Take flight to the world of Dragon Shard, Microgaming’s epic fantasy slot where the Ice King and Fire Queen go to battle on the reels. Along with their dragons, they’re fighting for possession of the Dragon Shard, an ancient artefact with the power to transform reality – including the ability to generate significant win potential.
Beautifully rendered graphics come together with inventive game mechanics, a dramatic soundtrack and a rich feature set – including the sensational Win Booster. This combination makes Dragon Shard one of the top online casino games out there. Fans of fantasy adventure like Game of Thrones or The Witcher will enjoy this relatable fantasy slot.
Game overview
Dragon Shard was designed for Microgaming by Stormcraft Studios, which also brought out the hit online casino slots Agent Jane Blonde Returns and Fortunium. The action plays out on a 5x5 grid with 40 paylines. Players journey through a mythical dragon-haunted realm in search of the arcane wonders and rewards that the Dragon Shard can bestow.
The low-value symbols are spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs. High-value symbols are shimmering images of the Fire Queen, Ice King, Fire Dragon, Ice Dragon, and the crystal Dragon Shard itself. The wild symbol is the Dragon Shard, and the scatter is the Dragon Eye.
The Fire Queen and Ice King can stack all the way down the reels, and both will reward you with 8x your bet if you land 5 in combination. All the other high-value icons are double-stacked. Then there are the Mystery symbols. These super-stacked icons can reveal any wild, high or low symbol, so you can potentially rack up 5-of-a-kind wins across the reels.
Dragon Shard is fully optimised for mobile and offers a premium gaming experience in portrait mode. Gamers who value online slot machines for their entertainment value are sure to enjoy this highly polished gem of a game. Want to find out more?
How to play
Dragon Shard is considered to be a medium-variance slot with an RTP (return to player) of 96.5%, which is more generous than usual online casino slots. The aim of the game is to land a winning combination of 3 or more matching symbols on one of the 40 paylines to receive a payout.
Betting options range from $0.20 to $200, so you’ll feel comfortable playing this game no matter whether you’re a higher-stakes player or more into penny slots. You can set the autoplay function for up to 100 spins or use the turbo setting to make the reels spin more frequently.
The stacked Ice King and Fire Queen symbols pay out 8x your stake. The scatter (the dragon eye) is the most valuable symbol, paying out 100x your bet.
Something you won’t find in the average run of online casino slots is Dragon Shard’s Win Booster. Gamers who play online slots for real money absolutely have to understand this feature. It costs twice your stake to activate this function (so make sure you can afford to play at that level,) but if you do, you get to enjoy some special win-enhancing benefits. Read up on the Win Booster and other special features in the features section further down.
Graphics
From a visual viewpoint, Dragon Shard is a breath of fresh air in the world of real online slots. Players expect their online casino games to have good graphics these days, but the graphics team on Dragon Shard has really knocked this one out of the park!
The Fire Queen and Ice King are powerfully realized characters that look more visually stunning the more they stack on the reels. The Fire and Ice Dragons are truly fearsome, while the Dragon Eye conjures up all the terror and mystery you’d expect from this ancient mythical creature.
Even the low-paying symbols shimmer on the reels in a way that’s almost magical. The contrast when you switch from the summer landscape of the base game to the icy wilderness of the free spins round is always dramatic, and the Ice King looks very heroic sitting on his dragon when he announces your wins.
All in all, Dragon Shard is probably one of the most visually immersive fantasy slots out there. You’ll find that it looks especially good in portrait mode on your mobile.
Features
Dragon Shard is one of those online slot machines that digs deep into its special features. These include wilds and free spins, as well as Mystery symbols and an exclusive Win Booster.
The Dragon Shard does duty as the wild, and substitutes for any adjacent symbol except the Dragon Eye scatter. The wild also pays out 20x your total bet if you land 5 in combination.
Mystery symbols serve to enhance your winning potential. When one of these curious symbols lands on the reels, it randomly transforms into a high-value, low-value or wild symbol.
Free spins are the bread and butter of many online slots with real-money possibilities, and Dragon Shard is no exception. Land 3 or more Dragon Eye scatters to trigger 10 free spins. Keep an eye on reels 2, 3 and 4 – at least one of them will be a Mystery Reel, depending on how many scatters you managed to land. Mystery Reels, of course, entirely consist of those shape-shifting Mystery symbols that serve to enhance your wins.
The power of the Mystery symbols is strengthened even further if you activate the Win Booster when you start playing. Three things happen when you do this. First, the paylines pay from right to left as well as left to right. Second, the Mystery symbols now transform only into wilds or high-paying symbols. Third, you can raise your maximum bet to $200 a spin (providing your bankroll will allow and you’re aware of the risk you’re taking on.) We can conclude that the Win Booster really lives up to its name.
Bonuses and jackpots
Dragon Shard doesn’t have a “jackpot” in the strict sense of the word, but players will certainly feel as though they’ve hit the jackpot if they succeed in winning the maximum payout. This is an amount 800x your bet, and it happens if you manage to fill the reels completely with wilds. The best chance of this occurring is during the free spins round. That’s when the Mystery Reels can come to your aid and fill the middle 3 reels with win-inducing wilds.
A win of that nature translates into a payout of $160,000 on a maximum $200 bet. Don’t forget that this bet is only possible if the Win Booster is active.
Similar games
If you enjoy playing casino slot games with a fantasy theme, you might want to give these epic titles a few spins:
- Dragon’s Myth
- Dragon Maiden
- Avalon II
- Warlords: Crystals of Power
- Thunderstruck II
Register to play epic online slots with BetMGM
To get started playing Dragon Shard, simply sign up for a player account at BetMGM. You’ll get full access to our complete range of real online slots.
You’re also more than welcome to explore our broad range of other online casino games, from table and card games such as poker, blackjack and roulette to countless variety and live dealer titles. We offer a secure, stable platform with convenient payment options for a premium, mobile-optimized gaming experience, wherever you are.
