Viking Runecraft

Viking Runes are the ancient symbols that they used to record their language, myths and legends in a written form. Essentially, they are a primitive language in the same way hieroglyphics were used by ancient Egyptians to convey meaning in written form.

So that explains the basics behind Viking Runecraft from Play'n Go games but beyond that, this is a slot that is very different to the usual 5x3 reel set up that you are used to. In this slot you have a 7x7 grid, essentially with no pay lines, as payouts are based on you hitting five or more of the same symbols connected horizontally or vertically.

It all looks very different from the usual slot and that is part of the Play'n Go philosophy. The game actually plays like a cross between Tetris and Candy Crush Saga, with a soundtrack that would not be out of place on the Skyrim series of games. It's all very unusual and different to a standard slot, but does that mean it is any better or any worse? Let's take a closer look and find out.

Mini Slot Overview

• Game: Viking Runequest
• Developer: Play'n Go
• Reels: 7
• Pay Lines: Not Applicable - Payouts calculated on five connecting symbols
• Minimum Bet: $0.10
• Maximum Bet: $100.00
• Jackpot: 10,000 coins
• Free Spins Bonus: Yes
• Other Bonuses: Yes
• Progressive: No
• Volatility: High

Where can I play the Viking Runecraft slot?

If you would like to play the exciting Viking Runecraft slot and earn yourself an outstanding new player welcome bonus then you should take a look at the current promotion running at Unibet Casino. This fantastic promotion offers you the chance to earn a nice 200% Match Bonus up to €200 plus 200 Free Spins cash.

 

That's not all however as Unibet offers 10 free spins on registration. The free spins on first deposit is as follows: Deposit $£€10 or more and receive 40 free spins, Deposit $£€50 or more and receive 90 free spins, Deposit $£€75 or more and receive 140 free spins, Deposit $£€100 or more and receive 190 free spins.

Presentation

Play'n Go slots enjoy a good reputation for being well presented and Viking Runecraft is no different. Set against a snowy mountain backdrop, each of the four Norse Gods that are key elements in the game, Thor, Odin, Freya and Heimdall will be situated to the right of the 7x7 grid depending on which of the four are currently active in the game.

The music of the slot is sensational and reminds me very much of a PlayStation 4 game called Skyrim, which is renowned for having one of the best musical scores in any computer game. Certainly the musical accompaniment in the Viking Runecraft game would not look out of place in that exalted company.

The animations are nice and easy to follow and the game is surprisingly simple once you get the runes falling into place. The game uses a Cascading Engine, which is similar to Rolling Reels, which means winning symbols will flash and disappear and be replaced from above by new symbols, which can then go on to create additional winning pay lines from a single spin.

What's on the reels?

The Runes are the main symbols and they are simple and come in a variety of shapes and patterns. Alongside these runes are a number of other Viking artifacts including axes, hammers and helmets each of which offers different levels of payouts. The aim is to land five or more of the same symbol grouped next to each other horizontally or vertically, the more symbols in your group, the higher the value of the payout.

In addition to this, there is also a pattern on the 7x7 grid. Land winning symbols on these patterns on the grid and complete them and you'll move up the levels as you progress through the game. Moving up the levels will trigger different Gift of the Gods features, which we will explore more in the bonus features below.

Wild Features

Bonus features can also trigger Wild symbols to appear on the reels in a variety of ways, depending on the active Gift of the Gods bonus, but there are no Wilds on the reels initially, they can only be added there from one of the randomly triggered bonus features.

The Wild symbols are easy to spot as they are the gold symbols and they can be used by different groups of symbols to create groups of five or more symbols to make a winning spin. Once used like this, a Wild will then disappear from screen and be replaced with symbols from above.

Free Spins Features

The Free Spin Round is the Ragnarok Feature and during this feature you receive just one free spin, but it also comes with a fantastic bonus attached which helps you land some of the biggest possible prizes on the slot.

If you can play through one of the Charge of Destruction features and then immediately trigger another, or you can double charge the reel from a single spin, then you will launch the Ragnarok Free Spin bonus.

During this bonus, the Charge of Destruction meter on the left of the reels transforms into the End of the World Bonus meter. Land enough wins on symbols during the feature and you can earn a multiplier of between 2x to 15x your wins.

You then have your free spin and once the wins have been calculated, you then get one turn of each of the four Charge of Destruction features outlined below. These will then give you further wins from your first spin and once these are played out once each, the round ends and your winnings calculated.

