Dragon’s Treasure (Merkur): Overview

From what we can gather with this Merkur slot, a dragon has been tearing through a nearby medieval settlement. Along the way, it seems to have had the bright idea of stealing the town’s riches and keeping the loot for itself. At least, that’s the story we picture. Dragon’s Treasure is very much the kind of game you can read into in different ways, though. Either way, Merkur has managed to create a classic here, while still adding enough to keep seasoned punters interested. First released as a land-based slot machine, it was later adapted for online casinos and arrived back in 2011. Some players may be deterred by the more basic visuals found in these older Merkur titles, but the studio clearly chose to remain faithful to the original—something that has also helped these games stay popular with long-time fans.

As with plenty of classic video slots, Dragon’s Treasure uses a familiar setup of 5 reels and 3 rows. With just 5 paylines, it’s a configuration you more often associate with 3 reel fruit slots than a 5×3 game. To be fair, that’s a very small payline count compared to many modern online slots, yet it hasn’t prevented the game from building a strong following. With high volatility, Dragon’s Treasure is available on all devices with stakes from 0.10 to €/$10 per spin.

On the visual front, we can’t claim the slot is packed with stunning artwork. In truth, Dragon’s Treasure looks pretty chaotic. The backdrop is sparse, showing little more than dull green grassland and a few tree trunks. Still, Dragon’s Treasure proves that many players will overlook weak presentation as long as the gameplay delivers. As for the symbols, you’ll find five playing card ranks from 10 up to A. After that come two more theme-leaning icons: the sword hilt and the treasure chest. There’s also a dark-haired knight, seemingly preparing to head out and take on the dragon. Finally, the blonde-haired prince stands as the top-paying symbol in the game, awarding up to 1,000 times your stake for landing 5 of a kind.

Dragon’s Treasure (Merkur): Features

As you spin, the dragon symbol may appear on the reels, and it can be a major help. That’s because it acts as a Scattered Wild Symbol. In other words, it can land anywhere and substitute for all other regular symbols in Dragon’s Treasure. Better still, if five of them land across the reels, you can collect a payout of up to 200 times your stake.

In its role as a Scatter Symbol, the dragon also pays from any position. So, it doesn’t even have to land on one of the five paylines to boost your balance. It can also trigger the slot’s Free Spins feature. Whenever 3 or more dragon symbols appear, you’ll be awarded 10 Free Spins in total.

Once you’re in the free spins round, an additional special mechanic comes into play. Before the feature starts, you choose a symbol. Whichever one you pick becomes an Expanding Symbol for the entire round. When it lands, it expands to cover all three positions on its reel.

Finally, Dragon’s Treasure includes its own Gamble Rounds. You can choose between two options during play. This becomes available after you land a win in the base game, as long as that win does not include a Wild Symbol. You can pick either the card gamble round or the ladder gamble round. With the card option, your job is simply to guess the colour of the next playing card that’s revealed. If you guess correctly, your triggering win is doubled. The other option shows a ladder with different values on its steps. Stop the flashing light on the higher value(s) and your win will be increased to that amount.

Dragon’s Treasure (Merkur): Verdict

The theme and overall presentation here can feel a bit dubious in places. It almost comes across as if Merkur has assembled a random set of images and dropped them onto reels in front of a strange-looking background. While it may not do much for casual players, plenty of purists still see Dragon’s Treasure as a genuine classic. Its huge appeal with hardcore gamers largely comes down to its high volatility—which was relatively uncommon for a slot machine at the time—along with the potential for big returns of up to 5,000 times your stake in a single spin during the free spins round.

Dragon’s Treasure is a straightforward, all-or-nothing slot. There’s not much middle ground. It can be harsh, and its free spins feature is famously difficult to trigger. But if you do manage to activate it, there’s a real chance you’ll come away with a strong payout. If you understand what you’re getting into and can handle its relentless volatility, it becomes clear why it remains such a favourite among slot enthusiasts.