Quick Stats
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Provider | Eyecon (a subsidiary of Playtech) |
| Game Type | Video Slot |
| RTP | 95% (Eyecon’s published figure; independent trackers report 95.3–95.4%) |
| Volatility | Medium |
| Reels / Rows | 5 × 3 |
| Paylines | 25 Fixed |
| Min Bet | NZ$0.25 per spin (NZ$0.01 per line × 25 lines) |
| Max Bet | NZ$12.50 per spin (NZ$0.50 per line × 25 lines) |
| Max Win | 2,500x stake |
| Features | Wild Substitute (2x, reels 2 & 4), Prize Pick Bonus, Free Games (15/20/25), Expanding Wild during Free Games, Gamble Feature |
| Theme | Ancient China / Imperial History |
| Release Date | April 2016 |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile |
What Is Imperial Destiny?
Imperial Destiny is a history-based pokie set in 220 BCE during the reign of Qin Shi Huang — the ruthless ruler who unified China and became its first emperor. The game doesn’t lean on fantasy or mythology; it’s grounded in a specific historical era, and that focus gives it a more distinctive identity than the average Asian-themed slot.
The layout is a standard 5×3 grid with 25 fixed paylines. Wins pay left to right starting from the leftmost reel. There are two scatter types — Warrior symbols and Bell symbols — each triggering a different feature. The wild (Shi Huangdi) sits on reels 2 and 4 during base play, doubles any win it contributes to, and shifts to reels 1, 3, and 5 during free spins, where it expands to cover its entire reel.
Imperial Destiny suits players who want a relaxed medium-volatility session with a genuine pick bonus and a free spins round that has real visual impact. It’s not built for high-stakes play — the NZ$12.50 maximum bet and modest max win cap keep it in the casual tier. If you want a game that plays quietly but fires its features regularly and without too much drama, this is a solid choice. Run the free demo first to watch how the expanding wild behaves during free spins before committing real money.
RTP and Volatility
Eyecon’s published RTP is 95%, which sits below the industry average of around 96%. Third-party data trackers (SlotsMate, FluffySpins) report figures between 95.3% and 95.4% — these may reflect slight variations in the version being analysed. For planning purposes, treat 95% as the conservative baseline.
At NZ$1 per spin across 500 spins, the theoretical average return at 95% RTP is NZ$475. In a medium-volatility game, your actual result will tend to cluster closer to that figure than a high-volatility game would — you’re less likely to see extreme swings in either direction.
Medium volatility means wins land with moderate frequency at moderate size. You’ll see enough small base-game wins to keep your balance ticking over, and the Prize Pick Bonus and free spins round provide the higher-value moments. Neither feature guarantees a big outcome — the Prize Pick Bonus multipliers reach up to 100x per pick, but that ceiling is rare, and the free spins round depends heavily on where the expanding wilds land.
The 2,500x max win is reasonable for this volatility tier. It’s not a life-changing jackpot, but it’s accessible — you don’t need a rare combination of stacked conditions to reach it. Set a session budget before spinning and treat the NZ$12.50 max bet as a ceiling for experienced players only; most sessions are better played at NZ$0.25–$2.50 per spin.
Betting Range
The minimum total bet is NZ$0.25 per spin — that’s NZ$0.01 per line multiplied across all 25 fixed paylines. The maximum is NZ$12.50 per spin (NZ$0.50 per line). You cannot reduce the number of active paylines; all 25 run on every spin.
Coin size is the only variable you control. Adjust it using the bet controls before spinning — the total stake per spin updates automatically as you change the coin value.
An Autoplay function is available if you’d prefer to set a run of spins and watch. There’s no loss-limit control documented across most versions of this game, so if you use Autoplay, set a mental budget before activating it and check your balance regularly.
A Gamble feature is also available after any base-game win. You’re taken to a secondary screen and asked to choose between golden and jade bangles — a 50/50 pick to double your last win or lose it entirely. You can gamble up to five times in a row. One incorrect pick ends the feature and the accumulated win is forfeited. This feature is optional — you can always select Take Win instead.
