Stormforged

Stormforged Slot Review

Slot Provider: Hacksaw Gaming

RTP: 96.41% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 12,500x

Our Score: 8.8

Play at Barz Casino
QUICK LINKS: Game Information | Where To Play | Full Review | Compare Slots | Tips For Players | About The Developer

WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS REVIEW: The information and opinions on this page are the result of an comprehensive process of information gathering and live game testing by the gambling experts who work at allslotsites.com. Find out more here.

About Stormforged

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 5th July 2023

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.

Stormforged is a Norse-themed high variance slot from Hacksaw Gaming with 5 reels and 14 paylines. In this atmospheric game the action switches between kingdoms of ice and fire – the realms of Midgard and Muspelheim – and invokes Surtur, a fire giant, and several Viking Warriors. Hand of Surtur Scatters expand downwards as wilds if it helps to complete wins, triggering multipliers in the process. They may also break through Treasure Chests to open up more multipliers of up to 2,500x. There are also 2 bonus rounds with sticky wilds and wild reels that display one of three Vikings warriors with multipliers of up to 200x.

Stormforged has a maximum win of up to 2,500x and spins start at 10p.

Stormforged Game Information

  • Release Date: March 2023
  • RTP: 96.41% | 94.28% | 92.35% | 88.46%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 12,500x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 4
  • Paylines: 14
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Theme: Norse
  • Features: Expanding Wilds, Free spins, multipliers, sticky wild reels

What We Liked

  • Treasure Chests worth up to 2,500x
  • Huge multipliers - up to 200x
  • Sticky wild reels bring big potential
  • Great artwork in bonus rounds
  • Higher top win than most Hacksaw games

What We Didn't like

  • Option for low RTP settings
  • Very tough to unlock bonuses

Stormforged Review Scores

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

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"A high class Norse-themed slot with some familiar Hacksaw features and plenty of opportunities to score big wins with massive multipliers!"

Overall Score: 8.8

Theme & Design

Our Score 9

A Frosty, Norse-Themed Game Stacked With Dramatic Imagery

With its classic Norse imagery and storyline, Stormforged follows in the footsteps of many Norse-themed slots that have come before it, including Microgaming’s classic Thunderstruck 2. The icy backdrop represents the realm of Midgard – basically the known world in Norse Mythology. But the action quickly shifts to the firey realms of Muspelheim if you unlock the free spins rounds.

Stormforged by Hacksaw Gaming
Stormforged – Impressive Norse Visuals and Atmosphere

As with all Hacksaw slots I found the production to be impressive, particularly the animations that show portals to Muspelheim opening on the reels, the Hammer of Thor hitting the reels in the bonus round, and the Viking Warriors themselves on the wild reels.

Hacksaw have also found a way to represent yet another terrifying character in one of their games – Surtur, a fire giant who doesn’t look entirely unlike Anubis from Hand of Anubis. Maybe another duelling slot in the making there ….!

Altogether, a great looking slot doing justice to the theme and epic potential.

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.

Casinos will run Stormforged at one of FOUR available RTP settings: 96.41%, 94.28%, 92.35% or 88.46%. The optimum setting of 96.41% is good, but you don’t want to be playing at any of the lower RTP levels if possible. We verified the RTP of Stormforged at five UK slot sites to see what setting they had chosen for the game. This is what we found:

Therefore, If you want to play Stormforged at the optimum RTP then we recommend that you play at MrQ.

Stormforged is a high variance slot, similar to Hacksaw Gaming slots like Hand of Anubis and Itero. The balance of payouts may be uneven, but the game has the potential to kick out some big win sequences where sticky expanding wilds, multipliers and free spins combine.

Maximum Win

Our Score 9

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 maximum payout in Stormforged is 12,500x which is the highest maximum win available for a Hacksaw Gaming slot at time of writing (July 2023). Other Hacksaw slots with  a 12,500x max win are RIP City and Cursed Seas.

If you are looking for even better max wins then check out our article on the highest maximum win slots of all time.

