Shaolin Master Slot Review

The game is a reskin of Hand of Anubis, a 2022 title from Hacksaw Gaming with the same cluster pays mechanic and a 10,000x max win as well. Unlike the dark Ancient Egypt setting of that game, the vibe of a Shaolin kung fu scene on top of the mountains is … well, less nightmarish. The game does really well atmospherically—it is everything that you would expect from a kung fu-themed slot game. The master is on one side and the student on the other.

The serene Shaolin temple, tranquillity of the martial arts, vibrant design elements, all of it falls into place nicely. The backdrop shows peaceful mountain views and traditional Chinese architecture. The calm of the setting and the action of the multipliers create a nice contrast. The sound effects also transition sweetly from soothing strings and flutes to more dynamic effects when needed.

The symbols in Shaolin Master are a mix of low-value and high-value representations of traditional martial arts and Shaolin culture. The low-paying symbols are the standard card ranks (10, J, Q, K, A), while the high-paying symbols include a blue fist, a golden shuriken, a pink beaded necklace, and portraits of the Shaolin Master and his student. Fun fact: shurikens were/are never used in Shaolin kung fu. They are Japanese, not Chinese.

The wild symbol in the game is the Chi Orb, which acts as a multiplier wild. This symbol substitutes for all regular symbols to form winning clusters. The scatter symbol is the Student himself that awards free spins if you land three or more.

In the cluster pays mechanic, when winning combinations form, they also disappear and make way for more symbols from the top. Additional winning combinations may form in the same spin this way.

Here are all the symbols and their payouts:

While there is not much variety in the symbols’ payout, there is certainly a large range because you can get wins starting from 5x symbols all the way up to 15x or more. There are a total of 30 symbols per spin (5x6 grid). The difference between the higher payouts on getting more of the symbols and the lower payouts at 5x or 6x are actually pretty wide. The game is on the border of medium volatility. Hand of Anubis (the game it is a reskin of) offers similar mechanics and symbol payout rates but carries a high volatility.

Shaolin Master has a variety of bonuses to boost your chances of landing bigger wins. Cascading symbols, multiplier wilds (the bread and butter of Hacksaw Gaming), and two distinct free spins modes keep the gameplay interesting. It is a slot game that rewards both patience and skill. The main bonus mechanic is the Chi Orbs system. Connected to these Orbs you have a couple of bonus games as well—the Student and the Master bonuses.

Let us take a closer look.

Chi Orbs

 Chi Orbs are wild multipliers that play a key role in both the base game and bonus features. The Blue Chi Orb starts with a 1x multiplier, increasing with each win, while the Red Chi Orb grows based on the number of matching symbols in a cluster. The Balance Chi Orb, which appears during cascades, applies the combined multipliers of Blue and Red Chi Orbs. If all goes well, you can rack up huge wins using these multipliers.

The Student Bonus

Land 3 or 4 scatter symbols to trigger The Student bonus. With 3 scatters you get 10 free spins and with 4 you get 12 free spins. During the free spins round, you will get multipliers below each reel that will increase with each cluster. If a Green Chi Orb lands, it will activate the multiplier for the corresponding reel—amplifying the potential winnings that can go up to 9,999x per reel. Every multiplier you activate awards you additional spins.

The Master Bonus

Whereas the Student comes into play with 3 or 4 scatters, landing 5 of them initiates the Master himself. It awards 3 refilling spins. During the round, regular symbols will be replaced with special Stone Block symbols carrying multipliers. The Multiplier Modifier Blocks and Epic Modifier Blocks will allow you to unlock larger rewards here by increasing or multiplying the values of the multipliers on the reels. Crusher Blocks will further shake up the gameplay by destroying all Multiplier Blocks in their path so that new multipliers can land. Multipliers here, too, can reach up to 9,999x your bet.

Shaolin Master by Hacksaw Gaming is an intriguing Kung Fu experience with a unique set of features—but it does not quite reach the highs of its predecessor, Hand of Anubis. While the game has a solid theme and provides a more serene and less intense atmosphere, the cluster pays mechanic and the predictability of small wins quickly make it feel repetitive. The game is well done, no doubt about that. The Chi Orb multipliers and the two bonus rounds are where the game truly shines. They offer a decent potential for some big wins—but the gameplay lacks the excitement that makes some of Hacksaw Gaming’s other titles stand out.

Despite this, Hacksaw Gaming’s Shaolin Master might appeal to players who prefer a less chaotic experience while still offering the potential for sizeable payouts. It may not be a top-tier release, but it is a competent slot that could be enjoyable for those looking for a more laid-back but rewarding gaming session.

Rating: 6 (Okay)

Terrified of the absolute nightmare that Hand of Anubis is? Here is a better, more peaceful alternative with pretty much the same stuff and some extra bets and feature spins. But while I am okay with the mechanical successor of that game having the same top win of 10,000x, I am not okay with the slightly clunky and scripted feel of the cluster pays in this game. It is not fully random and creates multiple small wins in a row—meaning the game gets quite predictable very quickly. The whole Chi Orb mechanic that builds up the anticipation is kind of left behind due to this. If this can be fixed, the rating will certainly improve by a lot.