PG Soft — Pocket Games Soft — is the studio that made portrait-orientation slots a category. Where almost every other provider builds slots in landscape format designed for desktop, PG Soft builds in portrait, designed for the phone in your hand. If you've played a slot on your phone and thought "this actually feels right," it was probably a PG Soft game.
This page covers who PG Soft is, what makes their games different, their top titles, and how to spot a genuine PG Soft game versus a clone.
What sets PG Soft apart: nearly every PG Soft slot runs in portrait mode — the phone is held upright, not sideways. This isn't a gimmick. It changes the reel layout, the way bonus features are presented, and the overall feel of the game. For players who play primarily on mobile, PG Soft titles feel noticeably more natural than landscape slots squeezed onto a phone screen.
What this page covers
1. Who PG Soft is
PG Soft is a game development studio founded in 2015 with studios in Malta and Singapore. From the start, they built exclusively for mobile — not "mobile-friendly" like other providers, but mobile-native. Portrait orientation, touch-optimised controls, and reel layouts designed for a phone screen rather than a desktop monitor.
They license their games to operators across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. In the Philippines, PG Soft titles are a standard part of the slot catalogue at every major licensed platform, and their top games (Fortune Tiger, Fortune Ox) are among the most played slots in the country.
2. Why portrait-orientation matters
Standard slot design: 5 reels across, 3 rows down, displayed in landscape. This layout comes from land-based machines and was carried over to desktop screens when online casinos launched. It works fine on a desktop but becomes cramped and awkward on a phone — small symbols, hard-to-read paylines, and controls that require a two-handed grip.
PG Soft's approach: 5 reels stacked vertically, designed to be read top-to-bottom on a portrait phone screen. Symbols are larger, paylines are clearer, and the game is played one-handed, the way you actually use your phone.
What this changes in practice
- Bigger symbols — easier to read on small screens, and the visual design carries more weight
- Cleaner bonus presentation — free spins and bonus rounds are staged as full-screen vertical animations, not cramped into a side panel
- One-handed play — spin button, bet controls, and info are all reachable with a thumb
- Consistent layout — because PG Soft controls the format, every title feels familiar once you've learned one
Not every PG Soft game is portrait-only. Some titles support landscape as an option, and a few are landscape-only. But portrait-first is their signature, and it's the design choice that players associate with the studio.
3. PG Soft's catalogue
PG Soft's catalogue runs to well over 150 slots, with new titles released regularly. The signature characteristics across the catalogue:
- Portrait-orientation design — most titles are vertical mobile-first
- Asian themes — dragons, tigers, gods, legends, gold, and luck dominate the visual style
- Medium-to-high volatility — most titles sit between 4 and 5 on a 5-point scale
- RTPs of 96% – 97% — PG Soft publishes their RTPs and they're among the more player-friendly in the industry
- Clean, polished visuals — high production values, smooth animations, and strong audio design
- Innovative bonus mechanics — PG Soft is known for trying new bonus structures rather than cloning the standard free spins format
4. Top PG Soft titles
Fortune Tiger Flagship
PG Soft's most-played title and one of the most popular online slots in the Philippines. A 3-reel, 3-row portrait slot themed around a golden tiger and traditional Chinese imagery. Simple layout, high volatility, and a signature bonus feature: land three tiger symbols and each position on the reels spins independently to multiply your win, with potential multipliers stacking up to 2,500x. The game is unusually fast — rounds resolve in a couple of seconds — which suits the mobile-first format perfectly.
Fortune Ox Popular
Fortune Tiger's sibling — same 3x3 format, same "spin each position independently" bonus mechanic, but themed around an ox and traditional Chinese wealth symbols. Slightly different volatility profile, with maximum wins that can reach 5,000x. Popular with players who like Fortune Tiger but want a change of theme.
Wild Bandito Popular
Mexican Day of the Dead-themed slot in PG Soft's portrait format. 5 reels, 4 rows, 1024 ways to win. Medium-high volatility, with a bonus round that expands symbols and stacks multipliers. One of PG Soft's most atmospheric titles, and a favourite among players who want something visually different from the Asian-themed catalogue.
Fortune Dragon Popular
Dragon-themed portrait slot with the same general format as Fortune Tiger but a different bonus structure. Land three scatters to trigger a free spins round where multipliers accumulate. Medium volatility, more frequent smaller wins than Fortune Tiger.
Ganesha Fortune Popular
Hindu-themed slot featuring the elephant god Ganesha. 5x3 reels with 20 paylines, medium-high volatility. Known for smooth gameplay and a bonus round with expanding wilds and multipliers. Popular with players who enjoy PG Soft's mystical-theme titles.
Mahjong Ways Series
A series of Mahjong-themed slots — Mahjong Ways, Mahjong Ways 2, Mahjong Ways 3 — that have become some of PG Soft's most-played games in Asia. 5x4 reels, 1024 ways to win, with a bonus round built around multiplier accumulation. Combines the familiarity of Mahjong symbols with modern slot mechanics. High volatility with large max win potential.
