Gates of Valhalla

Gates of Valhalla Slot Review

Slot Provider: Pragmatic Play

RTP: 96.46% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 10,000x

Our Score: 8.0

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About Gates of Valhalla

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 28th January 2022

How We Review Slot Games

We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.

Gates of Valhalla is a Norse-themed slot from Pragmatic Play with a 5×5 grid layout and 10 paylines based on horizontal or vertical lines of 3 or more identical symbols. The game has a classic Tumbling Reels set up but with Roaming Progressive Multiplier Wilds thrown in which grow by 1x with each successive tumble. The free spins round is a high-risk fans playground with a global progressive multiplier AND the roaming wild multipliers both increasing by 1x with each tumble and NO re-sets between spins. The round can also be re-triggered with 10 more spins for each 3 new scatters.

Gates of Valhalla has a maximum win of 10,000x and spins start at 20p.

Gates of Valhalla Game Information

  • RTP: 96.46% | 95.50% | 94.47%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 10,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 5
  • Paylines: 10
  • Minimum Stake: £0.20
  • Theme: Norse
  • Features: Tumbling Reels, Wilds, Walking Wilds, Progressive Multipliers, Free Spins

Gates of Valhalla Review Scores

  • Gameplay and Features 9
  • Maximum Win 8
  • Theme and Design 7
  • Paytable 8
  • RTP and Variance 8

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"Compelling Norse-themed action with a standard tumbling reels enhanced by roaming wilds with multipliers. Requires a lot of patience and a lucky run to get big payouts!"

Our Score: 8.0

Gates of Valhalla Pros and Cons

What We Liked

  • Norse theme and epic landscape
  • Free spins with progressive multipliers
  • Tumbling reels format
  • Good 10,000x top win
  • High risk gaming

What We Didn't like

  • Well-worn theme

Theme & Design

Our Score 7

Icy Norse Adventure With Dramatic Soundtrack

I wasn’t blown away by the visuals in Gates of Valhalla. It’s very much a Pragmatic Play game in this respect – they can deliver some really great looking slots from time to time but also occasionally ones that look like they were built on a budget. This falls into the latter category.

That said, it still carries some drama, with blue skies and rugged mountains providing an icy backdrop to the reel set which itself looks like it was forged from iron. The paytable itself is stacked with brightly-coloured gems and stone masks which look slightly at odds with the backdrop, but the soundtrack, a dramatic orchestral score, does a great job of carrying the game through the rare quieter spells.

Gates of Valhalla by Pragmatic Play
Gates of Valhalla – 5×5 reels and an icy backdrop

Overall, Gates of Valhalla has a simple appearance and does what is needed, though if you prefer more epic qualities in your Norse games you could try something like Hacksaw’s Stormforged instead.

RTP and Variance

Our Score 8

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next.  Read more here.

What is Variance?

Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.

Pragmatic Play slots regularly have more than one RTP setting, leaving it to the discretion of your casino to choose which level to run the game on. In this case, there are three settings – 96.46%, 95.5% and 94.47%. Whilst in truth you wouldn’t notice the difference between these 3 as you were playing – the numbers are calculated over millions of spins – it is always about giving yourself the best chance of winning. So, I recommend playing at the optimum RTP where possible. I checked five popular slot sites to find out what RTP level they had set. This is what I found.

As if often the case with this test, MrQ comes out on top – in this sample it is the only site to run the game at 96.46%. Therefore, if RTP is a big concern for you then I recommend you play there.

Gates of Valhalla is also a highly volatile slot with an unpredictable payout distribution. It may run with many non-winning spins but it can also kick out some massive win sequences in short bursts.

 

Maximum Win

Our Score 8

What Is Maximum Win?

Maximum win refers to the maximum amount a player can win from one spin. It is expressed as a multiple of the stake. For example, where the maximum win is 100,000x, from a £1 stake, the maximum win would be £100,000.  

The top payout here is 10,000x which is good for a Pragmatic Play slot. Most of their high risk games come in at around 5,000x to 10,000x though we have found bigger wins in this article. Games with similar payouts from the same provider include Crystal Cavern Megaways and Smugglers Cove.

Explore Games With Similar RTP, Variance and Maximum Win

Like the numbers? Here are some more games you might want to try.

Slot SiteSupplierRTPVarianceTop Payout
Eye of the StormPragmatic Play96.71%High10,000xPlay Here
Spellbinding MysteryPragmatic Play96.04%High10,000xPlay Here
The Dog House MultiholdPragmatic Play96.06%High9,000xPlay Here
StormforgedHacksaw Gaming96.41%High12,500xPlay Here
Power of Merlin MegawaysPragmatic Play96.09%HIgh40,000xPlay Here
Cursed SeasHacksaw Gaming96.22%High12,500xPlay Here
Beast BelowHacksaw Gaming96.29%High10,000xPlay Here
Hand of AnubisHacksaw Gaming96.24%High10,000xPlay Here

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

Unusual Win Ways Mechanic and Impressive Paytable Values

Gates of Valhalla uses an interesting pay ways mechanic that keeps you on your toes during the game. The grid is a simple 5 reels and 5 rows in size. Wins are triggered by landing 3 or more identical symbols in adjacent horizontal or vertical positions anywhere on the grid. That brings up just 10 paylines, or pay ways, in total.

Gates of Valhalla Paytable
The paytable – good value at 75x for 5 premiums

What impresses when you browse the paytable is the symbol values which are higher than you find in many other slots. That is likely because there are fewer pay lines than you find in most slots, so when you hit a win, it tends to be bigger.

