Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair is a 5 reel and 10 payline slot game that was created by Thunderkick game provider almost two years ago. I was quite intrigued to try this game out as Thunderkick has a few good titles in their portfolio and this game was the first one of their Beat the Beast series. I believe that now there's at least 4 beat the beast games they've released and Kraken's Lair takes inspiration from the underwater theme, including the Kraken symbol.

When I first tried this game it really reminded me of the Falcon Huntress game due to its features. What I do like about this game is the simplicity- there's a base game feature and a free spins bonus round. In the base game, whenever you get a win with the gold coin, which is the scatter symbol, the winning symbols will expand. Once I had a big win in the base game due to this feature that paid over 100x bet, but aside from that, this is a simple feature that more often can only give small balance boosts. But that being said, they can come in handy as the bonus feature can take a while to be triggered, so small wins definitely help to keep a steady balance.

Once you do get the 3 scatter symbols, which can take a while, you get 10 free spins. Then you have a guaranteed scatter-wild symbol on every spin, which helps to create winning combinations and possibly retrigger the feature. And my favorite part is that in the free spins, all the symbols that create a win expand- that's how you can get bigger wins. I've had a few wins around 200x bet but nothing much more impressive. 

Overall I like this game due to its design and the bonus feature have potential to pay decently. However, it's also a game that can easily go dry for hundreds of spins and not give any wins over 20x bet, so it's a game I play with low bets only. It's not my favorite from Thunderkick but I do find myself playing it from time to time.

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair features 5-reels, 3-rows, and 9 paylines, and is the 2nd instalment out of five of Thunderkick’s Beat the Beast series. This vibrant online slot is based on the mythical sea creature that is known in folklore as being capable of taking down even the largest of pirate ships. The game takes place deep in the sea, with the reels set against a shipwreck, with symbols that feature the dreaded Kraken, treasure chests, and tridents.

The low-paying symbols are represented by the classic A, K, J, 10. The high-paying symbols that will get you a higher final profit are represented by the trident, the octopuses, and a pedant. These will give wins only in case of a combo formed of 3 or more.

The Expanding Win feature is a brilliant addition to this slot. When you land a winning combination with the assistance of the wild symbol, one of the profitable elements will expand up and down to form a whole winning reel. This is how the Expanding Win feature works. It is applied in almost any case you want to increase your profit.

The Kraken emblem is the main symbol in this game. It represents the scatter and the wild. As a scatter, you will need at least three of them to open the bonus round, where you are welcomed with 10 free spins. However, while you are in this bonus stage, you can retrigger and increase the total number with each next spin. The Kraken and Wild symbol can award a payout of x500 your total stake. What I like is the fact that on every spin a scatter wild symbol land on the reels to easily assist create winning combination as well as help with re-triggering the feature.

The scatter symbol is not active during base game and you will find scatters do not land easy to enter the free spins, but on a spin it does land, you will see on the scrolling reels many scatters on the screen, and you need to be lucky to land them. So triggering the bonus round can take a little while, but well worth it for most times.