Dragon Hatch High volatility
Dragon egg-themed slot with a distinctive "hatching" mechanic in the bonus round. Medium-high volatility, with multipliers that grow across free spins. Popular with players who want something more complex than the 3x3 Fortune series but still mobile-first.
Other notable PG Soft titles: Fortune Snake, Lucky Neko, Rise of Apollo, Emperor's Favour, and Caishen Wins.
5. Volatility, RTP, and how PG Soft games play
PG Soft sits in a slightly different profile than JILI — less extreme volatility, more consistent hit frequency, similar max win potential. The signature 3x3 titles (Fortune Tiger, Fortune Ox, Fortune Dragon) run very fast rounds but have bursty outcomes. The 5-reel titles (Mahjong Ways, Wild Bandito, Ganesha Fortune) have longer round times with more traditional bonus-round pacing.
| Characteristic | PG Soft | JILI Games |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility | Medium to high | High to very high |
| Hit frequency | Moderate | Lower |
| RTP | 96% – 97% typical | 94% – 97% typical |
| Round time | Fast on 3x3 titles, standard on 5-reel | Standard |
| Signature format | Portrait, mobile-first | Landscape, desktop-and-mobile |
| Themes | Asian mythology, cultural, global | Asian mythology, fishing, arcade |
What this means in practice: PG Soft games tend to feel smoother than JILI games. Fewer dead spins, more small wins along the way, and the big hits come at a reasonable rate. This is a generalisation — individual titles vary — but PG Soft is generally the better choice for players who want a more even session experience, while JILI is the better choice for players chasing the biggest possible multiplier outcomes.
Practical advice: if you're new to PG Soft, start with Fortune Tiger or Fortune Dragon — the mechanics are simple and the rounds are quick. If you want something with more depth, Mahjong Ways or Wild Bandito have longer bonus rounds and more intricate bonus mechanics.
6. How to verify you're playing real PG Soft games
PG Soft is one of the more cloned providers — their top titles are widely copied by unlicensed operators who adjust the math. Three checks:
- Check the info panel. Genuine PG Soft games have an "info" or "i" button that shows rules, paytable, and RTP. If there's no info panel, be cautious.
- Check the RTP. PG Soft publishes their RTPs — most titles certify at 96.7% or higher. Fortune Tiger, for example, is 96.81%. If a "Fortune Tiger" game shows 92% or lower, it's either a clone or a modified version.
- Check the provider listing. Real PG Soft games appear under the "PG Soft" or "Pocket Games Soft" category in the game lobby. Their games also have a consistent UI — the info panel, the spin button placement, and the general interface design follow the same pattern across titles.
Warning sign: a platform that lists PG Soft games but whose "PG Soft" titles run in landscape format, don't have the standard PG Soft info panel, or show RTPs below 96%. These are all signals that the games are unauthorised copies with adjusted math. Play elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Portrait-orientation mobile slots. PG Soft was the first major provider to build slots designed for a phone held upright, and it's still the studio most associated with that format. Their top titles are Fortune Tiger, Fortune Ox, and the Mahjong Ways series.
Because most players now play on phones. Landscape format was inherited from land-based machines and desktop screens and becomes awkward on a phone. Portrait format lets PG Soft use bigger symbols, cleaner layouts, and one-handed controls — which suits how people actually hold their phones.
Fortune Tiger, by a wide margin. It's one of the most played online slots in the Philippines and one of the most played PG Soft titles globally. Fortune Ox and Wild Bandito are close behind.
PG Soft titles certify at 96% to 97% RTP, and the exact value is shown in the game's info panel. This is above the industry average — many providers sit at 94% to 96%. If a PG Soft game shows a significantly lower RTP on a platform, it's a warning sign that the game may be a clone or a modified version.
Medium to high, generally. Most PG Soft titles sit at 4 out of 5 on the volatility scale. This is slightly lower than JILI's typical profile, which means PG Soft slots tend to have more frequent smaller wins and shorter dry spells. Both profiles are valid — the right choice depends on how you like to play.
Check the info panel — real PG Soft games show rules, paytable, and RTP. Verify the RTP matches the expected value for that title (96%+ for most titles). And confirm the game appears under the "PG Soft" category in the game lobby. If any of those are missing, treat the game as unauthorised.
No. PG Soft focuses entirely on slots. For live casino, look at Evolution, SA Gaming, DG Gaming, or one of the other live casino specialists.
Fortune Tiger or Fortune Dragon. Both use a simple 3x3 layout with straightforward mechanics, and rounds resolve quickly. Once you're comfortable with those, Mahjong Ways and Wild Bandito offer more depth without being overwhelming.
Explore other providers
CQ9, Evolution, and Pragmatic Play — the other major providers on Philippine platforms.
This article is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and is not a recommendation of any specific operator or provider. Online gaming involves financial risk. Only participate on platforms you have independently verified as licensed, and only with money you can afford to lose. 21+.