Beat the Beast: Kraken’s Lair (Thunderkick) – Review & Demo Play

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair Slot Overview

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair is a high volatility video slot with 5 reels, 3 rows and 9 fixed paylines. The action sits on the seabed in front of a wrecked ship, watched by the Kraken. Stakes range from 0.10 to 100 per spin, the RTP is 96.12%, and the max win reaches 7,777x the bet. I like how straightforward the concept is: a classic 5x3 grid, stacked premiums, a Wild Scatter Symbol, Expanding Win, and a punchy Free Spins feature.

Wins land when at least three matching symbols drop along a payline from the leftmost reel, with a few higher symbols paying for two-of-a-kind. The maths model gives punchy swings, so the base game can feel spiky, yet the bonus offers proper headroom. In my sessions I chase the emblem and those expanding setups, as that is where the screen can light up. The 7,777x figure feels ambitious, but the game clearly has the gears to push hard.

How To Play Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair Slot

Playing Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair is very simple. I set a stake between 0.10 and 100, spin the five reels, and aim to hit winning combinations on the nine paylines. Lines pay left to right, and most symbols need three or more, though some premiums pay from two. Autoplay and manual spins both work cleanly, so my attention stays on timing and balance, rather than juggling controls or menus.

From a practical angle I treat this as a classic high risk slot. With a hit rate around one win in four spins and the bonus appearing roughly once every couple of hundred spins, I keep stakes modest and give it a fair session. The base game can be quiet, but once Free Spins land and Expanding Wins line up, balances can move quickly. That rhythm suits me when I am in the mood for sharp variance.

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair Symbols and Paytable

The paytable is clear. The best regular is the Kraken, worth x500 for a full line of five, and already paying for two-of-a-kind. Below it sits the golden statuette up to x50, with the medallion and treasure chest reaching about x40 and x30. Even the spear symbol holds its own at up to x25 for five. Among the lows, A and K top out at x15, while Q, J and 10 offer between x10 and x12.5.

The golden Kraken emblem is the key. It acts as both Wild and Scatter, substituting on paylines and paying x2, x20 or x200 for three, four or five anywhere. When this emblem helps form a win, the regular symbol in that win expands to cover its reel. Each qualifying reel grows separately, and the emblem itself does not expand. That single twist can turn a modest hit into a proper payout when multiples expand together.

Beat the Beast: Kraken’s Lair Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	5	x500
	5	x500
	4	x50
	3	x10
	2	x1.5
	5	x50
	4	x17.5
	3	x3
	2	x0.5
	5	x40
	4	x15
	3	x3
	2	x0.5
	5	x30
	4	x12.5
	3	x2.5
	2	x0.5
	5	x25
	4	x10
	3	x2.5
	2	x0.5
	5	x15
	4	x3
	3	x0.5
	5	x12.5
	4	x2.5
	3	x0.5
	5	x12.5
	4	x2.5
	3	x0.5
	5	x10
	4	x2
	3	x0.5
	5	x10
	4	x2
	3	x0.5

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair Slot Features

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair keeps the feature set focused yet strong. The emblem serving as a Wild Scatter pairs nicely with the Expanding Win mechanic and the Free Spins round. From my play, most of the serious action arrives when those elements stack during the bonus, because the board can change state quickly and produce new lines that were not there a second before. That shift often turns an average spin into something worth watching.

Expanding Wins trigger whenever a winning combination contains the emblem. The regular symbol involved expands to fill all three spots on its reel, and each reel with a qualifying symbol expands on its own. The emblem does not expand. When high paying symbols or multiple reels grow at once, the screen can suddenly show several full columns of the same icon, which lifts the payout far beyond the initial line.

Free Spins trigger with three, four or five emblems anywhere, awarding 10 free spins plus Scatter pays of x2, x20 or x200. At the start of every free spin, one emblem is placed at random on the grid. That extra emblem adds chances to spark Expanding Wins or to retrigger with fresh Scatters. With the right mix of expanding premiums and extra spins, I have watched totals climb in a way that fits the 7,777x cap.

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair Slot RTP & Volatility

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair comes with a theoretical RTP of 96.12%, sitting slightly above the familiar 96% marker. Long run stats put it around 96.03% in live play, and the volatility index sits close to 149, so the swings bite hard. The hit rate averages about 23.7%, while the bonus shows up near once every 215 spins. From my runs that feels right: dry spells happen, then a chunky multiplier pops and the balance leaps.

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair Slot Graphics & Audio

I rate the presentation highly. The reels are framed in metal on the sea floor, with broken masts and sunken ships hinting at the Kraken's work. Symbols have clean edges, which helps when expanding wins fire. The soundtrack blends underwater ambience with adventurous music, and it builds tension nicely when Scatters land or when premium stacks creep into view on the last reel. It all feels tight and readable during quick swings.

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair Slot Review

From a gambler's point of view, Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair delivers a classic high volatility session done right. The gameplay stays straightforward, yet the Wild Scatter Symbol and Expanding Win keep the base game from going flat. When Free Spins hit and the guaranteed emblem appears on each spin, the board can fill with expanding premiums, which suits the advertised 7,777x top win and gives the bonus proper bite.

I do not expect gentle sessions here, and the swings will not suit everyone, especially with bonuses sometimes taking a while. Stake limits and the lack of modern modifiers might put off players who want complex setups. For my taste, the mix of simple rules, sharp variance and punchy visuals works well, and I am always happy to take another shot at the Kraken when I fancy a no fuss, high risk slot.