Viking Runecraft

Developed by Play' n GO, this new online slot is inspired by Asgard's mighty gods and the Norse people's rich mythology. In this game, players will meet some of the most formidable mythical deities in their quest to collect a sizeable treasure trove of golden riches. The action of this slot is played out on a 7x7 matrix with a cluster pays mechanic in action. This means that rather than scoring wins conventionally (across pay lines), players need to land matching clusters of symbols together to score wins. The RTP for this game is 96.71%, and the volatility rating is at the high end of the spectrum. Viking Runecraft is available on mobile, tablet and desktop platforms.

Viking Runecraft Overview

The featured content for this game begins with a cascading reel dynamic. This means that every time you score a win, all of the winning symbols are removed and replaced by a new set of symbols which filter down into the empty spaces. Next on the features list is the Gifts of the Gods feature, activated randomly after some non-winning spins. If triggered, it will automatically trigger one of four modifiers to improve the value of your spins. You'll also notice that throughout this game, each win you find will charge a meter located to the side of the reels. When full, one of another four modifiers will be triggered to help score more prize money. Finally, there is also a Runes of Valhalla and Ragnarök feature. All bonus content will be explained in more detail later in the review.

Viking Runecraft Theme and Symbols

The theme for this game is Norse Mythology. Norse mythology is a collection of myths and legends originating from ancient Scandinavian and Germanic cultures. It features a pantheon of gods, goddesses, legendary creatures and heroes, many of which are still known today through popular culture. The main gods include Odin, Thor, Freyja, and Loki. The stories centre around themes of creation, death, and the struggle between order and chaos. A significant event in Norse mythology is Ragnarök, the end of the world, which was ultimately a rebirth of a new world order. These myths have had a lasting impact on western culture and have continued to influence popular imagination and storytelling, including the online slot gaming industry, for some time.

The background for this game is a heavenly plain of existence between the mortal world of Midgard and Asgard, the realm of the gods. Perhaps it is a limbo of sorts where souls go and wait to be judged. Alternatively, thanks to the cold blues used in the image, this could be a depiction of the frozen wastelands of the ice giants, the sworn foes of the gods of Asgard. The game doesn't provide any clues as to where this image is supposed to be. Either way, the image is a beautiful one. The playing board for this game is a structureless matrix of symbols stacked on top of each other.

The symbols are split into low-paying, high-paying and special symbols. The low-paying symbols are four runes green, purple, blue, gold and red. The red rune is the most valuable, worth 50x the stake for the top combination. The more valuable icons are the anchor, the axe, the helmet and Thor's hammer. The hammer is the most valuable of these icons, worth 1,000x the stake. The special symbols for this game are the four different gold wilds, each displaying a different pattern.

Game Play

Viking Runecraft is played on a 7-reel, 7-row cluster pays machine. To win combinations, players must land five or more horizontally or vertically aligning symbols in a cluster. The betting range for Viking Runecraft is 10p to £100 per spin. To adjust their bet levels, players can toggle their stakes up and down using the tool located at the bottom left-hand side of the screen.

Further information, including a short tutorial and a display of the paytable, can be found via the menu button in the right-hand corner of the screen. The spin and auto spin buttons are located in the centre of the screen. Volatility for this slot is rated in the high range. The return-to-player percentage of Viking Runecraft is 96.71%, which is above average. The biggest payout that players can win on one spin is 5,000x the stake.

Viking Runecraft Features

The first feature to discuss here is the cascading reel dynamic. This dynamic means that every time a winning cluster is found, the comprising symbols are removed from the reels and replaced by a new set which files into the vacant positions of the previous icons. This gives players more chances to score wins from the same spin.

Next, you'll notice that sometimes after a non-winning spin, the game might activate the Gift of the Gods feature. This feature provides one of the four reel modifiers: Thor (five to nine extra Wilds), Odin (2x2 groups of Wilds), Freya (four clusters of Wilds), or Heimdall (one wild added on each row). Furthermore, any win found in this game will charge the meter to the side of the playing matrix. You will play one of four special Charge of Destruction bonus features when full. These are as follows:

• One - Fury of Fenrir feature: Four diagonal lines of symbols are slashed; two lines are removed, with the other two lines of symbols becoming the same symbol.
• Two - Judgement of Jörmungand feature: a selection of symbols is destroyed in an unbroken path from one end of the grid to another. The symbols on the path are transformed into the same randomly chosen symbol.
• Three- Scorching of Surtr feature: 3 symbols are set on fire, with the fire spreading to a random number of nearby symbols with those symbols destroyed. In the burning cluster, a core of new symbols appears, each the same to give you a win.
• Four - Lure of Loki feature: 2 symbols are chosen. One of them (all other instances) are removed from the grid – the other symbol is then transformed into another symbol.

Once you have played this feature, you will then be able to access the Ragnarök feature. After playing one of the above bonus features, it is possible to charge up the meter again. When you get one charge following playing one of the features above, you will play the Ragnarök feature, where you will get one free spin. You can also access the feature by double-charging the charge meter.

During the Ragnarök feature, the Charge of Destruction transforms into the End of the World Bonus meter. If you get wins on enough symbols during the feature, you will be rewarded with a win multiplier. Twenty symbols give you a 2x multiplier with a 3x multiplier for 40 symbols. Sixty symbols give you a 5x multiplier, and 80 symbols reward you with a 15x multiplier on your wins. Now, if you get no more wins in the Ragnarök feature, 1one of the Charge of Destruction features comes into play. The feature only ends when all Charge of Destruction features have played out once each.

Furthermore, Viking Runecraft comes with four different Gods. To see the Gods, you need to clear patterns of each God. To clear a pattern, you must form wins on the specified grid positions. If you remove a pattern, you move to the next level, where you'll meet another God. Finally, this game also has a feature called Runes of Valhalla. All winning symbols will grow the Runes of Valhalla Bonus feature. There are up to 5 different Rune stone symbol-winning combos to be formed. You'll trigger the feature if you collect at least one Rune Stone symbol combination and clear the currently active pattern. You then get to spin a wheel where you hit any field with an active and lit rune to win the corresponding bonus amount. The more symbols you collect, the better your chances of winning the bonus.

Conclusion

This game's feature content and playing experience are unlike anything we have seen before, yet it is typical of Play' n GO to go the extra mile and create something superior to other free slots in the market. If you love Norse mythology and online slots, this is about as good as it gets. The level of quality combined with genuinely exciting prizes and winning potential here is unrivalled compared to other products in this industry. All in all, this is a home run for Play' n GO.