Beat the Beast: Quetzalcoatl’s Trial
By Thunderkick
Beat the Beast: Quetzalcoatl’s Trial is the fourth game in the Beat the Beast series from Thunderkick. Like each of the other slots in this series it is a high variance one featuring a mythical beast that must be slain to win big. This time it’s a feathered serpent god from Aztec culture. Quetzalcoatl’s Trial comes with a free spins round with symbol upgrades and a max win of 5,555x. Spins start at 10p.
Game Name | Beat the Beast: Quetzalcoatl’s Trial |
---|---|
Developer | Thunderkick |
Theme(s) | Aztec |
Release Date | July 2021 |
Rows | 3 |
Reels | 5 |
Paylines | 9 |
Volatility | High |
RTP Rate | 96.16% |
Max Win | 5,555x |
Min Bet | £0.10 |
Format | 5-Reel |
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Review Scorecard
What Our Reviewer Says …
An engaging Aztec slot with striking graphics and simple gameplay. A good spin although the features are a little underwhelming and lacking in originality.
What We Like
- Colourful Aztec-themed graphics
- Symbol upgrades increases your chances of big wins
- Extend the bonus round by collecting wilds
- High paytable values maxing out at 250x
What We Didn't Like
- Limited features
- Low max win for a high variance slot
Theme and Design
Thunderkick are big on visual production and they don’t let us down here. Quetzalcoatl is an Aztec god and the backdrop to the reels displays Aztec temples under a pink-orange sky with lush forests and mountains too. The reels themselves are framed in stone and the paytable is made up of intricately drawn symbols including what looks like Quetzalcoatl himself, a feathered serpent in glorious primary colors. If you enjoy Aztec culture in your slots you’ll love this.
RTP and Variance
Beat the Beast: Quetzalcoatl’s Trial has an RTP of 96.16%. Thunderkick games generally have an RTP of around 96.1% so this is what you would expect from this game studio. However, they do have a few games with higher value and if that is what you are looking for then we would suggest trying Fruit Warp at 97% or 1429 Unchartered Seas at 98.6% RTP.
Like all games in the Beat the Beats series, this is a high variance slot so you can expect an uneven win distribution. It can burn your balance fast so choose a sensible stake. Thunderkick have a few games like this in their catalogue and if you enjoy volatile slots they you could also try Pink Elephants or Flame Busters by the same developer.
Maximum Win
The max win from a single spin here is 5,555x which is a bit so-so. Certainly not as good as the potential you can find in other high variance games from Thunderkick such as Gods of Rock (20,000x) or Big Fin Bay (15,040x).
Symbols and Paytable
The game plays on a 5×3 reel set with just NINE fixed paylines in play at all times. Wins are triggered by landing three or more identical symbols on a payline from left to right starting at the left most reel.
Low pay symbols are the cards, 10 through to Ace. They are valued up to 15x for five Aces on a payline. The mid-range symbols are the cup, the axe and the headdress, valued at up to 40x for five on a payline. The top paying symbols are the dragon and Quetzalcoatl himself. These have massive potential, valued as they are at up to 250x for five on a payline.
There is also a Wild which subs for all other symbols to form wins, pays out at 250x for five on a line AND plays a part in transforming low value symbols into premiums as we shall see in the next part of our review.
Finally, check out the game logo scatter which is required to unlock free spins AND itself pays out up to 250x for five on a line.
Features and Gameplay
The gameplay in Quetzalcoatl’s Trial might be simple but there is the potential to hit some exciting win sequences in the free spins round where low value symbols are upgraded. Here is how it works.
Unlock Free Spins With THREE Scatters
If you land 3 of the golden scatter emblems, you’ll trigger the Free Spins round, which gives you 10 free spins initially.
During the round you can level-up by collecting Green Wilds. So, not only do these symbols help you trigger bigger wins but they also collect in a meter at the side of the reels. For every FIVE that are collected, a new level is unlocked and the lowest value symbols on the paytable are upgraded to a mid level symbol. When there are no more low value symbols, mid level ones are upgraded to premium level.
Your objective is to upgrade ALL symbols to the premium level at which point you will be hitting big payouts on EVERY spin.
And … each time you fill the meter with five wilds you will also get 2 more spins.
And … every time you land 3 scatters on a spin you’ll re-trigger the round with 10 more spins!
Final Verdict
Beat the Beast: Quetzalcoatl’s Trial is a strong slot from Thunderkick. It has great visuals and whilst the gameplay is not particularly sophisticated or intricate, it nonetheless offers some compelling action. Those who have played this studio’s Pink Elephants slots will be familiar with the idea of symbol upgrades in the bonus round. If you get on a roll they can help deliver some great win sequences. The caveat to that is, with just a 5,555x top win potential Quetzalcoatl’s Trial falls a little short of the kind of blockbuster payouts you can expect in other high variance slots.
Testing Notes
Test spins and results analysis by Mark Wadie on 10.07.24
Results from 100 spins with real money on Beat the Beast: Quetzalcoatl’s Trial at Casumo.
- Stake Size: £0.1
- Start balance: £1,027.95
- End balance: £1,051.81
- Hit Rate: 21% (21 winning spins in 100)
- Biggest Win: 142.5x
- Free Spins Round: 3
Volatile slots can do weird things and it’s fair to say this one won’t give you 3 free spins rounds in 100 spins very often. But on this occasion it did. And that’s a good thing, because that is all you play Quetzalcoatl’s Trial for. The base game is rudimentary, though very nicely presented of course. The free spins round is where you can score much bigger wins thanks to those symbol upgrades.
The best result I got was a 142.5x from the first set of free spins. I managed to extend the round twice by collecting 5 green wilds each time. That upgraded the 2 lowest value premium symbols by one place and extended the round to 14 spins. It’s a neat trick and fun to watch. The other 2 free spins rounds produced wins of 39x and 89x. There were 21 winning spins in 100 which isn’t bad either.
We can’t promise that will happen for you of course but it’s a taste of what Quetzalcoatl’s Trial can offer.
Who Made Beat the Beast: Quetzalcoatl’s Trial?
- Name: Thunderkick
- Established: 2012
- UK License: 40165
- Total Games: 55
- Known For: Quirky, eccentric slots with fun features and distinctive designs
- Popular Slots: Pink Elephants 1 and 2, Flame Busters, Birds on a Wire