For a NZ$20 session at NZ$0.50 per spin, you get 40 spins. At NZ$0.25 you get 80 spins — enough to expect both feature types to trigger at least once. Start at the minimum to get comfortable with the pace.
How to Play Imperial Destiny — Step by Step
- Open the game and click the paytable button before your first spin. Review the symbol values for each tier at your chosen coin size, and note which symbols are the Warrior scatter and Bell scatter — they look similar to the premium symbols at a glance.
- Set your coin value using the controls at the bottom of the screen. All 25 paylines are always active; your total bet per spin is your chosen coin value × 25.
- Hit Spin. Wins pay left to right across 25 lines — three or more matching symbols starting from reel 1 produce a payout.
- If the Shi Huangdi wild lands on reel 2 or reel 4, he substitutes for all regular symbols except the Warrior and Bell scatters. Any win he helps complete is doubled — his 2x multiplier applies to the full line win he contributes to.
- If you land a win and want to gamble it, click Gamble before the next spin. Choose between golden and jade bangles — correct doubles your win, incorrect ends the feature and wipes the last win. Walk away with Take Win whenever you’re satisfied.
- When three or more Warrior scatter symbols land anywhere on the grid, the Prize Pick Bonus triggers. You receive one pick per Warrior symbol on the reels — so three Warriors give you three picks, four give you four, and five give you five.
- When three or more Bell scatter symbols land anywhere on the grid, the Free Games feature triggers. Three Bells award 15 free games, four award 20, and five award 25.
Try this: Play 20 spins at NZ$0.25 to watch how often the Warrior and Bell scatters land and whether they tend to cluster. The whole trial costs NZ$5 maximum and takes under five minutes.
Symbols and Paytable
Imperial Destiny uses a full set of historically themed symbols across two tiers, plus a wild and two scatter types.
The high-paying symbols are ancient artefacts from the Qin dynasty: a gold hair comb (earring), a golden orb, gold bracelets, jade bracelets, and body armour. The gold earring / hair comb is the top regular symbol — five of it pays 2,500 coins at maximum coin value, which corresponds to the game’s 2,500x max win at NZ$0.01 per line. At higher coin values, the coin win scales upward accordingly. Specific multiplier values for each symbol vary by coin denomination; check the in-game paytable at your chosen coin size before playing.
The mid-tier and low-paying symbols include a shield, parchment scroll, and ancient coins, finishing with the card-rank symbols rendered in period-appropriate styling rather than generic poker fonts
The Shi Huangdi wild appears on reels 2 and 4 during base play. It replaces all regular symbols except the Warrior and Bell scatters and doubles any win it contributes to. During free spins, his reel positions change (see Bonus Features below), significantly increasing his coverage of the grid.
The Warrior symbol is one of two scatters — it triggers the Prize Pick Bonus when three or more land anywhere. The Bell symbol is the second scatter — it triggers the Free Games feature under the same condition. Neither scatter pays a cash prize on its own; their value is in triggering their respective features.
Bonus Features
Wild Substitute — Shi Huangdi
Shi Huangdi acts as the wild throughout the game. In the base game he appears exclusively on reels 2 and 4, substituting for all regular symbols and doubling any win he contributes to. The doubling applies to the full combination win — so a five-of-a-kind combination involving a wild pays twice the normal line payout.
Prize Pick Bonus
Triggered when three or more Warrior scatter symbols land anywhere on the reels in a single spin. You receive one pick per Warrior on screen — three Warriors gives three picks, four gives four, five gives five. Each pick reveals a multiplier value applied to your triggering bet. The ceiling for each pick is 100x your wager. What lands on each selection is random; there’s no skill component beyond the act of picking. Multiple picks accumulate — three generous picks at mid-range multipliers can produce a meaningful combined payout, though reaching 100x on any single pick is uncommon.
The feature does not offer a retrigger. It plays out in full and returns you to the base game.
