Japanese Mask Review: Innovative Mechanics, Unsettling Graphics, and a Terrific Bonus Round

Review Setup

Japanese Mask is an innovative online slot from Habanero. Habanero released this highly volatile slot in February 2025.

The Malta-based company is renowned for creating innovative 3D slots, with a strong focus on Asian-themed games. Japanese Mask certainly is a worthy addition to the fold. It does not have traditional reels or paylines. The grid features 27 spaces, but 12 of them are locked. The spaces are arranged in jagged diagonal patterns. All symbols pay in diagonal, horizontal, or vertical paths, starting from any position, provided they appear in succession and stay in a single direction. This is known as “Hexapays.”

This online slot has an above average return to player (RTP) rate. It’s a highly volatile game, with a maximum win of 4,825x your bet. I was particularly pleased to find a bonus buy option, which allows players to access the bonus round immediately.

In this Japanese Mask review, I’ll discuss the game’s unique Hexapays mechanic, along with the various bonus features. I will also evaluate the graphics, the role of sound, the risk-reward balance, and the overall quality of the game.

First Impressions with Japanese Mask

I was immediately captivated by the unusual grid shape and aesthetics when I fired up the Japanese Mask slot for the first time. Most online slots have neat, orderly reels and rows, but this game offers an innovative Hexapays mechanic. There are lots of diagonal lines, and the symbols are also strange. To be honest, I found some of the images a little disconcerting, especially the blood red Japanese text on the locked gray symbols. The milieu seemed foreboding, with menacing dark clouds in the background. However, it certainly captured my imagination, and it made me keen to get started.

As is often the case with Habanero slots, setting your bet size isn’t exactly straightforward. You cannot simply choose a monetary amount and hit play. Instead, you need to adjust your bet level and your coin size, which will dictate your overall stake per spin.

Once I had sorted that out, I spun the reels for the first time, and the symbols plunged down the screen at a rapid pace. I began my session with a losing streak, which didn’t exactly endear me to the game, but the innovative features made me happy to keep spinning.

Visuals and Presentation: 4.5/5

Japanese Mask offers an interesting, if slightly unnerving, visual experience. Traditional Noh masks have been used in Japanese theater since the 7th century. They portray various folklore characters, including demons and ghosts.

Habanero has faithfully recreated some of the most terrifying masks, including a pale ghost with a red bob haircut and a demon baring its fangs. The designers have also created a dark, atmospheric background, which adds to the air of menace. If you trigger the bonus round, fierce warrior beasts appear on either side of the grid, beating drums. They look spectacular.

The animations also work well. I enjoyed the cascading reels and the way the extra symbols unlocked.

Overall, I was impressed by the visuals and presentation of Japanese Mask.

The Role of Sound: 4.5/5

Sound plays an important role in this game. The traditional Japanese background music is on point, and it adds to the sense of actually watching a performance at the theater. When you spin the reels, drums begin to beat, and it sounds a bit like thunder rumbling in the dark night sky.

The sound effects are similarly excellent. You will hear various musical flourishes when you secure a winning combination, as the winning symbols vanish, new symbols cascade down in their place, and extra spaces on the grid are unlocked. Birds occasionally chirp in the background too, which is a nice touch.

During the bonus round, the music becomes more dramatic and upbeat, which heightens the sense of excitement.

All in all, the soundtrack combines perfectly with the visuals to create a sense of drama and intrigue.

Gameplay Journey: 4/5

I didn’t have a great deal of luck when playing the base game. However, I managed to rack up some large wins after activating the bonus buy feature, which helped me eke out a narrow profit.

