Introduction to Heart of Africa: Lion Way
Heart of Africa: Lion Way is a casino slot from Evoplay that takes us out on a safari to meet the king of the jungle. While lions aren’t exactly known for being part of the jungle, their title actually comes from the Sanskrit word “Jangala”, meaning wilderness, meaning that, in a more correct term, lions would be titled the king of the wild. Evoplay takes this to heart and creates their relatively interesting titular feature, the Lion Way, all around this majestic creature. This feature is all about hitting paylines of special Lion Symbols to cash out on Prizes, Jackpots up to 1,000X the bet, and a special Golden Lion bonus game. While this theme is usually a bit more old-school, every now and then, we get a few interesting releases with an African setting, such as Lion Saga Odyssey or the beloved Pink Elephants series from Thunderkick. Compared to these games, Heart of Africa: Lion Way is much more grounded, but it is still a somewhat interesting modern release that focuses on its titular feature, with the rest of the game built around it. So tag along as we check out what this Lion Way is, coming with three types of Special Lion Symbols, a Golden Lion Bonus, and a Free Spins feature that riles up the savannah, coupled with a max win of 5,237X the bet.
Evoplay delivers on a safari trip to the savannah, where we get to explore the titular feature, Lion Way, and its many Prizes.
Theme, Gameplay, & Payouts
Heart of Africa: Lion Way is a video slot from Evoplay with 5 Reels, 3 Rows, and 1,024 ways to win. You can choose between making a Min.bet of 0.1 and a Max.bet of 75. Heart of Africa: Lion Way comes with a slightly higher-than-average RTP of 96.26%, a hit frequency of 24.44%, medium volatility, and an okay max win of 5,237X the bet.
As mentioned before, we find ourselves out on the savannah, where majestic animals appear on just about every spin, with a landscape backdrop. Setting-wise, it is pretty standard, as most similar themes deliver on usually the same thing, and while it doesn’t really have anything that stands out, it’s good enough. You can play the game on most notepads, mobiles, and desktops.
The lower-paying symbols are 10, J, Q, K, and A. Creating a win with 5 of the same symbols will pay out 2X to 3X the bet. The higher-paying symbols are various animals from the savannah, including crocodiles, zebras, giraffes, leopards, and elephants. Landing a win with 5 of the same symbols pays out 5X to 12X the bet. The Special Symbols include Wilds, Scatters, and the three types of Lion Symbols, ranging from First, Money, and Golden, but more on these in the next section.
Special Features & Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Heart of Africa: Lion Way?
You can win up to 5,237X the bet.
What features are available in the slot Heart of Africa: Lion Way?
The features are Wild Symbols, Lion Way, Golden Lion Bonus, Free Spins, and Feature Buy.
Wild Symbols
Wild Symbols help create winning combinations by being able to substitute for all symbols except Scatter and Lion Symbols. Wilds can only appear on reels 2-4 in the base game and Free Spins feature.
Lion Way
Landing 2 or more Lion Symbols on consecutive reels, starting from the first, creates a Lion Way, paying out whatever value is shown on the winning Lion Symbols. There are three types of Lion Symbols that can appear, and they are as follows:
First Lion Symbol = Can only appear on the first reel and does not contain any values.
Money Lion Symbol = Appears on reels 2-5 in both the base game and Free Spins, each coming with a random value of 0.5X to 15X, or the Mini (25X), Mega (50X), Super (100X), or Grand (1,000X) Jackpot.
Golden Lion Symbol = Appears on reels 4-5 in the base game and 2-5 during the Free Spins. The Golden Lion Symbol does not appear with a value, but when part of a Lion Way, it triggers the Golden Lion Bonus.
Golden Lion Bonus
Triggered by a Golden Lion Symbol being part of a Lion Way, the Golden Lion Bonus is played on a special 3x3 playing grid with 3 spins, where the only symbols that can appear are Money Lion Symbols. These Money Lion Symbols can appear with values ranging from 0.5X to 15X, or the Mini and Mega Jackpots. Each time one lands, it sticks to the reels, and if the bonus game ends with all 15 positions filled, you will be awarded the Super Jackpot.
Free Spins
By landing 3, 4, or 5 Scatter Symbols, you will be awarded the Free Spins feature with 10, 15, or 20 spins. During the bonus game, more Money Lion Symbols appear on the reels, Golden Lion Symbols can appear on reels 2-5, and if a First Lion appears without a winning combination, it has a random chance of adding 2 to 6 Lion Symbols on random positions. You can retrigger the feature by landing 2 or more Scatter Symbols, awarding 5 or more additional spins.
Feature Buy
Through the Feature Buy, you can instantly trigger the bonus game for a price based on the current bet.
82X = Awards the Free Spins feature with 10 spins.
123X = Awards the Free Spins feature with 15 spins.
163X = Awards the Free Spins feature with 20 spins.
Final Thoughts on Heart of Africa: Lion Way
Heart of Africa: Lion Way may not be the most flashy or prettiest game that Evoplay has released, but it is a small, yet fun modern package in an otherwise very old-school theme, so, at least for us, this is a rather fresh breath of air. But even so, it isn’t the most impressive release we’ve seen, as its visuals, setting, and even its gameplay loop may be a bit too simple for many. Personally, we like its small charm, but it doesn’t leave a lasting impression that games like the aforementioned Pink Elephant series do, meaning if its gameplay doesn’t stick, it might not be able to build an audience.
So, when it comes to this gameplay loop, we’re looking at some rather basic spins, as there isn’t much happening in terms of features outside of the titular Lion Way. We actually enjoy this feature and how it works however, we feel that the game is a bit too centered around it, leaving spins without it feel rather empty, and it doesn’t help that the paytable isn’t that strong. But, even when it does appear, many of its Cash Prizes can feel underwhelming, even in the Golden Lion Bonus. So, all in all, Heart of Africa: Lion Way has an interesting foundation, but sadly can’t build upon it with its reliance on a not-so-exciting feature and weak stats across the board.
Heart of Africa: Lion Way is a slot all about its titular feature, Lion Way, where you create paylines of Cash and Jackpot Prizes, and even be able to trigger the Golden Lion Bonus.