Other Bonus Features

There are several other bonus features in the Viking Runecraft slot. The first of these is the Charge of Destruction bonus and meter. On the left of the reels is a meter which increases with every win you trigger from a single spin. Charge meter fully and you launch one of the four Charge of Destruction bonuses. These are:

• The Fury of Fenrir - 4 diagonal symbols are slashed, two are removed from the grid with the other two all converting to the same symbol in the hope it will trigger additional wins.
• Judgement of Jormungand - A snake-like creature appears and races across the grid destroying some of the symbols it passes over and turning others into the same symbol.
• Scorching of Surtr - A total of three symbols on the grid are set ablaze and these can spread to the symbols next to the symbol on fire creating a cluster of the same symbol and to give you a win.
• Lure of Loki - In this bonus two symbols are selected, one is removed entirely from the grid, the other symbol sees other symbols transformed into it to give you a much better chance of a bigger value win.

These four bonus features are the same four features you can trigger in the Ragnarok Bonus feature outlined in the Free Spins section.

The other main bonus feature of the slot is the Gift of the Gods feature which sees four Gods in play throughout the game as you progress through the levels. You will notice that your grid has a pattern underneath the runes that is lit up in orange colored squares. You need to land winning pay lines on these squares as you play to complete the pattern and move on to the next level.

Once you move up a level, then you move onto the next God in the Gift of the Gods feature. There are four gods that you cycle through as you progress through the levels and each has their own bonus.

• God of Thunder (Thor) Feature - 5 to 9 randomly selected symbols are turned Wild
• God of Wisdom (Odin) Feature - 4 Wild symbols are formed into pairs next to each other to give you a much better chance of triggering multiple group wins.
• God of Beauty (Freya) Feature - Wilds are added to the reels in clusters of four at a time until you trigger a win.
• God of Guarding (Heimdall) Feature - 7 Wilds are added to the reels, one on each of the seven rows.

If during completing a level, you collect all five of the different rune stone pay lines and then complete the level, you get to play the Runes of Valhalla Bonus wheel, which sees up to five different Rune Stones added to the reel and then the reel is spun. Land one of the lit segments and you win the bonus outlined in the box in the top left corner of the screen.

Best Feature of the Viking Runecraft slot

The best feature of the Viking Runecraft slot is its sheer size and number of different bonuses. This is a slot like no other I have played in that it packs so much into the game and is radically different to the usual 5x3 slots you can play. However, despite being so different and having a wealth of bonuses, it is a relatively easy game to pick up and is hugely enjoyable to play.

Part of that appeal comes from the soundtrack, which is truly outstanding, but also the quality of the game, which is huge fun. However, it is worth noting that this is a higher variance game and many of the wins you land won't cover your initial bet, so you do need those bigger value wins to help make this a profitable slot to play.

What does the Viking Runecraft slot lack?

Personally, I feel that the Viking Runecraft slot covers all bases and offers everything you could want in a slot game, however I feel that it is so radically different from a standard slot game that this may well put people off who don't want to play a game that feels rather like a social media game more so than a traditional slot.

Conclusion

Viking Runecraft sounds like an inordinately complex game and reading through the review, you may feel it is so complex you won't ever understand it, but in truth, it is very easy to pick up and follow and within a few spins I am certain you will be enjoying yourself. The depth of the slot and the presentation is as good as it gets. However, this is a slot that does have teeth so remember to play at a level you can afford as this is a highly volatile game and can take some big bites out of your bankroll if you are not careful.

Ratings

• Presentation: 19 / 20 - Viking Runecraft is brilliantly presented. The graphics and animations are smooth, dramatic and exciting and enhance the game-play, the grid, or reels if you prefer, are easy to follow, the underlying patterns you need to get are easy to see and the soundtrack is arguably one of the very best you will find on any slot game.
• Game-Play: 16 / 20 - It may seem initially confusing if you are coming to Viking Runecraft from a standard slot gaming background, but in actual fact the game-play is very easy to pick up once you have had a few spins and so much happens in the slot that the game-play is generally exciting and keeps you interested and playing.
• Bonus Features: 20 / 20 - Viking Runecraft offers a wealth of bonus features that showcase just how imaginative Play'n Go have been with this slot. There's randomly triggered base game bonuses, bonuses triggered by completing meters and of course a Free Spin bonus which can payout some of the much larger prizes on the slot. In terms of bonus features, Viking Runecraft is as good as it gets.
• Entertainment Factor: 17 / 20 - Viking Runecraft is huge fun to play, but you do have to keep an eye on your spending as many of the wins are only small and will not cover your initial bet. However if you can control this aspect of your game by ensuring you bet the right amount, you will be amused for many, many hours playing this slot.
• Play Value: 9 / 20 - This is a high variance game and makes no apologies for being so and in truth, it makes the game more exciting that it is. As such, the play value of the slot isn't great but it is not anywhere near as bad as some high variance games that I've played over the years.
• Overall 81 / 100 - Play'n Go have created one of the best slots of the year in Viking Runecraft. It is a different type of slot game that sits nicely in the social gaming/slot crossover band and it jam packed with fantastic features and brilliant bonuses. Add to that immaculate presentation and the opportunity to win some big cash prizes and you have, all in all, one outstanding new style of slot game.

Good Luck!

Next Offer: 3 Kingdoms