Troll Hunters Slot
Troll Hunters is a 5-reel, 5-row, fixed 10 pay line slot from Play'n GO. The Troll Hunters in this game seem to originate from Viking times, as they wear big furs but keep areas of themselves exposed, probably just to prove how hard they are. The concept of trolls (not the internet kind) originated in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore – hence the Viking theme here. Trolls are usually depicted as fantastically ugly beasts who (sometimes) have a liking for human flesh. They tend to live in dark, obsure, unwelcoming places (like Middlesbrough), mainly because if they are exposed to sunlight, they turn to stone.
This slot from Play'n GO has several distinct features. Firstly, the symbols are arranged in a 5×5 grid, and they 'tumble' from the top of the screen as opposed to spinning. There are no pay lines as such – to secure a jackpot you need to land at least three identical symbols in a row, either vertically or horizontally. When this happens, one of the symbols will turn into a wild, and the rest will disappear. New symbols will tumble into place, possibly creating further wins. A multiplier increases from x1 to x2 as this happens, and so on until no more cascade wins occur.
You have a choice of bet sizes in this game – 0.20, 1.00, 2.00, 10.00 or 40.00. When you're ready to go hunt some trolls, then hit the 'Start' button.
Payout & bonus rounds
The lowest payout in this game is for two earring or skull tankard symbols that includes a double symbol. This wins you three coins (if you imagine you are paying twenty coins per spin). The top prize of one thousand times your total bet size is achieved by clearing the entire grid.
A golden triangles symbol is wild in this game and substitutes for all other symbols. It does not appear by itself though – it only appears when you complete a winning combination, so it can then be used to complete further combinations.
Upon each spin the word 'BONUS' appears behind one or more columns. If you manage to completely clear a column and reveal the word 'BONUS' then you are through to the bonus game. You are awarded ten free spins in which more symbols are added. All the symbols are frozen, but if you land five or more of the same symbol anywhere (they do not have to be in a line) then they are unfrozen and you win a cash prize. If you land five or more troll symbols then you are awarded up to ten twenty further free spins.
It's always refreshing when a software company releases a slots title that tries to do things a little differently. Too many slots tread the same well-trodden path, so it's great to see something a little different here. Having said that, we've seen this type of game before, so there's nothing original about it. It's still a groovy game though, and well worth your coinage.