Beat the Beast: Kraken’s Lair review
The first in a series of five highly volatile slots from Thunderkick, each featuring ferocious beasts (and big payouts) to conquer. Kraken’s Lair features wilds, expanding wins and free spins and a 7,777x top payout.
RATING: 8.3
GAME PROFILE
Supplier
Thunderkick
Release Date
02/2020
RTP
96.12%
Variance
High
Payout Potential
7,777x
Stakes
25p to £40
Reels
5
Rows
3
Features
Expanding Wilds, Free Spins
WHERE CAN I PLAY Beat the Beast: Kraken’s Lair?
Up To £300 Bonus
And 300 NetEnt Spins
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, New Players Only, £10 Min Deposit, £5 max bet using bonus. 40x wagering applies. Bonus valid for 14 days. 30 Spins on pre-selected games will be credited instantly + then 30 per day for 9 days. Free Spins valid for 72 hours from credit. Max Free Spins winnings £100. Skrill + Neteller exlcluded. Always refer to bonus terms. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
100% Up To £100
And 10% Lifetime Cashback
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, Welcome Bonus for New Players Only, Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100, Min deposit is £20, No max cashout, Wagering is 35x bonus, Maximum bet while playing with a bonus is £5, Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse, cashback is cash with no restrictions, Skrill and Neteller deposits excluded, Cashback applies to deposits where no bonus is included. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
100% up to £100
And 10% Cashback On All Deposits
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, New customers only, min deposit £20, wagering 35x, max bet £5 with bonus funds. Max bonus is 100% up to £100. No max cash out on deposit offers. Welcome bonus excluded for players depositing with Skrill or Neteller. Cashback is cash with no restriction. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
100% Up To £400
And 50 Bonus Spins
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, New players only, 1 bonus offer per play. Minimum deposit £20. Max bonus bet is £%. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days otherwise any unused bonus shall be removed. Bonus funds are 100% match up to £400 on your 1st deposit. 40% match up to £3,000 on your second deposit, and 60% match up to £1,500 on your third deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds count towards any wagering requirements. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
100% Up To £100
And 33 Spins on Lights
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, New Players Only, Min Deposit £10, Wagering 45x Bonus, Max Bet £5 With Bonus Funds, Live Casino Play Excluded With Bonus. 100% Up To £100 on 1st Deposit, 50% up to £200 on 2nd Deposit, Welcome Bonus excluded for players depositing with Skrill or Neteller. No Max Cashout on deposit offers. Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
100% Up To £300
And 90 Bonus Spins (Book of Dead)
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, New players only, Min Deposit £20, Bonus spins are valid on Book of Dead only. Bonus funds are 100% up to £300 and separate to cash funds. 35x bonus wagering requirements apply. Only bonus funds count towards wagering requirement. £5 max bet with bonus. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days, spins within 10 days otherwise any unused shall be removed. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
100% Up To £100
And 300 Bonus Spins
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, Full T and Cs Apply. New players Only. £10 min deposit. £5 max bet using bonus. 40 x wagering applies. Bonus valid for 14 days. 30 Spins on Starburst games will be credited per day for 9 days after qualifying deposit/wager is met. Free Spins valid for 72 hours from credit. Max Free Spins winnings £100. Skrill + Neteller excluded. Always refer to Bonus Terms Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
50% Up To £500
And 100 NetEnt Spins
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
New customers only, min deposit £10, wagering 50x, max bet £5 with bonus funds. 11 Free Spins on registration (max withdrawal is £100). 50% up to £499 bonus + 100 Free Spins on 1st deposit. 50% up to £499 bonus on 2nd deposit. No max cash out on deposit offers. Welcome bonus excluded for players depositing with Skrill or Neteller. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
100% Up To £100
And 50 Bonus Spins
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+. New players Only. £10 minimum deposit. 40 x wagering applies. Bonus valid for 14 days. Minimum £5 wager required to activate 50 Free Spins. 10 Free Spins will be credited per day for 5 days after qualifying deposit/wager is met. Free Spins valid for 72 hours from credit. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
Up To 500 Wish Spins
To Play Starburst Slot
