Sword Of Shoguns (Thunderkick) – Review & Demo Play

How to Play Sword of Shoguns Slot

I fire up Sword of Shoguns by Thunderkick on mobile or desktop and go straight past the splash into a 6-reel grid with random rows from 2 to 7 that always make 5,040 ways to win. I set stakes between £0.10 and £100, then spin manually or use Autoplay with limits. The trophy icon opens rules and the paytable. If I fancy skipping ahead, I can buy the bonus for 120x stake. The Japanese backdrop looks sharp, but the mechanics do the heavy lifting.

Symbols and Payouts in Sword of Shoguns

I track 11 regular symbols plus a sword that acts as wild and scatter. Wins pay for three or more on adjacent reels from the left, while the top shogun pays from just two. Low pays are 9, 10, J, Q, K, A. Premiums are a weapon, a fan, body armour, a helmet, and the shogun. The sword can substitute to complete base game lines, but it won't replace expanding symbol wins during the feature.

Six of a kind on low cards pays around 1x to 1.3x the bet, which tracks with the official paytable. Premiums step it up with weapon 2x, fan 2.2x, armour 2.5x, helmet 3x, and the shogun 5x for six. The shogun also returns 0.5x for two of a kind, giving handy early pays. I like that the pay-anywhere check during expansions ignores adjacency, so once the count is met, reels fill and the evaluation follows.

Sword Of Shoguns Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	6	x5
	5	x2.5
	4	x1.5
	3	x1
	2	x0.5
	6	x3
	5	x1.8
	4	x1
	3	x0.5
	6	x2.5
	5	x1.6
	4	x0.9
	3	x0.5
	6	x2.2
	5	x1.4
	4	x0.8
	3	x0.5
	6	x2
	5	x1.2
	4	x0.7
	3	x0.5
	6	x1.3
	5	x0.8
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.3
	6	x1.2
	5	x0.7
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.3
	6	x1.1
	5	x0.7
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.3
	6	x1
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.2
	6	x1
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.2
	6	x1
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.2
	Bonus

Sword of Shoguns Bonus Features

Random Reel Heights keep each spin fresh. Reels land between 2 and 7 symbols high, yet the layout always resolves to 5,040 ways. It feels Megaways-ish without being a Megaways slot. Variance comes from where expansions land. When the chosen symbol hits wider reels, the payouts can spike. Hit it on slimmer reels and you get smaller returns. That push and pull suits the style and adds texture to the base game while you hunt the swords.

Three or more swords launch a Bonus Game with a random bundle of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 12 free spins. One paying symbol is picked as a special expanding symbol. Land it on at least three reels, or two if it's the shogun, and those reels fill, then the win pays from any position. Retriggers add 3 to 7 extra spins and select another expander, up to four in total. The reel setup from trigger carries through the whole bonus.

I often use the Bonus Buy at 120x, which bumps RTP to 96.40% and gets straight to the action. In the feature, the sword still substitutes regular wins, but it won't interfere with expansion checks. If multiple expanders are active, they resolve one after another for separate evaluations. Once four expanding symbols are live, scatters stop appearing. That cap focuses the round, and when expansions land across all six reels with the shogun, the theoretical 25,200x peak sits in play.

RTP & Volatility in Sword of Shoguns

The default RTP sits at 96.15%, with alternative setups of 94%, 92%, or 90% depending on the operator. Volatility is very high, so sessions can swing, yet the ceiling of 25,200x the bet makes the ride worth a punt for me. Ways are fixed at 5,040, and the combination of pay-anywhere expansions, retriggers, and random reel heights carries the potential. Using the buy option nudges RTP to 96.40%, though I still weigh balance and risk before taking that route.