Hazakura Ways (Relax Gaming) Slot Review

Hazakura Ways: Slot Overview

Hazakura Ways is a Japanese-themed video slot developed by Relax Gaming and released on January 25, 2022. The game transports players to the hills of Japan during the Hazakura season, where cherry blossom petals fall and new green leaves emerge, guarded by samurai symbols and treasures. It features a 6-reel, 4-row grid with 4096 ways to win, employing a ways-to-win mechanic where matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left trigger payouts. Designed for high-volatility enthusiasts seeking substantial payouts up to a 50,000x maximum win, it appeals to players who enjoy feature-rich gameplay with expanding symbols and bonus buys, playable across mobiles, tablets, and desktops.

Design and Graphics

Hazakura Ways boasts a visually immersive Japanese aesthetic, set against a backdrop of rolling hills featuring a traditional large house amid cherry trees in the Hazakura phase—pink blossoms gently falling while green leaves sprout. The atmosphere is enhanced by calming yet evocative background music that intensifies during wins. The 6×4 reel grid is framed elegantly, with smooth animations for symbol expansions and tumbles. Low-paying symbols include card suits represented as diamonds, clubs, spades, hearts, and stars, offering 1x to 2x the bet for six-of-a-kind. Premium symbols depict thematic elements: a samurai sword (3x for six), a rose-decorated dagger (up to 10x), a poised samurai (up to 20x), and the fortune-seeking girl (50x for six). The wild appears as a blooming flower with “wild” text, and the scatter is a glowing sky lantern. Graphics are high-quality, with fluid petal-fall effects and sharp, detailed artwork that maintains clarity on all devices, contributing to an engaging, serene yet tense visual experience.

Hazakura Ways slot – base game

Gameplay Mechanics

The core setup consists of 6 reels and 4 rows, providing 4096 ways to win. Wins form by landing three or more identical symbols on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel, with payouts scaling based on symbol count and type—up to 50x the bet for six premium girl symbols. The wild symbol, depicted as a blooming flower, substitutes for all pay symbols except scatters to complete winning combinations. There are no traditional paylines; instead, the ways mechanic evaluates all possible paths dynamically. Base game flow involves standard spins, potentially interrupted by the Random Feature, where a special symbol is selected at random and expands downward across the reels. Expanded symbols pay regardless of adjacency, provided the required count lands, boosting win potential. The Mega Bet option increases the stake by 50% (wins calculated on base bet) to heighten chances of triggering the Random Feature or Free Spins, and ensures wilds expand during those modes. Hit frequency stands at 29.75%, aligning with the high-volatility profile for infrequent but potentially large payouts.

Bonus Features

Hazakura Ways offers a suite of features centered on expanding mechanics and accessibility options. The Wild Symbol substitutes for pay symbols (except scatters) and expands during Mega Bet-activated Free Spins or Random Features.

The Mega Bet costs 50% more than the base stake (e.g., €0.15 for €0.10 base, up to €30 max), elevating the probability of Random Feature or Free Spins triggers while enabling wild expansions in those modes—payouts remain based on the original bet.

Hazakura Ways slot – bonus buy

Free Spins activates with 3-6 scatter sky lanterns, awarding 10, 15, 20, or 25 spins respectively. A special expanding symbol is chosen pre-round, expanding downward upon landing (non-adjacent positions allowed for wins if count suffices). Retriggers via 3+ scatters grant 10 additional spins each time. Wilds expand here if Mega Bet was active.

The Random Feature can trigger spontaneously in the base game (more likely with Mega Bet), selecting a special symbol that expands downward like in Free Spins, creating cluster wins without adjacency requirements.

Bonus Buy allows direct Free Spins access for 80x the bet (e.g., €8 for €0.10 stake). Combining with Mega Bet adds 50% cost (total 120x) for expanding wilds during the round. RTP rises to 97.00% with Bonus Buy.

These features interconnect seamlessly, with expansions driving volatility and high-win potential through oversized symbol coverage.

Betting Options and Payouts

Hazakura Ways slot – bonus buy

Betting ranges from a minimum of €0.10 to a standard maximum of €20, extendable to €30 via Mega Bet. The RTP is 96.37% in standard play, increasing to 97.00% with Bonus Buy. Classified as high volatility, it delivers a 29.75% hit frequency, favoring larger, less frequent wins up to a staggering 50,000x stake—potentially €1,500,000 at max bet. Payouts emphasize premium symbols and expansions; six girl symbols pay 50x, amplified exponentially in features. No max win probability or bonus frequency data is specified, but the structure supports extreme outcomes via full-reel expansions and retriggers. The paytable scales linearly with bet size, ensuring proportional returns across levels.

Hazakura Ways slot – super bonus buy

Conclusion

Hazakura Ways excels in its thematic immersion and feature synergy, with downward-expanding symbols and Mega Bet enhancements delivering high-volatility thrills and a 50,000x potential that rivals top slots. Strengths include the 96.37% RTP, versatile betting up to €30, and Bonus Buy for instant access, alongside smooth cross-device performance. Weaknesses may lie in its familiarity to book-style mechanics fans, potentially less innovative for veterans, and reliance on random selections for peak payouts amid high volatility dry spells. Players can test the slot risk-free using the built-in demo available on this page. Overall, it stands as a solid, visually captivating option for samurai-themed high-stakes chasers from Relax Gaming, balancing serene design with explosive win potential.