The Golden Rat Demo Slot - Review, Demo Play, Payout, Free Spins & Bonuses

The Golden Rat RTP (Payout) & Volatility

This slot game has an RTP of 95.14% and there’s no escaping from the fact that this isn’t the most enticing RTP you’ll ever find. For newcomers, RTP stands for ‘Return to Player’, and is an indication of the amount of money a game pays out compared to what is paid in, over time. It is therefore not a guarantee of winnings but simply an indication of a slot’s ‘generosity’. Most slot games have an RTP of between 94-98%.

What is exciting however is the game’s medium volatility, a fine balance between the frequent but small payouts of a low variance game and the higher risks involved in a high variance game.

The Golden Rat Slot Graphics & Theme

The Chinese New Year occurs on the New Moon between the end of January and the end of February. In a tradition that goes back thousands of years, each new year is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals of Chinese Astrology, who are thought to characterise the personalities of people born that year. 2020 is the Year of the Rat, the first of the 12 animals and therefore the start of a new cycle. Rats are known for their quick thinking and are also thought to represent wealth, surplus and fertility.

The theme of this slot is centred around both the New Year celebrations and a Golden Rat itself. Although the graphics aren’t groundbreaking, they are familiar and include the usually Chinese colour theme of red and gold as well as easily recognisable imagery.

The Rat itself is the highest scoring symbol, followed by a golden lion, a Chinese drum, a money tree, some gold coins and then by the playing cards Jack, Queen, King and Ace. Bonus symbols include a golden serpent and a red money bag.

The reels are housed in a small building with a traditional tiled Chinese roof. To the left and right are two pagodas or temples and two New Year parade dragons.

How To Play The Golden Rat Slots

Players simply choose a total bet of between 0.25 and 200, which translates as a bet per line of between 0.01 and 8.00. All 25 paylines are activated for every spin and once the wager has been set, players are able to choose to use the autospin function or simply to hit the spin button each time.

How To Win At The Golden Rat Slot

Wins in this game occur when three or more matching symbols appear in a line, either in the base game, the free spins feature or the cash respins. The highest paying symbol is the Golden Rat who pays out x500 the line bet when it appears five times on one payline. The second highest symbol is the Golden Lion, who pays out x400 for five matching symbols, followed by the drum, paying x300 for five symbols.

Further wins can be accumulated in the cash respins as any money bag symbols are collected up to pay a cash prize at the culmination of the feature.

The Golden Rat Bonus Features & Free Spins

Keep an eye out for the wily Golden Rat, not only is it the highest paying symbol but it is also the wild, substituting for all other symbols with the exception of the money bag (respins bonus symbol) and the serpent scatter.

The serpent scatter lands on reels 1, 3 and 5 only and triggers the Fortune Free Spins round when it appears three times, with eight free spins being awarded. During this feature, between one and five of the reels will spin in-sync, which massively increases the chances of line wins. Sadly, the feature cannot be retriggered.

This slot also boasts an exciting Cash Respin Feature which is triggered when five or more money bags appear anywhere on the reels. This will automatically start three cash respins. During these spins, a new set of reels appear on the screen and each time a new money bag symbol appears, the number of respins left resets to three. Should the Golden Rat appear it will actually collect any money bags on screen, which allows a new symbol to drop down, increasing wins. At the end of the feature, the total number of money bags that appeared during the respins are added together to award a cash prize. This amount is added to any other wins that occurred during the respins to make one total feature payout.

Max-win 224,500x

Volatility Medium

Top RTP 95

The Golden Rat Tips, Tricks, Cheats and Strategy

We can’t offer any tips or tricks that will help with securing wins; slots don’t really work like that. This game is powered with the help of a random number generator which makes it impossible to hack the outcome.

So, this means there are no strategies to increase the chances of winning. But, there are strategies that reduce the chances of losing. Consider the following:
-    Don’t chase the losses
-    Walk away after a big win
-    Make small wagers
-    Set a time limit
-    Make a wagering limit for yourself
-    Play in demo mode - no risk at all

The Golden Rat Demo Play / Free Play

This game is one of many iSoftbet slots that are available to enjoy in demo mode here at Slots Temple. We love playing in demo mode and believe that it offers numerous benefits to slots players. Firstly, demo mode is an excellent opportunity to try out a new game, without having to commit to depositing or wagering real money. It’s a chance to familiarise oneself with the functions, game play, wagering options and bonus features. It also means players can test drive more than one game before choosing which to play. This means players can get a feel for the types of games they enjoy (e.g. which variance), the types of themes that please them and the developers that offer them the best experience.

That’s not the only reason that free play is favoured by some players. It’s also a sensible risk-free way of enjoying slot games for longer. There’s no limit to how long you can play in this mode and it will never ever cost you a penny.

The Golden Rat Slot On Mobile - Android, iPhones and Tablets

As a modern game, The Golden Rat has been tailored to enjoy on all types of screen. This of course includes mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, which are the perfect platform for sneaking in an extra game or two when you have spare time. Mobile slot playing has increased in record numbers over the past five years, and is fast becoming more popular than enjoying slots on a desktop, which limits players as to when and where they can play. Provided your mobile or tablet is powered by an iOS (e.g. iPhone/iPad) or an Android (e.g. Galaxy) operating system, you will be able to enjoy this game from the palm of your hands.

The Golden Rat Review & Rating

There’s a lot to like about this charming Chinese-themed game.

In most slot games the free spins feature is the best bit, but in this slot the Cash Respin is arguably more exciting. Unlike the free spins feature, the respins can continue indefinitely until no new money bag symbols appear, and the feature also plays out on a new set of reels, plus has an additional cash prize at the end. That’s not to say that the free spins feature isn’t good, in this feature eight free spins are enjoyed with in-sync reels.

The bonus features are the heart of a game that otherwise has fairly dated looking graphics. However, the familiar theme will be pleasing to those who genuinely love Chinese-themed games, or those that have an interest in Chinese New Year and the Zodiac animals.

If you like this game you’ll love other Chinese New Year free slots from the same developer including The Fortune Pig which was released in 2019 to coincide with the commencement of the Chinese Year of the Pig. Other excellent Asian-themed games from iSoftBet include The Great Wall, a highly volatile game that doubles Free Spin wins. Also try out Lucky Dragon, a seemingly simple three-reel game with a progressive jackpot.

Released in early 2020 to coincide with the commencement of the Chinese Year of the Rat, this game offers up-to-date, innovative bonus features but also has enough slot traditionalism to suit all parties. We actually rate this game quite highly, mostly because it has a sense of fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously and also because of the excellent Cash Respin that can make a big difference to the size of your win pot.

Disclaimer: The Golden Rat trademark / license is owned by iSoftbet. This site is not endorsed by iSoftbet.