VIKING RUNECRAFT

The Battle of Stamford Bridge in September 1066 is said to have brought the curtains down on the age of Vikings. Those burly powerhouses of fortitude and ruthlessness have since lived on in history books before embarking on the world of slot games just recently.

Play'n GO decided to add to their theme by releasing the Viking Runecraft slot machine — an action-packed game seemingly mirroring the turbulent daily life of the original Vikings. If you're keen on reliving the golden years of Viking civilisation, consult this Viking Runecraft review!

ABOUT THE VIKING RUNECRAFT SLOT 

Play'n GO is certainly no beginner within the world of video slots, and this is very apparent upon first glance at this vibrant game. The backdrop depicts a crevice somewhere in a distant tundra, where some soft snowfall hints at an oncoming blizzard. At the side of the reels is the player's avatar, taking the appearance of one of the Norse gods. As the gameplay progresses, players can upgrade their avatar and unlock special rewards in the process. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is reminiscent of Old School RuneScape, and the runes shuffling up and down on the grid continue to remind us of those bygone rune-crafting days.

GAMEPLAY 

WAGER

This seven-by-seven slot functions with the cascading engine, where winning clusters pay depending on the number of matching symbols and the amount you wager. At least five identical symbols must land to make up a cluster, and this can happen multiple times in a single spin. Winning symbols disappear, and new symbols drop in their place thereafter. The minimum bet amount is €0.10, while the maximum is €50.

SYMBOLS

There are numerous symbols within the game, the lowest being several types of rune stones, whereas the higher-paying symbols represent the four Norse gods of the game: Thor's hammer, Odin's helmet, Heimdall's axe and Freya's necklace. Wild symbols are represented by gold icons, but they only appear during the game's special features.

CHARGE OF DESTRUCTION BONUS FEATURES

Each win charges what is called the charge meter. In order to fill it up, multiple wins must land within a single spin. When full, one of the four Charge of Destruction features will be unlocked, each adding something different to the cascading reels.

Fury of Fenrir bonus feature: two diagonal lines of symbols are removed from the reels, and identical symbols fall in their place.

Judgement of Jörmungand bonus feature: a large serpent swirls around the grid, destroying symbols in its wake. New symbols will then fall from the top, replacing those lost.

Scorching of Surtr bonus feature: three symbols are ignited, and adjacent symbols are destroyed. New matching symbols then land in their place.

Lure of Loki bonus feature: all instances of a random symbol are removed, while all instances of another random symbol turn into a new one.

GODS FEATURE

At the right of the grid is the player's avatar. There are four different gods in the game, all of which are based on gods of Norse mythology: Thor, Odin, Freya and Heimdall. Each god contributes to the gameplay in a different manner, as you can see below.

• Thor: strikes the grid and creates between five to nine Wild symbols.
• Odin: creates four Wild symbols in groups of two.
• Freya: creates Wilds in four clusters until at least one win is achieved.
• Heimdall: creates one Wild on each row.

Interestingly, these effects can happen randomly with any spin.

In order to upgrade their avatar, players must land winning clusters on the pattern shown at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. The missing spaces in the pattern are indicated in orange, whereas those on which a winning cluster has already landed are marked in gold.

RUNES OF VALHALLA BONUS GAME

In order to trigger this feature, the player must upgrade their god and collect at least one rune stone.

A bonus wheel will then pop up after a short animation. It features a number of segments, but only a few of them reward the player. The number of useful segments depends on the winning symbols landed during the phase of the respective god. If each rune stone has been part of a win, all the useful segments will be filled. A win multiplier will then be granted if the wheel stops on a useful segment.

VIKING RUNECRAFT FREE SPINS

To bag a free spin, you'll have to unlock the Ragnarök feature. Double charging the meter by landing numerous winning clusters will kick this fascinating bonus feature into play.

Although just one free spin is granted during this bonus feature, a lot of action unfolds on the new, fiery backdrop. The Charge of Destruction transforms into the End of the World bonus meter, which works the same way: the more winning combinations land, the more it gets filled. The bonus meter awards multipliers between 2x to 15x the win.

Once the bonus spin ends, all four Charge of Destruction bonus features play out in succession, potentially landing you big wins seeing as the bonus meter supplies those nice multipliers.

VIKING RUNECRAFT FREE PLAY 

As you can see, there's quite a lot to learn when it comes to this slot. The bonus features are quite a handful, and learning how everything works might take more than just a spin or two. This is precisely why you should free play Viking Runecraft!

Slot games can be played for free through their demo versions, where you'll be given a virtual balance to try the game for free. The balance at your disposal will be predetermined by Play'n GO, but in the unlikely event that it runs out, you could just reload the game.

Thanks to demos, you'll get to learn all about the online slot without spending any real money in the process. Do note that demos might not be available for every game out there, and you won't be able to win any real money from them either. In order to take home cash prizes, gambling with real money on the base game is required.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may be asked to register and complete the verification process to access the demos. In cases where verification is not necessary, you may be able to play as a visitor.

VERDICT

At times, Play'n GO feels the need to remind us that it is one of the best game providers in the industry, and Viking Runecraft is definitely one such instance. What we have on our hands is one of those games that feels like an epic adventure, where bonus features dazzle the grid, symbols self-destruct at their own behest and vibrant animations add new colours to our palette — all while we have little to no knowledge about what is going on.

In fact, if anybody chooses to fault Play'n GO for something, it has to be for convoluting this slot to the extent that numerous hours are needed to truly understand the game. Some might opine that the lack of free spins is an issue, but the Ragnarök feature partially compensates for this by bringing all the Charge of Destruction features into effect.

All in all, had this provider toned the features down, we'd have a timeless classic on our hands — ready to be enjoyed by players of all the different experience levels out there. The maximum wins can reach up to a whopping 5,000x the wager, which means that some solid potential is definitely there.

GAME RULES

• This high-volatility slot is played on a seven-by-seven layout. The minimum bet stands at €0.10, and the maximum bet is €50, or currency equivalent. The game pays through winning clusters.
• The game features a number of different symbols representing some of the gods of Norse mythology, as well as runes. Wilds appear during bonus features, and they substitute for adjacent symbols.
• If a sequence of winning combinations lands, the charge meter fills up. When full, any of the four Charge of Destruction bonus features are unlocked, affecting the reels in their own particular way by removing symbols and adding new ones. Furthermore, whenever players land a win on the pattern displayed at the bottom, their god upgrades to its next iteration. Gods randomly affect the reels by supplying Wilds in a random position.
• The Ragnarök feature grants players a free spin. During this bonus round, all four Charge of Destruction bonus features play out in sequence, whereas a meter at the side of the reels supplies a multiplier if a number of winning combinations land.
• The game's RTP is 96% at the time of publishing but may be subject to changes in the future.

FAQ