Duo Fu Duo Cai Slots Part 2 – A Guide to the Series, from 88 Fortunes to Grand
Duo Fu Duo Cai has grown by adding new games for over 10 years. This guide covers each game’s free spins and features by generation, from the original four and the 88 Fortunes spin-offs to the Super and Grand series.
Key takeaways
- The original four differ in their free spins. 88 Fortunes removes card symbols, 5 Treasures lets you choose symbols, Diamond Eternity uses multipliers, and Dancing Drums lets you choose the reel size.
- The Super series is a remake led by the Wealth Pot, and was introduced as a non-progressive version.
- The Grand series, unveiled in 2023, adds two Wealth Pots, a 5-level jackpot, and a golden wild upgrade pick.
Duo Fu Duo Cai has grown by adding new games for over 10 years. The jackpot structure is the same, but the games on the reels, especially the free spins, are all different. Part 2 is a guide to the Duo Fu Duo Cai family, organized by generation. It covers the key points of each game in order: the original four, the Super series, and the Grand series.
Generation 1 – The Original Four (2012-2014)
All of them share 5 reels, 243 ways, All Up, gold symbols, and the 4-level Fu Baby jackpot. The differences come in the free spins.
88 Fortunes
The face of the series, debuting in 2012. The wild is a golden Fu Bat that appears only on reels 2, 3, and 4. When 3 or more Gong symbols line up from the left, 10 free spins begin, and more Gongs during the feature add extra spins. In the free spins, the card symbols from A to 9 are removed, so the reels are filled only with high-paying lucky symbols.
Its strength is its simplicity, with nothing to choose. If you’re new to Duo Fu Duo Cai, 88 Fortunes is the safest pick. The online version is listed at 96% RTP and medium volatility.
5 Treasures
A twin game that debuted alongside 88 Fortunes. Three or more bonus symbols start 6 free spins, and before they begin you choose one high-paying symbol yourself. The chosen symbol is added to each reel during the free spins. The higher the payout of a symbol, the fewer are added, and the lower the payout, the more are added. The structure lets the player decide between going for one big hit or hitting often. Turning on all the gold symbols raises the number of options you can choose from to 5.
Diamond Eternity
The third game, which joined in 2013. When a sparkling diamond symbol drops, a wild multiplier is applied to any win that includes that diamond. Free spins come in 8 rounds, and a multiplier is attached right from the start. Rather than steady hits, this game offers the thrill of one diamond sending a win soaring. On some cabinets it is paired with 5 Treasures in a single machine.
Dancing Drums
The fourth game, released in October 2014. Three drum symbols start the free spins, and you choose the number of spins and the reel size yourself. At first reveal there were three options.
- 15 spins, 3 rows, 243 ways
- 10 spins, 4 rows, 1,024 ways
- 5 spins, 5 rows, 3,125 ways
The fewer the spins, the bigger the reels. If you plan to sit for a long time, pick 15 spins, and if you want short and intense play, pick 5. Some later versions add 3 spins on 6 rows with 7,776 ways, plus a random pick. If 2 more drums land during the free spins, 3 extra spins are added.
88 Fortunes spin-off versions
88 Fortunes was so popular that it branched off into its own spin-offs.
- 88 Fortunes Diamond: a random multiplier of up to 88x on wins that include a diamond wild
- 88 Fortunes Dollars: for high-stakes betting. In free spins you pick one of three scenarios to receive a multiplier
- Fortune 3: a multi-game machine where you choose from three games including 88 Fortunes
Flower of Riches, released around the same time, features an expanding wild: when a wild drops, the entire reel turns wild.
Generation 2 – Super Duo Fu Duo Cai
The Super series, released in the Scientific Games era, is a refreshed version of the original popular titles. It consists of four games: Super 88 Fortunes, Super 5 Treasures, Super Diamond Eternity, and Super Flower of Riches.
The biggest change is the ‘Wealth Pot.’ The treasure jar at the top of the screen became a new symbol, while the reel ways and All Up system carried over. Unlike the original, the Super series was introduced as non-progressive rather than a linked progressive. This means multiple machines do not grow a shared pot, and each machine can operate independently. A 1-cent low-stakes version and a high-stakes version were released together, so casinos could choose to suit their customers.
Generation 3 – Grand Duo Fu Duo Cai (2023-)
The newest generation, unveiled by Light & Wonder in 2023. It comes in the Kascada cabinet with dual 27-inch screens, the Wealth Pots have increased to two, and the jackpot has grown to 5 levels. A ‘Fortune’ jackpot has been added on top of the existing four levels.
Golden wild and upgrade pick
Grand’s new jackpot feature depends on the wild color. A red wild leads to the familiar Fu Baby pick with 12 gold coins. A golden wild goes through an upgrade choice first. If ‘Double Pick’ comes up, you receive two jackpots, and if ‘Prize Upgrade’ comes up, the Mini drops out and the Fortune jackpot comes in. Thanks to a persistent wild that stays on the reels for several spins, you also get one more jackpot chance.
Ingotcha
A Hold & Spin game about collecting gold ingots. Six or more bonus or wild symbols start the ‘Bèi Bèi Gāo’ feature, and each time a new coin lands, the remaining spins reset. Filling an entire reel with coins earns a multiplier spin, and filling all 15 positions wins the Fortune jackpot.
Dragons
In the free spins, you choose one of six options that combine the number of spins and the number of wilds. It takes the ‘choose your free spins’ formula from Dancing Drums and applies it to wilds. Free spins range from 3 to 15, and the guaranteed number of wilds differs for each option.
In one line
- For simple play: 88 Fortunes
- If you want to design your own free spins: 5 Treasures, Dancing Drums, Dragons
- If you’re chasing one big multiplier: Diamond Eternity
- If you want the latest features and a 5-level jackpot: Grand Ingotcha
In Part 3, we cover what’s worth knowing when you actually sit down at a Duo Fu Duo Cai machine, in Q&A form.
Next: Duo Fu Duo Cai Slots Part 3 – Q&A on What to Know Before Your First Time Sitting Down at a Casino
Previous: Duo Fu Duo Cai Slots Part 1 – The Birth of Asia’s Top Casino Slot and Its 4-Level Jackpot
Sources: Light & Wonder product pages, Inside Asian Gaming, Indian Gaming, WGM8, Know Your Slots