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Thunderkick has always had a knack for doing things a little differently, and their new release, Bjorn, is a perfect example. Forget your standard cascading grids; this 8×8 cluster-pays slot drops its titular hero right smack in the middle of the board on a 2×2 stone pedestal.
It looks fantastic, and the mechanics are genuinely innovative. But before you grab your axe and charge in, a word of warning: this game is a grind. Bjorn isn’t about landing a screen full of premium symbols; it’s about racking up a massive body count. Here’s how my session went, and what you need to know before playing.
The Base Game: Cascades and The Hero Hunt
The setup leaves 60 active cells for symbols to drop into. When you land a cluster of 5 or more matching symbols, they pop, and new symbols slide inward toward Bjorn’s platform rather than dropping straight down.
But the real magic happens after the cascades stop. If there are any undead “Draugr” symbols left on the grid, the Hero Hunt triggers. Bjorn steps off his pedestal and physically walks around the board, smashing every Draugr in his path. Every kill increases your Global Multiplier and gives you a chance to drop a “Loot” coin. Once his rampage is over, that multiplier is applied to all your cluster wins and collected coins for that spin.
Visually, it’s brilliant. And the paytable needs it.
A Brutal Paytable
Let’s be fair but honest here: the base paytable in Bjorn is incredibly weak, and the RTP is 94.22%. The top-paying gold rune maxes out at a mere 5x your bet for a massive cluster of 15+, while low-paying symbols (like the tree and rock) require at least 11 symbols just to win your money back. The Loot coins aren’t much better, dropping at values between 0.1x and 5x.
In my session, the math model made itself very clear. If Bjorn doesn’t go on a hunt, you aren’t getting paid. I had several rounds where I hit a decent chain of cascades, but because no Draugr were on the board, I walked away with just 2.8x my bet. You are entirely at the mercy of the Global Multiplier.
A Little Help from the Gods (and a Troll)
To help you build that multiplier, the game randomly awards “Abilities” at the start of a spin:
- Thor’s Strength: Boosts the multiplier gained per kill and increases Loot drop chances.
- Odin’s Insight: Turns Bjorn’s walking path into mystery symbols (revealing pay symbols or wilds).
- Call of Hel: Adds extra Draugr to the board.
Call of Hel is easily the MVP here. Since a board without Draugr means a flat x1 multiplier, this ability is the engine that actually makes the game pay.
There is also a Troll that smashes a 3×3 area as it moves and counts as nine Draugr for your multiplier. It acts as a massive shortcut to big wins, though I have to point out that it didn’t land a single time in my session.
A Frustrating Scatter Mechanic
If you’re used to the standard “land 3 scatters to trigger free spins” rule, Bjorn is going to test your patience.
Here, the scatter trigger is completely detached from a set count. When a hammer scatter lands, it doesn’t guarantee a thing. Instead, at the end of the spin, the scatter undergoes a random “draw.” If it wins, you get 5 Free Spins. If it loses, it just sits there as a dead symbol. Watching a scatter land, fail its draw, and leave you with a 0.1x payout is a uniquely frustrating experience.
The Free Spins Bonus
When you do get in, you start with 5 spins and up to 3 random Abilities. The cool addition here is the Draugr kill meter. Every 20 Draugr you defeat adds +2 free spins and an Ability upgrade (this is where that 3×3 Troll comes in handy).
However, there’s a downside: the Global Multiplier resets to x1 at the start of every single free spin. While your abilities and meter progress carry over, the resetting multiplier makes it really tough to build momentum.
Bet+ Modes
Thunderkick has included three Bonus Boost options to help force the feature, Bonus Boost, Bonus Boost Plus and Bonus Boost Extreme, costing 1.5x, 3.5x, or 12x your base bet. These multiply the chance of a successful scatter draw by 2x, 5x, or 20x, respectively. Just keep in mind that a failed draw on a 12x Bonus Boost Extreme spin is an expensive dead spin.
Hitting that 5,000x cap in Bjorn is going to require a very specific perfect storm: a board flooded with Draugr, an active Thor’s Strength ability, and a massive Hero Hunt at the end of a spin to push your multiplier into the double digits.
Should you play it?
If you love unique grid mechanics and don’t mind a grindy base game where the paytable relies heavily on multipliers, Bjorn is highly entertaining and visually superb. But if you prefer slots with strong standalone premium symbols and guaranteed scatter triggers, this Viking adventure might leave you out in the cold.