Here’s how my journey played out:

• I set my “Bet Level” to 1 and my “Coin” size to 0.20, which left me with a stake of $2 per spin, and I hit the play button. In my first 15 spins, I only won once, and that was a mere $0.50. That was disappointing, but it’s to be expected on a highly volatile slot, so I kept spinning.
• After another 15 spins, I earned a “Big Win” of $24, which helped me stay motivated. I was also starting to benefit from the tumbling reels feature. That often allowed me to secure multiple wins from a single spin. I then earned a $54 win, which left me up by $16.40 for my session.
• By the time I had spun the reels 65 times, I was up by $11.80. However, I still hadn’t managed to trigger the bonus round, so I decided it was time to activate the bonus buy feature. It cost me $59.80, and I received five free spins. A Japanese temple appeared on the screen, the grid expanded, and I began the round. Unfortunately, I won just $2, which was really disappointing.
• I activated it again to see if my luck would improve. This time I triggered an extra eight free spins, taking my total to 13 spins. I secured a couple of “Big Wins,” and I won a total of $100.40. I was happy with that, as I earned more than the cost of activating the feature.
• However, I was still down by $5.40 at this point, so I bought the bonus feature once more. This time I only won $14, which left me with an overall loss of $51.20.
• On my fourth attempt, I triggered an extra eight free spins and landed a “Big Win” and a “Mega Win.” I earned a total of $181.40 from my 13 free spins, leaving me with an overall profit of $70.40. That seemed like a good time to take a break.
• A couple of hours later, I returned to the Japanese Mask slot. This time I played on my phone, and the graphics still looked sharp. Once again, I started by playing the base game for $2 per spin. I didn’t have much luck. I earned a couple of “Big Wins,” but there were also some lengthy losing streaks.
• After spinning the reels 200 times, I was down by $57.80 for my second session, although still in a slight profit overall. I still hadn’t been able to trigger the bonus round, so I tried the “Super Bet” feature to see if it would help. That doubled my bet size per spin to $4. However, I still couldn’t land three scatters, and I was left with a loss of $106.20 for my second session, so I abandoned the “Super Bet” option and decided to simply buy the bonus feature again. I only won $15, which was a little discouraging.
• That left me down $151 for the session and $80.60 overall. I bought the bonus feature again, and this time I earned an extra eight free spins. That helped me win $105.60.
• A pattern was developing. I kept alternating between disappointing bonus rounds and lucrative bonus rounds. It underscored the importance of triggering extra free spins. By now, I had slashed my overall losses to just $34.80 overall, but I was still hoping to land a bigger win. After all, the maximum win is 4,825x your bet on this slot. I bought the bonus feature, and this time I triggered 13 extra spins. This helped me earn $189.60, including a “Big Win” and a “Mega Win.” It put me up by $95 over both sessions. That encouraged me to activate it again. I earned an extra eight free spins, but won just $14.60.
• The next time I activated the feature, I retriggered and won a total of $64. I decided to try again, but I won only $4.60. I was now down by $1.20 overall, so I activated it one last time. I gained an extra eight free spins, and I won $67.80. That left me in profit by the princely sum of $6.80 (after wagering $1,802), so I decided to end my session.

Bonus Features Through My Eyes: 4.5/5

Japanese Mask is an innovative slot which offers a few interesting bonus features. This section explains how they work, and I’ve also discussed their impact on my gameplay journey.

Balancing Risk and Reward: 4.5/5

Japanese Mask should appeal to players that enjoy highly volatile slots. You are likely to endure losing streaks during the base game, but this online slot also offers the potential for large payouts. Essentially, it’s a game that rewards patience.

A maximum win of 4,825x your bet is pretty good, although some players may expect larger potential rewards in exchange for the high volatility rate. The RTP rate is above average too, so I was happy with the overall risk-reward rate. As mentioned above, I didn’t have much luck during the base game, but I found the bonus round highly rewarding.

The Good and Bad of Japanese Mask

I enjoyed the Japanese Mask slot, despite my initial reservations. However, I also identified a few areas that could be better. Here are the key pros and cons of Japanese Mask.

Final Thoughts on Japanese Mask

I would highly recommend playing Japanese Mask. It’s great to see a software provider ripping up the rulebook, pushing boundaries, and experimenting with new mechanics. If you’re bored of the uniform 5-reel video slots at online casinos, Japanese Mask may well be the perfect antidote

That said, it won’t appeal to players that like small, regular wins. This is a high volatility slot, aimed at players that enjoy chasing substantial payouts.

As for me, I’ll definitely return to Japanese Mask, as I enjoyed the format, the graphics, the soundtrack, and the animations. However, I’ll avoid the “Super Bet” feature next time, and I will also consider circumventing the base game and buying the bonus feature right away.

Final Score: 4.5/5