Lightning Shenlong is a Lightning Box slot with five reels, three rows, and 243 ways to win. The Chinese dragon Shenlong acts as a Wild, Lightning Bolt symbols start the respin feature, and Dragon scatters award Free Games. Each symbol has a separate job, so identifying the two scatter types is the first step to reading the game.
This guide follows the official game help, rules version 2 dated December 19, 2023. The feature descriptions and official illustrations below explain that original game’s rules.
How to play and read the 243 ways
Open the game’s menu to review its paytable, then use the bet control to select the amount for one spin. Check Total Bet before pressing Spin. The help screen identifies Balance, Win, Total Win, Lightning Respins, and Free Games as separate counters.
With three positions on each of five reels, there are 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 243 position combinations. Ordinary combinations start on the leftmost reel and continue through adjacent reels. Symbols do not have to occupy one fixed horizontal line; the paytable defines which matching combinations pay.
The three symbol roles to learn are:
| Symbol | Role in the original game |
|---|---|
| Wild Shenlong | Substitutes for ordinary symbols, but not Lightning Bolt or Dragon scatters; appears on reels 2–5 |
| Lightning Bolt | Six to thirteen trigger Lightning Respin; collected feature bolts carry prizes |
| Dragon scatter | Three, four, or five trigger 8, 15, or 30 Free Games |
Lightning Respin: watch the active reels
Landing 6–13 Lightning Bolts starts the feature with three respins. Each respin randomly selects between one and five active reels. Electricity surrounds an active reel, while inactive reels are dimmed.
Only bolts landing inside active reels are collected. Collecting at least one resets the remaining respins to three. A bolt on a dimmed reel adds no collected prize and does not reset the counter. When the counter reaches zero, the feature awards the collected bolt prizes and jackpots.
For example, if two bolts appear and only one lands in an active reel, the game collects that active bolt and resets the counter. It does not collect the bolt on the inactive reel. Look at the highlighted area for the current respin; the active selection is made again on each respin.
Colossal symbols and split prizes
Colossal symbols occupy a 2×2 or 3×3 area and split into individual symbols or prizes. They appear in Lightning Respin and Free Games. The official example illustrates why one large symbol can turn into several separate awards.
A Colossal Lightning Bolt that crosses an active-area boundary does not make every part collectible. Only the portions within active reels are collected. This uses the same active-reel rule as individual bolts.
Dragon scatters and Free Games
The Dragon scatter triggers a different feature from the Lightning Bolt. Three Dragons award 8 Free Games, four award 15, and five award 30. Free Games use the wager that started the feature.
During Free Games, Colossal symbols appear on reels 2–5. A qualifying set of Lightning Bolts starts Lightning Respin; after that feature finishes, play resumes with the remaining Free Games. The cited rules also allow three or four Dragon scatters to retrigger Free Games.
Watch the Free Games and Lightning Respins counters separately. One tracks the remaining free-spin sequence; the other tracks the collecting feature running inside it.
Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand jackpots
The original game’s four named jackpots are fixed prizes rather than progressive pots. They are collected when the corresponding jackpot bolt appears on a triggering spin or inside an active reel during Lightning Respin. The same jackpot tier can be awarded more than once within one feature.
Read the displayed jackpot amounts and the version’s help before playing. The fixed jackpot prizes are not multiplied by the bet multiplier.
To explore an instant-win format instead, read the Lightning Zap guide, which illustrates its prize collection and Super Zap multipliers.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What does 243 ways mean in Lightning Shenlong?
The five reels each have three symbol positions, giving 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 × 3 = 243 position combinations. Ordinary winning combinations connect matching symbols from the leftmost reel through consecutive reels, subject to the paytable.
How does Lightning Respin start?
Six to thirteen Lightning Bolt symbols trigger Lightning Respin with three initial respins. Collecting a bolt on an active reel resets the remaining count to three.
Does a bolt on a dark reel reset the respins?
No. Bolts on inactive reels are not collected and do not reset the counter. The electric outline identifies the active reels for that respin.
How many Free Games do Dragon scatters award?
Three Dragon scatters award 8 Free Games, four award 15, and five award 30. If Lightning Respin starts during Free Games, the game returns to any remaining Free Games when the respin feature ends.
Are the Lightning Shenlong jackpots progressive?
No. The cited original-game rules describe fixed Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand jackpots. Check the game's displayed amounts and rules for the version being played.
Sources
Official publisher and support information checked .
- Lightning Shenlong — Lightning Box
- Lightning Shenlong game help, rules version 2 — SG Digital
- Lightning Shenlong release announcement — Lightning Box