Hammerblaze Slot Review
Ignite the reels and unleash the heat in Hammerblaze from Thunderkick, where every win connection fuels a rapid chain of wins through its Cluster Pays mechanic. Prepare for Wild Drops, cascades, and an epic Multiplier Grid feature that stacks the potential for bigger payouts.
Thunderkick has long been a provider we enjoy following, with a catalogue packed full of inventive releases, including the standout Beat the Beast series and Midas Golden Touch trilogy. After the release of Pink Elephants Trinity, there was a period of quiet, but they quickly returned with a steady stream of new releases, with Hammerblaze forming part of that renewed push.
Hammerblaze drops players into the heart of Greek Mythology, where Medusa and other legendary figures fill the reels, ready to unleash the action. With a fixed RTP of 94.13% and a max win potential of 10,000x your bet, the stage is set for a high-impact experience with explosive moments…
Base Game & Features
Occupying 7 reels & 7 rows, Hammerblaze is a highly volatile slot with a Cluster Pays mechanic. Winning combinations occur when 5-25 identical symbols land in a horizontal or vertical alignment on the grid.
The Male Character is the highest-paying symbol, followed by Body Armour, Helmets, Medusa Shields, Swords, and Bow & Arrows. Once the grid settles, each winning cluster awards a fixed payout between 0.10x and 100x your bet, which is awarded before each Avalanche event.
The Avalanche Feature destroys all winning clusters from the grid, allowing new symbols to drop in from above, meaning that further consecutive wins may occur in the same spin. Please note that only the highest win per cluster is paid out.
Exploding Wilds & Multiplier Grid
During gameplay, Exploding Wild symbols may randomly land alongside other paytable symbols in the initial drop. Otherwise, they are automatically generated once the Avalanche Feature kicks in.
Once in view, each Exploding Wild symbol will trigger an explosion within its designated cluster area, removing all paytable symbols within a 3×3 area, triggering a Multiplier Grid under each symbol, starting at x2.
If a new Exploding Wild symbol lands within an existing Multiplier Grid, the explosion will cause the Multiplier Grid to double in value, up to a maximum of x128 per cell position.
Hammerblaze: Free Spins
Triggering the Free Spins mode requires 3 Scatter symbols to land in the base game, awarding 10 Free Spins.
Please note that Multiplier Grids in the base game are reset once the Free Spins mode begins. In this mode, each Multiplier Grid is persistent and remains active until the feature ends.
Bonus Boost & Bonus Buy
Eligible players may purchase any of the following Bonus Boost & Bonus Buy options:
- Bonus Boost: Each spin is 2 times more likely to trigger the Free Spins mode for 1.3x your bet per spin
- Bonus Boost Plus: Each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger a Free Spins mode for 2.2x your bet per spin
- Bonus Game: Instantly triggers the Free Spins mode with 3 Scatters for 100x your bet
Hammerblaze offers a fixed max win potential of 10,000x your bet. If a single session achieves this figure, the player returns to the base game with the qualifying amount.
Our Honest Verdict
Thunderkick once again gets the fundamentals right with its choice of payout system and grid design, but do the mechanics & features hold up to the same standard? As expected, this provider delivers sharp animations and high-quality graphics within its Greek Mythology theme, which permeates the backdrop.
At first glance, it’s easy to label Hammerblaze as just another cluster Pays release, but a closer look reveals familiar mechanics tied to earlier Thunderkick titles. Hot Potato and Hot Turkey stood out for their clever use of Grid Multipliers that drive big payouts, and while the theme is entirely different, and a lack of ‘Hot’ in its title, all 3 games are not too far removed from each other.
Admittedly, Hammerblaze has a stronger, more widely appealing theme, one that resonates across a broader section of the iGaming market. However, when it comes to gameplay, there is little evolution compared to the ‘Hot’ titles. In the base game, the Avalanche feature plays a key role in delivering Exploding Wilds, meaning that even if they do not land naturally, there is still a reliable route for triggering them.
A similar structure carries over into Free Spins, with the main difference being that Grid Multipliers do not reset between spins. The drawback, however, is that any Multipliers built in the base game do not carry over, removing any sense of progression & making the climb to higher values feel rather difficult.
With a max win potential of 10,000x your bet, there is plenty of opportunity to win sizable payouts, but the 94.13% RTP feels quite harsh in comparison, even if it’s a figure that aligns with Thunderkick’s usual standards for their games.
Hammerblaze FAQs
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What are Exploding Wilds in Hammerblaze?
Exploding Wilds are special symbols that clear a 3×3 surrounding area on the grid, creating a Multiplier Grid starting from x2, which applies to all winning clusters thereafter. -
Does Hammerblaze have an Avalanche Feature?
Yes, winning clusters trigger the Avalanche feature, clearing all winning symbols from the grid and allowing new ones to fall into place for a chance to create additional wins. -
Is there a Bonus Buy option for eligible players in Hammerblaze?
Yes, non-UK players can purchase the Free Spins mode for 100x their current bet; however, there are several Bonus Boost options for all players that aid in the triggering of Free Spins. -
Do Multiplier Grids remain active during the Free Spins mode?
Yes, each acquired Multiplier Grid will remain active throughout this session, increasing the values of Multipliers each time an Exploding Wild symbol activates upon it.
