Ragnarok: Slot Overview
Based in Stockholm and with a heritage rich in Viking lore, Slotmill has unveiled Ragnarok, an online slot game steeped in Norse mythology. This game draws inspiration from the epic narrative of Ragnarok, described in Neil Gaiman’s “Norse Mythology” as the ultimate confrontation between the gods and the frost giants, culminating in their mutual destruction. This profound theme demands a game of substantial depth and intensity. Ragnarok rises to the occasion as a cluster pays slot that delves deep into the mythological tales, enhanced by win multipliers that can double your winnings.
Set against a backdrop of rugged, mountainous terrain that seems tailor-made for encounters with deities, Ragnarok captivates with its otherworldly landscape. Players are greeted with a mystical stone formation, perhaps a portal to commune with the gods, allowing them to immerse themselves in the game’s mystical atmosphere before the action begins. The game’s visual appeal is undeniable, featuring high-quality artwork complemented by an invigorating soundtrack. While Slotmill’s inaugural venture into the Viking theme was the 2020 release, Vikings Creed, Ragnarok not only builds on this foundation but also showcases the studio’s significant growth in terms of artistic and gaming design over the years.
While the symbols in Ragnarok might not match the allure of its captivating backdrop, they effectively serve their purpose. These symbols occupy a 5×5 gaming grid, where a win is secured when 5 or more identical symbols form a cluster adjacent to each other. Players can place bets ranging from 20 cents to $/€60, with the game boasting a default Return to Player (RTP) of 96.12%. Characterized by its high volatility, the game’s mathematical model promises a thrilling experience. Activating the Xtra-Bet feature slightly adjusts the RTP to 96.1% but significantly enhances the likelihood of triggering the free spins feature by threefold, albeit at the cost of a 50% increase in the stake. Additionally, for those seeking a brisker gameplay pace, Ragnarok includes a Burst Mode feature.
The game’s symbols consist of three stone blocks etched with creature designs, followed by three stone-like character symbols, with the top symbol featuring flaming eyes. Clusters of 5 matching symbols yield payouts ranging from 0.15 to 0.4 times the stake, whereas larger clusters of 12+ matching symbols can award between 5 to 12.5 times the bet. While these may not be the largest cluster payouts available, the multiplier feature significantly enhances winning potential. Furthermore, the Avalanche feature plays a crucial role by removing winning symbols from the reels and allowing new symbols to cascade down, potentially creating additional winning clusters in a continuous cycle.
Ragnarok: Slot Features
Ragnarok distinguishes itself with its straightforward gameplay, a bit of a departure from Slotmill’s typically complex offerings. It leverages familiar game mechanics like avalanching wins, increasing multipliers, free spins, and the option to purchase features to elevate the excitement.
Wild Symbol & Progressive Win Multiplier Following every win, a wild symbol is introduced into one of the vacancies formed by the Avalanche feature, before other symbols fall into place. This wild can substitute for all symbols except the scatter responsible for free spins. Furthermore, each consecutive Avalanche win doubles the win multiplier, which then resets to x1 at the start of each new base game spin.
Loki’s Trick & Giant Symbols At the beginning of a game round, the Loki’s Trick feature might activate, randomly increasing the win multiplier. Additionally, giant symbols measuring 2×2 or 3×3 may appear at random at the start of a new game round or at the end of one without further wins, counting as 4 or 9 symbols respectively.
Free Spins Scatter symbols can trigger the free spins feature, with 3, 4, or 5 scatters awarding 8, 10, or 12 free spins respectively. Remarkably, the win multiplier doesn’t reset throughout the free spins round, starting at x1 and increasing with each win. Scatter symbols are absent during the free spins.
Fast Track Feature The Fast Track feature offers instant access to Ragnarok’s special features, all of which carry high volatility:
- Giant Symbol: Guarantees one spin with a Giant symbol for 5x the bet, with an RTP of 96.15%.
- Loki’s Trick: Guarantees one spin with the Loki’s Trick feature for 25x the bet, with an RTP of 96.23%.
- Bonus: Pays 100x the bet to directly activate the free spins round, offering an RTP of 96.32%.
- Super Bonus: Costs 400x the bet for free spins activated with 5 scatter symbols, improving the RTP to 96.44%.
- Gamble: For 200x the bet, offers a 50/50 chance to win free spins with 5 scatters or end up with a non-winning spin, providing an RTP of 96.45%.
These elements combine to make Ragnarok not just a visually striking game, but also one rich in features that promise both excitement and the potential for significant wins.
Ragnarok: Slot Verdict
The concept of Ragnarok, rooted in mythology, offers a silver lining in its narrative; it’s not the ultimate end, but rather a profound renewal. After the cataclysmic events, the world is reborn, ready to be repopulated by Líf and Lífþrasir. This cycle of destruction and rebirth, a grand reset, suggests hope for improvement in the next iteration. Similarly, the slot game Ragnarok mirrors this cycle on a much smaller scale. It doesn’t encompass the birth, death, and rebirth of a world but rather engages players in cycles of cascading cluster wins and escalating win multipliers, followed by a reset. This repetition aims to amplify the multiplier alongside significant cluster wins.
In essence, Ragnarok incorporates the essence of Yggdrasil Gaming’s DoubleMax feature, adapting it to a cluster pays format instead of traditional paylines or ways. The addition of a wild symbol in spaces created by winning clusters echoes the DoubleMax mechanism, indicating Slotmill’s appreciation for and adaptation of successful features from other studios. This approach, however, results in Ragnarok not being as pioneering in terms of innovation as Slotmill’s offerings typically are. This is especially noticeable when compared to Bang Bang Games’ The Runemakers, another Norse-themed slot integrating cluster pays with the DoubleMax feature, which boasted a higher winning potential.
Despite similarities to preceding games and a somewhat repetitive base game, Ragnarok stands as a well-crafted cluster pays slot, enhanced by its doubling multiplier feature. While it may not reach the epic proportions of a mythological end-of-world battle, its potential for high-impact wins places it prominently within the realm of engaging slot games.