Beat the Beast: Kraken’s Lair Slot Review

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair Slot Overview

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair is a high volatility video slot from Thunderkick with 5 reels, 3 rows and 9 fixed paylines. The action takes place on the seabed in front of a wrecked ship, guarded by a mythical Kraken that can pay up to 500x for five-of-a-kind. Stakes range from 0.10 to 100 per spin, the RTP stands at 96.12%, and the overall max win reaches 7,777x the bet.

I like how straightforward the concept is. You spin a classic 5x3 grid, chase stacked premiums and rely on a Wild Scatter Symbol, Expanding Win mechanic and a powerful Free Spins feature. Wins hit when at least three matching symbols land along a payline from the leftmost reel, with a few higher symbols also paying for two-of-a-kind. The maths model gives punchy swings, but the potential during bonus rounds makes the ride worthwhile.

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

Playing Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair is very simple. I start by choosing my stake between 0.10 and 100, then spin the 5 reels and hope to land winning combinations on the 9 paylines. Wins pay from left to right, and I need at least three identical symbols on a line, except for some premiums that already pay for two. Autoplay and manual spins work smoothly, so the focus stays on the features.

The low-paying symbols are 10, J, Q, K and A, which award about 10x to 15x the bet for five-of-a-kind lines. The more interesting part of the paytable lies with the themed icons: spear or trident, medallion, treasure chest, golden octopus and the enraged Kraken. Depending on the symbol, five-of-a-kind can deliver from 25x up to 500x, with Kraken far ahead of the rest as the premium hit you really want to see.

From a practical point of view, I treat Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair as a classic high-risk slot. With a hit rate around one win in four spins and the bonus showing up roughly once every couple of hundred spins, I tend to keep the stake modest and give the game a decent session. The base game can be quiet, but once the bonus lands and Expanding Wins line up, balances can change quickly.

Beat the Beast: Kraken’s Lair Symbols and Paytable

The paytable in Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair is very clear. The best regular symbol is the huge Kraken, worth x500 for a full line of five, and already paying for two-of-a-kind. The golden statuette sits below it at up to x50 for five, while the medallion and treasure chest can reach around x40 and x30. Even the spear symbol carries decent rewards, topping out at about x25 for a complete line.

Among the lower symbols, A and K pay up to x15 for five, with Q, J and 10 offering between x10 and x12.5. The golden Kraken emblem is the standout icon, acting both as Wild and Scatter. It can award x2, x20 or x200 for three, four or five anywhere, while also substituting in winning lines. When this emblem helps form a win, regular symbols in that line expand to cover their reels, which can turn small hits into serious payouts.

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 powerful. The golden Kraken emblem acts as a Wild Scatter Symbol, so it both substitutes for other icons on paylines and counts as a Scatter wherever it lands. On top of that, the game uses an Expanding Win mechanic and a Free Spins feature. I find that most of the serious action comes from combining these two elements in the bonus round.

Whenever I land a winning combination that includes the Kraken emblem, the regular symbol involved expands to fill all three positions on its reel. Each reel with a qualifying symbol expands separately, while the emblem itself does not. This Expanding Win mechanic can suddenly cover several reels with matching icons, creating new lines and improving the payout. It feels particularly strong when high-paying symbols or multiple reels expand at the same time.

Free Spins in Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair trigger when three, four or five Kraken emblems land anywhere, awarding 10 free spins plus Scatter pays of x2, x20 or x200. At the start of each free spin, one emblem is randomly placed on the grid, giving me extra chances to trigger Expanding Wins or retrigger the feature with new Scatters. With the right mix of expanding premiums and extra spins, the game can climb towards its 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%, which is slightly above the common 96% benchmark. Long-run simulations show it hovering around 96.03%, with a volatility index close to 149, so the swings are very sharp. The hit rate sits at about 23.7%, while the bonus appears on average once every 215 spins. From my sessions, that feels about right: dry streaks are common, but big multipliers can land out of nowhere.

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

I rate the presentation in Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair highly. The reels are framed in metal at the bottom of a blue sea, with broken masts and sunken ships hinting at what the Kraken has dragged under. Symbols stand out clearly, which helps during those expanding wins. The soundtrack mixes atmospheric underwater sounds with adventurous music, building tension nicely when Scatters land or big premium stacks crawl into view on the final reel.

Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair Slot Review

From a gambler’s point of view, Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair feels like a classic high volatility slot done right. The gameplay is very straightforward, yet the Wild Scatter Symbol and Expanding Win mechanic keep even the base game from feeling flat. When Free Spins hit and the guaranteed emblem appears on every spin, the board can fill with expanding premiums in a way that really suits the 7,777x top win on offer.

I do not expect gentle sessions from this slot, and the swings will not suit everyone, especially with the bonus sometimes taking a while. Stake limits and the lack of fancy modern mechanics might also put off players chasing more complex setups. For my taste, though, Beat the Beast: Kraken's Lair offers a strong mix of simple rules, sharp variance and punchy visuals, and I am always happy to take another shot at the Kraken.

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