Gates of Shambala - Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

Introduction

When it comes to the mythology themed slot, you’re probably used to Greek or Egyptian gods. China does make an appearance sometimes, but Gates of Shambala from 5 Men Gaming visits a much less well-known kingdom that features prominently in Tibetan Buddhism. Not only that, the five reels come with four rows rather than the traditional three, there’s a very impressive 1024 ways to win, and the free spins round comes with multipliers. This slot is something very different, with lots of potential for fun.

Theme, Graphics & Soundtrack

Shambala or Shambhala (Sanskrit for place of peace) makes an appearance in several ancient texts. It is a mythical kingdom that can only be visited by the pure-hearted. It may also have inspired the fictional paradise of Shangri-La, which you may have encountered in books or the Legend of Shangri La slot. One day, according to Tibetan Buddhism, an army will emerge from Shambala to vanquish the dark forces trying to conquer the world.

Here, the mountains in the background are blurred under a pinkish sky, adding to the air of mysticism. The reels themselves, which are translucent so you can glimpse the mountains beyond, are framed by two elaborately decorated pillars that are a little like gateposts. You probably won’t be surprised to see praying and meditating monks among the symbols or hear the tinkling of prayer bells in the background, but the presence of a flying saucer UFO is a little more startling.

Gates of Shambala seems less interested in the traditional Buddhist aspects of its theme than creating a weird hybrid of eastern stereotypes and modern sci-fi conspiracies. It makes for a quirky style that is certainly distinctive but also seems puzzling.

Gates of Shambala RTP and Variance

Among 5 Men Gaming demo slots, although there’s some exciting gameplay and themes, it’s not unusual to see some low RTP figures. Gates of Shambala is no exception, set at a fairly low average of 94.98% (though, as always, there’s room for deviation). The variance is medium, suggesting a fairly balanced division between the size and frequency of wins.

How to Play Gates of Shambala

Here’s how to search for the mythical kingdom:

1. You should know before you begin how much money you have to play with so you can set sensible limits and don’t end up chasing losses.
2. To help stick to your budget, don’t forget to watch the total credits display in the bottom left corner.
3. Your budget may also affect your bet, which is displayed under the centre of the reels. To one side of it is a Base Bet adjustor, and to the other is Credit Value. You can also see the fixed 1,024 ways to win figure.
4. Most of the other settings are up at the top right corner. That’s where you’ll find two mute buttons - one for the music, and one for sound generally. There’s also a button for full-screen mode.
5. Anything else you want to know before you start playing will be contained in the paytable and game info, which you can reach from clicking the “i” back near the bottom of the screen. The button next to it will turn to a next page button, allowing you to search through symbol values, game rules and bonus features.
6. When you return to the main game, the next page button will turn back into Gamble, but you won’t need that until after a winning spin if you choose to risk your prize on the double or nothing turn of a card.
7. Now you’re familiar with all the rules and have the settings where you want them. There are two ways to play: toggle autoplay on and off (but you can’t set any limits) or just press Start to turn the reels once. Either way, have fun and play responsibly.

Bet & Win Sizes

There’s a pretty decent bet range with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 400, which should offer levels for most styles of play.

Other than the 9 and Meditating Monk, which pay from two matches, you need to find at least three of each symbol to win. As you adjust your bet, the potential rewards on the paytable grow. Starting at the bottom, each symbol pays as follows for an increasing number of matches.

9 - 2, 5, 10, 40

10 - 5, 10, 40

J, Q - 5, 20, 50

K, A - 10, 20 50

Praying Monk - 15, 30, 100

UFO, Eyes - 30, 50, 150

Meditating Monk - 10, 40, 100, 150

Bonus - 80, 200, 400

Gates of Shambala Bonus Features

Free Games

Three Bonus symbols will win you eight free games. This will increase to 15 free games for four Bonus symbols and 20 for five. Not only that, but free games come with a x2 or x3 multiplier if you find any Wilds on the middle three reels. You can retrigger free games, and there are also an extra five games on offer just for finding two more bonus symbols during the round.

Gates of Shambala Review

This is a bit of a strange one, taking an element of Buddhism that’s probably not widely known in the West and combining it with UFOs without a clear overall story. However, the gameplay is smooth and there’s a free spins round with multipliers, so playing can be a rewarding experience.
 

Disclaimer: Gates of Shambala trademark / license is owned by 5 Men Gaming. This site is not endorsed by 5 Men Gaming.