The Lioness Slot Review
Brought to you by Armadillo Studios, The Lioness is a new game based around MMA star Amanda Nunes. This visually arresting six-reel, four-row slot is only Armadillo Studios’ fourth game, yet the graphics and style emulate a far more seasoned outfit. The top prize is 2,000x your stake, and there are some bonus features to help you come out on top, so will you bring your A game?
Game Facts
- Created by Armadillo Studios
- UFC/Amanda Nunes theme
- 6 reels, 4 rows
- 40 paylines
- Manual and automatic modes are available
- Bonus features - Stacked Symbols, Win Multipliers, Bonus Games, Free Spins, Hold ‘n’ Respin
- Min bet 0.20 coins, max bet 100 coins
- Max win 2,000x your stake
- RTP 93.79% - 94.19% with Fortune Bet
- Medium Volatility
How to play The Lioness Slot
Place your bets, from 0.20 coins to 2,000 and hit the spin button. You can also select autoplay and set your preferred number of spins. You can view the paytable and get info on the game by clicking on the icons before you get started.
How to win The Lioness Slot
You can get a 0.2x payout for six of the lower-paying symbols - 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A - but you will need a few six-of-a-kind matches of the higher-paying symbols such as a speed bag (0.4x) and gloves (0.5x) to start building up your balance. The highest paying symbols are of The Lioness Amanda Nunes herself, with red, blue and purple backgrounds, paying out 0.55x to 0.75x respectively for six-of-a-kind.
You should also pay attention to the lioness emblems, which can trigger the bonus features described below.
Special Features and Bonuses
Most of the special features revolve around the stacked symbols. Here’s how each feature works.
Fight Feature
Filling three reels with stacks of Amanda Nunes symbols can (but does not always) trigger the Fight Feature. When activated, the Fight Feature multiplies the total win depending on the number of reels filled, as below:
- 3 Stacks: x2 to x4, or x3 to x6 with Fortune Bet
- 4 Stacks: x2 to x5, or x3 to x7 with Fortune Bet
- 5 Stacks: x2 to x6, or x3 to x8 with Fortune Bet
- 6 Stacks: x2 to x7, or x3 to x9 with Fortune Bet
The Lioness Free Spins
Landing three or more free spins symbols will trigger The Lioness Free Spins round. You start with five free spins, with the Amanda Nunes stacks lengthening to create a special set of reels. A free spins multiplier starts at 1x and increases every time you trigger a Fight Feature.
Lioness Link Bonus
Landing four or more lioness scatter symbols will activate the Lioness Link Bonus. Here, each of the scatters will stick while the rest of the reels change to only display Lioness scatters and blank positions. You are initially awarded three respins to try to match more scatters. Each new scatter that lands will stick and flip over to either reveal a cash prize or change colour to become one of the four prize pots.
The green is the mini prize pot, the red is Minor, and the purple is the Major jackpot, paying out 20x, 50x, and 100x your bet, respectively. You can earn up to 1,000x your bet before the round ends, by filling all twenty-four positions. It will also end if you run out of respins.
Fortune Bet/Bonus Buy
In some territories and online casinos, you can increase your stake to 32x to buy a bonus triggering spin. This will land at least four lioness symbols, triggering the Lioness Link Bonus described above.
Design & Theme
The graphics look fantastic, with short clips of Amanda Nunes fighting in close-up when you land matching symbols. Payouts come with silver coins bursting forward towards your screen, and there is an insistent beat in the background. You can also hear roars of approval when you land a winning combination.
Our Verdict
The Lioness is an attractive game that does a good job of translating Nunes’ image to a slot. It’s fun to play, with a couple of bonus features adding interest to the basic format. It’s a medium volatility game, so it doesn’t hit too hard, but the 93.79% - 94.19% RTP is comparatively low for a game in this genre and could prove a decisive blow to its popularity among fans.