Free Games Feature
Triggered when three or more Bell scatter symbols land anywhere on the reels. Three Bells award 15 free games, four award 20, and five award 25. All free games play at the same coin value as the triggering spin.
During the free games, Shi Huangdi’s wild behaviour changes significantly. Instead of appearing only on reels 2 and 4, he can now appear on reels 1, 3, and 5 as well. When he does, he expands to cover every position on that reel — turning the entire reel wild — before paylines are evaluated. His 2x multiplier on any contributing win remains active throughout.
The free games feature can be retriggered up to 15 times by landing three or more Bell scatters during the round. In principle, the maximum total free spins from a single trigger chain is very large — though in practice, reaching the retrigger limit requires sustained scatter luck.
Gamble Feature
Available after any base-game win. Selecting Gamble takes you to a secondary screen where you choose between two objects — golden bangles or jade bangles — for a double-or-nothing outcome on your last win. You can gamble up to five consecutive times. One wrong pick ends the sequence and the current accumulated win is lost. Correct picks double the win each time, so five correct picks in a row turns a modest win into a substantially larger one. The risk is symmetrical — each pick is a 50/50 outcome. Select Take Win at any point to bank what you have.
Is Imperial Destiny Worth Playing?
Pros:
- Two separate scatter systems give the base game genuine variety — Warrior scatters and Bell scatters can land on the same spin, and each triggers a different feature
- The expanding wild during free spins is the game’s best mechanic — a Shi Huangdi landing on reel 1, 3, or 5 and covering the entire reel can produce substantial wins across 25 lines in a single free spin
- Free games retrigger up to 15 times — in a strong run, this can extend the bonus significantly
- NZ$0.25 minimum total bet makes this accessible on a very small budget
- The historical theme is more specific and grounded than most Asian-themed pokies, which tend toward generic dragons and lucky charms
- Mobile-optimised and fully playable across all devices
Cons:
- 95% RTP is below the industry average of 96% — over a long session this costs you roughly NZ$1 more per NZ$100 wagered compared to an average-RTP game
- Max bet of NZ$12.50 and max win of 2,500x means the absolute ceiling payout is NZ$31,250 — a modest cap by modern standards
- The Prize Pick Bonus has no strategic element; it’s a pure pick from identical-looking selections with no tells — reaching the 100x maximum per pick is rare
- The Gamble feature is double-or-nothing with no partial hedging; one wrong pick wipes the accumulated win entirely
- Paytable values for individual symbols are not prominently published by Eyecon — you need to open the in-game paytable at your chosen coin denomination to check them
Imperial Destiny is a comfortable medium-volatility pokie that does its job without drama. The expanding wild during free spins is legitimately exciting, and having two distinct scatter triggers keeps the base game from feeling like a waiting game. The RTP is a genuine drawback if you’re comparing pokies on long-run value, but for a low-stakes session with a well-designed free spins round, it earns its place in a casual rotation. Best suited to NZ players on a modest budget who want a feature-rich session without needing to stake big to get there.
Responsible Gambling
Imperial Destiny uses a certified random number generator (RNG). Every spin outcome is determined independently — past results carry no influence over what the reels produce next, and no strategy can predict or alter the outcome. Set a firm budget before you play. If gambling stops being enjoyable, responsible gambling support services are available in your region.
Imperial Destiny FAQ
What is the RTP (Return to Player) of Imperial Destiny?
The RTP for Imperial Destiny is 95%, indicating a reasonable return on your wagers over time.
Is there a Wild symbol in Imperial Destiny?
Yes, Shi Huangdi acts as the Wild symbol, appearing on reels 2 and 4. He substitutes for other symbols (except Scatters) and doubles your wins when part of a winning combination.
Can I play Imperial Destiny on mobile devices?
Yes, Imperial Destiny is compatible with mobile devices, allowing you to play on smartphones and tablets.
What is the volatility level of Imperial Destiny?
Imperial Destiny has medium volatility, which means players can expect a balanced mix of wins and losses during gameplay.