Low value symbols are the brightly coloured gemstones in the shape of card suits: diamond, club, heart and spade. They are valued at from 0.2x for 3 diamonds to 5x for 5 spades. The premiums are the stone faces of Norse gods in green, pink and red. They are valued at from 0.5x for 3 greens up to 75x for 5 reds.

There are also Golden Lion Wilds that substitute for other symbols to complete win lines and have special properties as we will find out, and free spins symbols which land on any reel and trigger the bonus round.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 9

Tumbling Reels and Roaming Wild Progressive Multipliers

I enjoyed the gameplay in Gates of Valhalla during testing. It uses a classic Tumbling Reels mechanic with progressive multipliers but throws a roaming sticky wild into the mix to keep you on your toes and add extra jeopardy to proceedings.

The Tumbling Reels triggers after any win, with winning symbols exploding off the reels in style before new ones drop in to replace them. The interesting part is that Wild symbols do NOT explode, but stick on the reels, and move, or Roam, one space to the left, right, top or bottom, if possible. If not, they just stay where they are.

The exciting part is, for each tumble, the wild’s own multiplier increases by 1x up to a maximum of 5x. That multiplier applies to any win that the wild is involved with.

Gates of Valhalla Roaming Wild
A roaming wild with 2x multiplier – note one more lined up on reel 1

Get Up To 15 Free Spins With A Global Progressive Multiplier

The free spins round is generous in Gates of Valhalla giving you 10, 12 or 15 spins for 3, 4 or 5 free spins symbols landed. As well as the chance to re-trigger an unlimited number of times by landing 3 more free spins symbols. That gets you 10 more spins.

The best part is that you now have a classic global progressive multiplier which increases by 1x with each successive tumble and does NOT re-set between spins. This works alongside the Roaming Wild Multipliers as well.

In my opinion that is a superb free spins configuration. It bares all the hallmarks of a super-charged high variance slot feature with the chance to build massive multipliers and just keep hitting win after win until that 10,000x cap is reached.

The Final Verdict

Our Score 8.0

On first appearances I didn’t think that I would be a big fan of this game. I wasn’t wowed by the visuals or the simple gameplay. But the test session, despite being a losing one, was pleasantly surprising. It’s a slot that rattles along at its own lightning quick pace, helped by the dramatic score and the regular drip drip of tumbles peppered with multiplier wilds. And whilst wins were infrequent, and usually small when they dropped, the constant tease of a big potential wild multiplier sequence make for compelling play.

I cannot say what the free spins round is like to spin on because I didn’t get that far, but as I have said persistently throughout this review, it is 100% built for drama and its simple but effective mix of features means it will deliver time and again for lucky punters who play on the right day. The only caveat is those variable RTP settings and I recommend you check yours before you play. Aside from that, Gates of Valhalla is a really entertaining slot and a great option for high variance fans.

Boom or Bust? 200 Spins On Gates of Valhalla

To give you an accurate and honest assessment of the games we review our writers play 200 spins. Whilst this is a useful tool to help us review games and to give an example of what might happen when you play, keep in mind that 200 spins is only a very small sample and cannot be used to accurately predict what might happen over another 200 spins. The outcome of all slots play is always random.

I played 200 spins on Gates of Valhalla for free at Casumo Casino to test the game and this is what happened.

  • Stake Size: £2
  • Start balance: £100,000
  • End balance: £99,821.80
  • Biggest Win: 21.8x
  • Free Spins Rounds: 0
  • Session Time: 18 minutes 32 seconds

A 200-spin session on Gates of Valhalla was great fun even though I didn’t unlock the free spins round at any point and the return on my spins was negative. The action ticked along at a good pace with lots of tumbles and regular roaming wilds, sometimes even 2 on one spin.  The biggest win was a 21.8x from a good line of 5 premiums followed up with a 3x roaming wild multiplier. You can see that in the screenshots below.

Gates of Valhalla 21.8x win
A 21.8x win from a line of premiums and 3x multiplier

Useful Tips When Playing Gates of Valhalla

Remember, online slots are games of chance, there is NO strategy that can improve your odds of winning. However, reading our review and following these tips will help you get the most out of your time playing this slot game.

1. Watch The Wild Multipliers Build

Roaming Wild Multipliers were not uncommon in the base game and they can really add value to your wins. Keep your eye on those symbols as they grow up to 5x.

 

2. Free Spins Round Can Be Epic

Any high variance fan will tell you that the configuration of the bonus round in Gates of Valhalla is built for epic sequences. With multiple progressive multipliers and re-triggers available, it can go off at any time!

3. Choose a Low Stake

I recommend playing at the lowest stake level in this slot, which is 20p. That will give you the best chance of unlocking the bonus round before you burn out as it can be a long journey.

4. Play At Our Recommended Slot Sites

The sites recommended on this page are all licensed by the UK Gambling Commission which means that are safe, fair and secure with appropriate responsible gambling tools to help manage your spend.

Who Made Gates of Valhalla?

  • Name: Pragmatic Play
  • Established: 2015
  • UK License: Remote 046683-R-325951-014
  • Total Games: 500 +
  • Known For: Wide range of themes and styles, live casino including gameshow formats, and bingo
  • Popular Slots: Fruit Party, Dog House Megaways, Big Bass Bonanza, Release the Kraken
Find More Pragmatic Play

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