Thunder Zeus

Thunder Zeus, the 2017 offering from Boongo, brings the user into a fabulous world of the Ancient Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses. While many games differentiate themselves primarily with graphics alone, this slot really goes the extra mile to give the user a unique experience: there are two separate sets of reels, unevenly sized, with nine possible paylines each, for a total of 18 paylines overall. The highest-value gaming symbols include many of the most celebrated figures of Mount Olympus: Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, and Aphrodite.

Theme

The graphics place the user on the divine slopes of Mount Olympus, with the tops of clouds below and the starry night sky above, as well as waterfalls, springs, and temples in the background. The reels themselves, split as they are into two sets, invoke an ancient Greek ruin, with a border invoking the Parthenon. The gaming symbols represent some the most powerful deities of Hellenistic religious tradition: Zeus himself, king of the gods; Aphrodite, goddess of love; Artemis, goddess of the hunt; Poseidon, lord of the sea; Hades, god of the underworld; and perhaps most beloved, Dionysus, god of wine and ecstasy. The Mount Olympus title is Wild, Zeus’ thunderbolt is the Scatter, and laureled tiles valued Jack through Ace are also to be found. Each tile is interactive – hover over or click on his icon, and it will respond with a movement or gesture. Zeus winks at you!

Betting Options And More Functions

Almost all user buttons are at the bottom of the screen, below the twin sets of reels. The spin button, marked with an encircled arrow for “play,” spins the reels to begin the game. Bet sizes can be changed, but not to the user’s exact specifications – rather, the arrows around the bet size window can be toggled up or down from one arbitrary value to another. In the sample version played for this review, the minimum bet size was .18, and the maximum .90, with 14 bet size options in between.

There is an Auto Game option, where the user can keep the wheel spinning for 50, 100, 200, or 999 turns. There is also a fast-forward option, to accelerate the rate at which the reels spin and, therefore, the game speed. Another button instantly maximizes the bet size (to 90, in the sample version). There is also an information button, marked with an “i,” that brings up a detailed explanation of all possible payouts, bonuses, and descriptions for each icon. Finally, the user has the option to mute the sound: this button at the screen’s upper-right corner.

Features

In Thunder Zeus, the Wild symbol is Mount Olympus itself. It can act as any symbol, exception of Scatter, to form payouts. Additionally, it can add a multiplier to winning combinations of three, four, or five times the payout size.

As with many slot games, the Scatter gaming symbol (Zeus’ thunderbolt, in this case) can be extremely lucrative when it appears on the reels twice or more. It triggers free spins, during which time the two reels are fused into one reel of eight symbols across.

Our Take

Thunder Zeus is the holy grail of slot gaming: aesthetically pleasing, a unique gameplay style, and many ways to win big. It meets our standards and then some.