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, New customers only, Min deposit £10/£50 (excl. Neteller and Skrill). Claim period is 14 days. Daily spins claim period is 1 day. Winnings from spins 40x wagering within 7 days. Max 500 spins total. Max winnnings on all spins £1,000. Max bet £5. Game weightings apply. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
50 Bonus Spins
No Wagering Requirements
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, first time depositors only. Min deposit £10, Maximum amount of free spins is 50. Free spins valued at £0.10 per spin. Excluding new players in Northern Ireland. OJO’s Reward and Game Play Policy Applies. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
100% Up To £500
Plus 50 Free Spins
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, New customers only. Free spins are valid on the games : Highlander, Game Of Thrones 243 Ways, Immortal Romance, Jurassic World. Bonus split over first 3 deposits. £20 deposit minimums. 30X wagering on deposit + bonus. Slots only. Some slots not allowed. Wagering contributions vary by game. Moving from low to high wagering slots not allowed. Max bet: £5. £5000 max winnings. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
100% Up To £300
100 Zee Spins + 500 Zee Points
SIGNIFICANT TERMS:
18+, New Customers Only, Valid for 15 days after 1st deposit. Min Deposit £20 Max Bonus Bet £5 Winnings from spins capped at £50 First 100 Zee spins 10/day. Spins must be used within 24 hours, Funds within 30 days. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35 wagering (bonus + cash). Game weighting restrictions apply. Terms apply. Begambleaware.org. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org.
WHAT WE LIKE
Class graphics and animations
Expanding wins
Unlimited free spins
For high variance fans
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE
Quite simple gameplay
Tough to unlock big prizes
ABOUT THIS SLOT
In January 2020, the top Swedish game producer, Thunderkick, announced it was releasing a series of FIVE new games in the coming year, each characterized by high variance and featuring a deadly beast of some kind. The idea being, these slots are only for the bravest slots players who are prepared to risk all to beat the beast and land the high value prizes on offer. The first of these games is to be released in February and is called Beat the Beast: Kraken’s Lair.
SYMBOLS AND GRAPHICS
Thunderkick are one of our favourite game studios here at The Casino Heat. Their catalogue includes some of the zaniest and most fun games currently available at casino sites in the UK. And they are no strangers to high variance action either. Past titles like Pink Elephants and The Falcon Huntress are popular games amongst high risk fanatics.
In the first in the Beast series, Thunderkick have brought us a simple game with few features, but the kind of great graphics we’ve come to expect from them. The reel set is displayed against the backdrop of a deep ocean setting, home to the mythical beast of the title. This is a 5×3 reel game, with just 9 fixed paylines.
The low value symbols on the reels are the cards, 10 through to Ace, whilst the premium symbols are represented by a trident, a pendant, a sea chest and two kraken symbols (gold, worth 50x for five on a payline; purple worth 500x for five on a payline).
Look out as well for the Kraken Wild and Scatter symbol that is crucial to winning big in this game.
GAMEPLAY AND FEATURES
Wilds and Expanding Wins
The gold Kraken symbol represents the Wild in this game, substituting for all other symbols bar the scatter. If the Kraken forms part of a winning combination then all winning symbols expand to fill the entire reel they are on, creating more wins.
Scatters and Free Spins
Three or more Kraken’s landing in one spin means they behave as scatters, triggering 10 free spins. In addition, 3, 4 or 5 of the Kraken’s will earn you 2x, 20x or 200x your stake. During free spins ONE Kraken symbol will also be added at random to the reels.
It is also possible to re-trigger the free spins by landing 3 or more scatters during the round, with no limit to how many times this can be done.
OUR VERDICT
Beat the Beast: Kraken’s Lair is a Thunderkick slot through and through, measured by top class graphics and production and a simple but engaging gameplay. For this reason we like it. However, it’s slightly disappointing not to find more creativity in the features as this game won’t measure up against some of the more dynamic slots being produced by rivals like Big Time Gaming. It will be interesting to see how Thunderkick move forward with this new series from here, and if they are willing to push the boat out to make for more varied gameplay. For now though, a solid start.
MORE SLOTS FROM Thunderkick
RTP: 96.5% | VARIANCE: Low
PAYOUT POTENTIAL: 375x
RTP: 96.12% | VARIANCE: High
PAYOUT POTENTIAL: 7,777x
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