive atmosphere. The sound design is also well-crafted: traditional Chinese music, soft and hypnotic, accompanies the spins, increasing in intensity during special features. Overall, Bao Shi offers a refined and thematically coherent audiovisual experience, able to stand out despite the oriental setting being common in the slot world.

Symbols and Payouts

Bao Shi features 10 regular symbols that pay winning combinations, plus several special symbols. Symbols can form wins in "1024 ways" mode, meaning adjacent from left without following fixed lines. Below is a complete table of symbols with their respective payouts (bet multipliers per combination). Values shown are based on a unit bet:

Bonus Features of Bao Shi Demo

Bao Shi is rich with special features that increase interactivity and winning potential, centered around Lioras and bonus symbols.

Lioras Blessings

During the base game, whenever the Drum (Wild) symbol lands on the reels, Lioras (the lion above the grid) collects it. Collecting a drum can randomly trigger the Lioras Blessings feature. When this happens, 2 or 3 Gold Coins are added in random positions on the reels.

These coins are special Wild symbols (Gold Coin) that cannot land on top of other special symbols (they don't overlap with Scatters, drums, or existing Golden Lioras). Each Gold Coin will then reveal a random multiplier, which in the base game can be ×2 or ×3. All multipliers revealed by the coins are added together and the total is applied to all wins obtained in that spin.

As an additional effect, all Lioras symbols present on the reels in that same spin are transformed into Golden Lioras, thus increasing their payout (they become higher-value symbols). The Lioras Blessings feature can activate unpredictably, bringing sudden increases to wins even during a normal spin.

Free Spins

The Scatter symbol in Bao Shi is depicted as a golden Gong. When 3, 4, or 5 Scatters appear in any position on the reels, it activates the Free Spins bonus with 8, 12, or 15 Free Spins respectively. During Free Spins, gameplay is enhanced in several ways: all Lioras symbols are automatically converted to their golden equivalent for the entire duration of the free spins, ensuring higher payments for every lion combination.

The Lioras Blessings feature can also activate during Free Spins, with high probability and in enhanced form. During free spins, Lioras's Blessing inserts 3, 4, or 5 Gold Coins on the reels (still avoiding positions occupied by Scatters, other Wilds, or Golden Lioras). In free spin mode, the Gold Coins can reveal higher multipliers: not just ×2 or ×3, but also ×4 or ×5.

As in the base game, the multipliers on the coins are added together and multiply every win in that spin. Free Spins are retriggerable: during free spins, each additional Scatter symbol that lands awards +1 extra spin. You can accumulate additional free spins this way up to a maximum of 100 free spins total, greatly extending the bonus if luck assists.

Golden Lioras

As mentioned, the golden lion symbol only appears thanks to bonus features. In free spins, all lions are golden by default, while in the base game Golden Lioras are obtained only during a Lioras Blessings (when Lioras "blesses" the reels, the lions animate and become golden).

Golden Lioras work exactly like normal Lioras symbols but with higher payouts. While not a "special" symbol in the classic sense, it's important because it increases the wins of lion combinations during features.

Wilds and Substitutions

The Drum Wild (a ceremonial drum) appears only on the central reels 2, 3, and 4 in the base game. Besides potentially activating the Blessings feature when collected by Lioras, it acts as a wild substituting for any missing symbol in a combination (except the Scatter). During free spins, the drum symbol doesn't appear; instead, any Wilds come from the gold coins feature (Coin Wild). The Gold Coin Wild inserted by Lioras's Blessing also acts as a universal wild (always excluding scatter) and additionally applies its multiplier to wins.

RTP and Volatility

Bao Shi offers a theoretical RTP (Return to Player) of 96.2%, a value in line with modern online slots. The volatility of Bao Shi is classified as high (the provider rates it 7/10) which means you can expect less frequent but potentially higher-value wins.

Jackpot and Maximum Win

Bao Shi does not feature a progressive or fixed jackpot; however, it offers a respectable maximum win. The highest possible payout is 15,000 times the total bet.

Slots Similar to Free Bao Shi

If you enjoyed the setting and mechanics of Bao Shi, you might also try these similar slots by theme or features:

• Fulong 88 (Play'n GO)
• 5 Lions Dance (Pragmatic Play)
• Bounding Luck (Betsoft)

Game Mechanics

Bao Shi uses an All Ways system with 1024 ways to win. In practice, there are no traditional paylines: a combination is winning when identical symbols appear on adjacent reels from left to right, regardless of their specific position on each reel. The main mechanics to know are:

• Reel Structure: the grid consists of 5 vertical reels, each 4 symbols high. Each spin therefore displays 20 random symbols (4 per reel). With 4 positions per reel, the possible combinations are 4×4×4×4×4 = 1024, hence the number of "ways to win".
• Winning Combinations: to get a win, you need to align at least 3 matching symbols on consecutive reels starting from the leftmost reel. A combination of 3, 4, or 5 symbols pays according to the paytable values (see above). If multiple winning combinations of different symbols form in the same spin, all wins are added together. In case of possible multiple combinations for the same symbol, the game automatically pays the highest win for that symbol.
• Game Mode and Interface: the control panel allows you to easily adjust the bet using the "+" and "-" buttons. You can set Autoplay to spin the reels automatically for a preset number of times, and you can activate Turbo/Quick Spin mode to speed up reel animations. Pressing the "i" (information) button or menu accesses the paytable and game rules at any time. Bao Shi is developed in HTML5, so it runs smoothly on desktop and mobile devices, maintaining the same mechanics and proportions thanks to an adaptive layout.

Author's Notes

From a technical standpoint, Bao Shi is a well-designed slot that combines traditional elements with some original ideas. Personally, I found the Lioras Blessings feature very interesting: adding wilds with random multipliers during the base game creates moments of surprise and gives a unique flavor to what would otherwise be a rather standard base phase.

The originality of the title lies in Lioras, a "guardian" who interacts with the reels – a touch of personality that distinguishes the game from the many Chinese-themed slots on the market. On the other hand, it must be said that Bao Shi maintains a classic setup in terms of structure and symbols (the 10-A royals and Chinese lucky icons are something we've seen before) and the gameplay might feel repetitive for some players once the novelty of the lion's blessings wears off.