Mahjong Wins 3 - Black Scatter

Mahjong Wins 3 - Black Scatter Review

Why reinvent the wheel? That seems to have been the question on Pragmatic Play’s mind when developing Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter slot. While it’s officially marketed as a new sequel, it feels more like a DLC to its predecessor, Mahjong Wins 2. The previous installment was a huge leap from the original Mahjong Wins game, bringing plenty of changes including a reimagined reel system, doubled paylines, and beefed-up win potential. The third part, however, treads familiar ground. The only new thing here in terms of gameplay is the introduction of Black Scatters. Sure, the visuals also have received an upgrade, but it’s hardly the revolutionary update fans might have hoped for. So, does Mahjong Wins 3 bring enough to the table, or is it just a polished repeat? Let’s find out.

Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter Slot - Base Game

The core mechanics of the Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter slot machine remain consistent with its predecessor. The game features an unconventional 4-5-5-5-4 reel setup, producing 2,000 ways to win on each spin. Symbols pay from left to right, with at least 3-of-a-kind required to achieve a payout. If you’ve played Mahjong Wins 2, this will feel instantly familiar, because it’s, well, identical.

As we head over to the math model, most elements have remained untouched. And in this case, actually, it’s not a bad thing. We still have the exceptional 100,000x max win at our disposal, which is now achievable in several ways, thanks to the Black Scatters, which we’ll get to in short in the features section of my Mahjong Wins 3 slot review. Volatility, obviously, remains high, and the bet levels stay in the range of €0.20 to €240 per spin. There is one notable improvement though - the RTP has received a slight boost, now sitting at an impressive 97%.

Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter Features

Now to the gameplay aspect. As I mentioned earlier, everything remained intact, except there are now special Black Scatters to be found as well. Let’s walk you through the other features first and save the new, most interesting part for dessert.

Tumbles & Multipliers

Each win in the Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter online slot is subject to the cascading mechanic. Whenever you get a payout, all participating symbols get removed from the reels. Then, the remaining symbols fall to available spaces and new ones tumble down from above to fill the gaps. The process keeps going as long as you achieve consecutive wins, no limits.

Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter Slot - Gameplay Screen

The feature is tied closely to the progressive multiplier, which increments after each successive tumble. In the base game, it starts at 1x and increases to 2x, 3x, and eventually 5x after every cascading win. The multiplier applies to all wins you achieve on that spin. It is then reset at the end.

Gold Symbols

Another feature linked to the tumbling system is the extra Wilds, available at any stage of the gameplay. Randomly, some symbols within the three middle reels appear marked in gold, and whenever a winning combination with such symbols is hit, they turn into Wild for the next tumble. Wilds substitute for any other regular symbols, helping you to achieve payouts.

Free Spins

Landing 3 Scatter symbols anywhere in view simultaneously on a base spin awards 10 free spins, and +2 additional spins are granted for each Scatter beyond the third. Plus, it’s possible to retrigger the feature by landing another combination of 3 or more Scatters during the bonus game, and there’s no limit on how many spins you can get per round.

Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter free spins bonus operates in a similar way to the base game, but there are several changes. Firstly, all symbols on the middle reel are gold. Secondly, tumble multipliers are increased. The trail starts at 2x and increases to 4x, 6x, and a maximum of 10x for consecutive cascades.

Black Scatter

Black Scatter symbols can appear anywhere on the reels during the gameplay of Mahjong Wins 3, just like the normal Scatters, and they act similarly, triggering free spins whenever 3 or more appear in view, or a mixed combination of Scatters and Black Scatters hits.

The major difference is they pay instant fixed prizes upon triggering the feature. The possible values are the following:

• 1 Black Scatter in a combination of 3 or more Scatters of any kind awards 50x the stake.
• 2 Black Scatters in a combination of 3 or more Scatters of any kind awards 500x the stake.
• 3 Black Scatters in a combination of 3 or more Scatters of any kind awards 5,000x the stake.
• 4 Black Scatters in a combination of 4 or more Scatters of any kind awards 100,000x the stake.

Theme & Graphics

Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter maintains its connection to traditional Chinese culture with a Mahjong-themed design. The game plays against the backdrop showcasing a pile of coins and sycees, while the reels, adorned with dragons, consist of all sorts of mahjong tiles. The visuals are polished, and it definitely surpasses its predecessors in quality. However, the audio experience remained the same - there’s still that irritating voiceover, which comments on every win and cascade you make. For me, personally, it becomes really irritating after just a few spins.

Pros And Cons Of Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter Slot

Our Verdict

Overall, I can’t deny that Mahjong Wins 3 Black Scatter is a solid slot game with more advantages than drawbacks - when viewed as a standalone title, at least. The polished visuals, cascading wins, progressive multipliers, free spins, a boosted 97% RTP, and a whopping 100,000x max win make it worth a spin for sure.

That said, fans of the series, however, might still feel a bit underwhelmed. The second installment of Mahjong Wins set the bar high with its significant changes and innovations, so players had high hopes for this third part. Instead, what we got feels more like an expansion, with new Scatter symbols and a refined look, rather than a game that truly pushes the series forward.

In the end, while Mahjong Wins 3 is undoubtedly a good game, it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by its predecessor. If you’re new to the series or simply enjoy Mahjong-inspired slots, this one’s definitely worth checking out. Yet, if you’re a returning fan hoping for groundbreaking changes, you won’t find any, unfortunately.