Hou Yi - Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

Introduction 

Most mythologies have a legendary archer or two floating round in their lore. In Chinese mythology it’s Hou Yi, whose heroic exploits saving the world from the heat of 10 suns have earned him the title role in this KA Gaming slot. He stands on the 5-reels, hopefully helping you trigger free spins and multipliers as well as finding the 243 ways to win.

Theme, Graphics & Soundtrack 

There are plenty of Asian-themed slots around, but many of them are kind of generic. You’ll have some dragons, some Chinese lanterns, lots of red and gold. Hou Yi is different because it takes its inspiration from a specific Chinese myth. The story of 'Lord Archer' has varied over the years, but what is consistent is that the figure of Hou Yi used his bow and arrow to save humanity. The best known story is of how there were once 10 suns in the sky. Their heat was unbearable, threatening to scorch all of the earth. Hou Yi shot down 9 of the suns so only 1, with a reasonable amount of light and heat, remained. He’s also famous for being married to the moon goddess Chang’e.

By the look of it, the Hou Yi slot is set after Hou Yi saved the earth. The world depicted in the background is an idyllic scene of green fields, blurred mountains and blue sky, all in the softest toned colours. Cherry blossoms bloom in the corners. On the reels themselves there are some familiar symbols like snakes and dragons (zodiac animals) drawn in very artistic form but also images from the myth, such as a bow and arrows, sun and Hou Yi himself.

Hou Yi RTP and Variance

If you were hoping to compare Hou Yi to other KA Gaming demo slots then you may be in for some disappointment. Unlike most developers, KA Gaming has not revealed the official RTP of Hou Yi. That makes it very hard to know average returns, though obviously individual spins aren’t always average. There’s also no official variance to shed light on frequency of wins.

How to Play Hou Yi

Don’t worry, no actual archery skill required:

1. When you first load the game, the bet options window will open automatically so you can pick the bet level that most suits you.
2. That level should be guided not just by your own preference for risk, but also your total balance (displayed at the bottom of the screen) and a sensible assessment of what you can afford.
3. Budgeting is a key part of keeping your game under control, and therefore fun. That means a win limit where you’ll be happy to walk away and a loss limit to stop you chasing losses.
4. If you change your mind or want to readjust your bet as your balance changes, there are both new bet and max bet buttons framing the spin button at the centre.
5. Other settings can be found in the menu at the top right corner of the screen. They include a mute and a full screen button, as well as a link to your game history.
6. The little info button over to the right is where you go if you want the paytable and game rules.
7. Once you’re familiar with the rules and have all your settings, you can either click the spin button to turn the reels once or hold it down for autoplay.

Always play responsibly.

Bet & Win Sizes

When you open the bet window it will show you a range of values with a minimum of 0.30 and a maximum of 150.00.

You win by matching 3 or more symbols. As you increase your bet, the values on the paytable also increase. That means the top wins for each symbol will look like this if you are starting at the minimum wager:

Pig - 0.15

Bird - 0.25

Dragon - 0.50

Snake - 0.80

Golden shape - 1.00

Sun - 1.50

Chest - 2.50

Bow and arrows, Scatter - 3.00

Hou Yi - 5.00

Hou Yi Bonus Features

There’s one significant bonus feature in Hou Yi, which is the free games round. At first it looks pretty simple, you just have to find three or more scatters to score yourself exactly 9 free games. That’s pretty exciting on its own, but there is more to it. During the round, Hou Yi will let an arrow fly to take out one of the burning suns, just like he did in the myth. The disappearing sun will reveal a multiplier of 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x that will then be applied to any winning you receive.

Hou Yi Review

Someone took a lot of care designing the graphics of Hou Yi. There are lots of little details that make for a more engaging scene and that set it apart from other Asian-themed games, even the likes of the related KA Gaming's Nine Lucks slot. It helps bring this ancient myth to life in a new way. The fun gameplay, with free spins and multipliers, helps as well, even if some people may find it a little simple.
 

Disclaimer: Hou Yi trademark / license is owned by KA Gaming. This site is not endorsed by KA Gaming.