Finn and the Dragon Tales (NetEnt) Slot Review

Finn and the Dragon Tales: Slot Overview 

The ever-charming leprechaun Finn returns in NetEnt’s latest fantasy-flavored slot, Finn and the Dragon Tales, released on April 1, 2025. This seventh installment in the Finn series marks a notable shift in tone and scale—abandoning candy-coated silliness in favor of dragons, treasure chests, and elemental fantasy. What hasn’t changed is Finn’s trademark swirling reel mechanic, where wins trigger symbols to follow a spiraling path rather than falling top to bottom. 

Built on a 7×7 grid with no traditional paylines, Finn and the Dragon Tales relies on cluster mechanics, avalanches, and transformational features to drive its gameplay. High volatility and an RTP ceiling of 96.04% position this slot for more risk-tolerant players, while multiple feature buy options through the Elevate Bonus Buys system provide added control over volatility. 

Though its max win of 3,828x isn’t mind-blowing by modern standards, Finn and the Dragon Tales aims to balance charm and creativity with a layered gameplay experience that fans of the series—and fantasy themes in general—will likely enjoy.

Design and Graphics 

Visually, Finn and the Dragon Tales is a feast for fantasy fans. NetEnt’s art team has crafted a stunning world of floating islands, lava flows, lush forests, and mystical mountains that shift depending on the game mode or feature. The main grid is carved into ancient stone, with gleaming gemstones and dragon-headed icons filling the spiraling pattern. Each symbol group—Green, Blue, and Red—features distinct elemental aesthetics, while animations like glowing treasure chests, swirling dragon magic, and erupting lava add dynamic flair. Finn himself is back, this time riding a floating stone platform as he steers you through your journey. The dragon-themed motif adds a mythic energy that feels fresh compared to previous installments. 

The interface is smooth, clean, and easy to navigate, despite the game’s complexity. Whether on desktop or mobile, Finn and the Dragon Tales feels polished and modern.

Gameplay Mechanics 

At the heart of the slot lies the spiral grid mechanic, a NetEnt staple unique to the Finn series. Symbols follow a clockwise spiral, beginning in the bottom-left corner and ending in the center. Wins form when three or more matching symbols connect horizontally or vertically, triggering Avalanche mechanics that remove winning symbols and draw in new ones to fill empty spots. 

What sets this slot apart is how wins and Avalanches intertwine with multiple symbol transformations, random wilds, and scatter-based progression. There are no set paylines, and symbol values may seem modest at first glance—between 0.3x and 2.5x for 7-symbol lines—but the game’s depth lies in its features and multipliers. 

Players also encounter Key symbols that move toward the center to trigger free spins and Dragon symbols that transform entire reels, offering a surprising level of interaction for a cluster-based grid slot.

Sound and Music 

The soundtrack is an enchanting orchestral score with Celtic undertones, blending strings, flutes, and the occasional dragon roar. It captures the feel of a fantasy quest without becoming too whimsical or intrusive. As Avalanches occur or Dragon features activate, the music builds tension with subtle flourishes, keeping you immersed in the action. 

Sound effects include magical chimes, crumbling rocks, and satisfying “pops” as clusters dissolve. The attention to auditory detail helps elevate the gameplay and maintains the charm associated with the Finn brand. 

Bonus Features 

This slot is packed with features that expand the core gameplay loop and create meaningful moments of anticipation and reward. Wild Feature 

In the base game, wins of 3 or more symbols that don’t contain a wild will generate one: 

• 3-symbol win → places a wild x1 

• 4-symbol win → places a wild x2 

These wilds substitute for all regular symbols and remain on the board until cleared by a win, adding crucial chaining potential. 

Dragon Feature 

Activated on wins of 5 or more symbols, this spawns a Dragon symbol before the next Avalanche. Dragons come with x1, x2, or x5 multipliers based on the length of the triggering win. All matching color symbols on the grid are transformed into the triggering symbol type, setting up massive cluster potential. 

Random Wilds 

After a scatter win, existing Dragon symbols can place 2 to 4 random wilds onto the reels. These wilds may carry x2, x3, x5, or even x10 multipliers, fueling cascading win potential. They won’t replace Keys, Dragons, or other wilds, keeping the feature balanced but potent. 

Free Spins 

Triggered when the Key symbol reaches the center of the spiral (after Avalanches), the Free Spins round activates with three tiers: 

• Bronze Zone → 5 spins with Green Dragon 

• Silver Zone → 8 spins with Blue Dragon 

• Gold Zone → 10 spins with Red Dragon 

Free Spins begin with a 1x multiplier, which can increase via Treasure Chest bonuses found within rocks: 

• Multiplier Chest → adds x1 to x10 

• Cash Chest → awards 0.25x to 1x 

• Extra Spins Chest → +3 free spins 

• Dragon Chest → summons an extra Dragon symbol for a scatter win transformation 

Each spin starts with the Dragon symbol triggering a grid-wide transformation, creating exciting combos and potential for big payouts. 

Elevate Bonus Buys 

Players can bypass the grind with five bonus buy options: Wild Hunt (5x bet) → Guarantees a win on every spin 

Single/Double Dragon (10x or 50x) → Forces 1 or 2 Dragon symbols 

Free Spins Bronze/Silver/Gold (100x) 

Free Spins with Gold Key Zone (300x) 

These offer direct access to the game’s high-potential features, great for players who prefer concentrated bursts of action.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Betting ranges from €0.20 to €120, offering wide appeal across budget tiers. The RTP is fixed at 96.04%, which is slightly above average, and there are no alternative RTP versions (at least currently announced). 

Payouts may appear underwhelming at first—top symbol clusters return 2.5x for 7 matches—but the slot’s real strength lies in the synergy of Avalanches, wilds, transformations, and multipliers. It’s a slot designed around accumulation and chaining rather than isolated big hits. 

The max win is 3,828x, which is modest compared to modern high-volatility standards. However, it’s a realistic cap, especially achievable during Gold Zone Free Spins with high multipliers in play.

Conclusion 

Finn and the Dragon Tales is a breath of fresh air in the NetEnt catalogue and a significant step up from the divisive Finn and the Candy Spin. With its fantastical setting, expanded feature set, and polished presentation, it breathes new life into a familiar brand. 

The swirling grid system is as compelling as ever, especially when tied to the Dragon transformation mechanics and Elevate Bonus Buys. While its max win of 3,828x won’t draw in ultra-high volatility chasers, it offers a far more consistent and engaging experience than many grid-based slots on the market. 

Casual players will enjoy the lighthearted theme and digestible progression, while seasoned players can use the bonus buy options to seek out peak feature potential. 

Final Verdict: An inventive, visually rich addition to the Finn saga. Light on raw power, but heavy on charm, strategy, and swirl-based fun.