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
Mayan StackwaysHacksaw Gaming96.23%High10,000xPlay Here
Beast BelowHacksaw Gaming96.29%High10,000xPlay Here
Gladiator LegendsHacksaw Gaming96.31%High10,000xPlay Here
BloodthirstHacksaw Gaming96.19%High10,000xPlay Here
Hand of AnubisHacksaw Gaming96.24%High10,000xPlay Here
Cursed SeasHacksaw Gaming96.22%High12,500xPlay Here
Alpha EagleHacksaw Gaming96.26%High10,000xPlay Here
Buffalo Stack n SyncHacksaw Gaming96.36%High10,000xPlay Here

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 9

Good Paytable Values Can Be Enhanced By Massive Mutipliers

Stormforged is a 5 reel slot with 4 rows and 14 active paylines in play on every spin. Wins are triggered in the ususal way when 3 or more identical symbols drop onto a payline from left to right, starting at the left-most reel.

This slot has an impressive paytable, with some strong values across the board. All the more impressive when you consider how much uplift can also be experienced from the multipliers available in the game’s features.

Stormforged Paytable
Paytable on Stromforged

Low payers are the cards Jack through to Ace. They are valued at from 0.1x for 3 Jacks up to 6x for 5 Aces. Premiums are the swords, axe, helmet, rams head, raven and wolf, valued at from 0.5x for 3 swords up to 50x for 5 wolves.

There is also a Wild in Stormforged that substitutes in for all other symbols to complete winlines and pays out at 100x for five on a line, a Treasure Chest that pays out up to 4x for 5 on a line, and two scatters that unlock the free spins rounds.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 9

Hacksaw Are Still Finding New Ways To Trigger Multipliers 

Stormforged’s format of expanding wilds with multipliers and two free spins rounds will be familiar to Hacksaw Gaming fans. But the addition of wild reels and a treasure chest is novel and adds new dimensions.

Expanding Wilds – Portals to Muspelheim

Central to the gameplay are expanding wilds, woven into the narrative of the game here as ‘Portals to Muspelheim’. These are triggered when a Hand of Surtur scatter lands on any reel. When it drops, if by expanding downwards as an expanded wild it would form part of a winline, then it does so.  The space where the expanded wild appears is known as a Portal to Muspelheim.

Hand of Surtur in Stormforged
Hand of Surtur Scatters expand downwards as an expanding wild

If the portal passes through a Wild then that Wild takes on a multiplier of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x, 100x or 200x. This multiplier is applied to all winlines passing through the portal.

The portal may also pass through a Treasure Chest, smashing it open in the process and awarding its content as prizes. Treasure Chests have a massive range of prizes from 5x up to 2,500x your bet.

And … if the portal passes through a Wild AND a Treasure Chest then the two multipliers are combined for the payout.

Surtur’s Vengeance Bonus Round

For the first of two bonus rounds, landing 3, 4 or 5 Surtur Scatters gets you 10, 12 or 14 free spins. For Surtur’s Vengeance the first Wild to land on each reel is sticky for the whole round and any Wilds that were on the reels when the feature was awarded are carried over though only one sticky Wild is allowed per reel.

During Surtur’s Vengeance, the Frost Sword Scatter takes on the role of the Hand of Surtur Scatter from the base game – it drives downwards to create a portal if by doing so it would create winlines. It also acquires multipliers from any wilds it passes through and opens any Treasure Chests too.

This round can be enhanced by landing 2, 3, 4 or 5 further scatters to earn 2, 4, 6 or 8 extra spins.

Warriors of the Storm Bonus Round

The second bonus round is triggered by landing 3, 4 or 5 Viking Scatters to earn 10, 12 or 14 free spins. Now, the Hammer of Thor may land, turning any reel it drops onto into a fully wild reel filled either with a Viking Warrior or a Storm.

Stormforged Bonus Round
Stormforged Fully Wild Reel in Free Spins

Viking Warriors come in 3 formats and are wild for the whole round – Rogue has a multiplier of 2x, 3x, 4x or 5; Shieldmaiden has a multiplier of 6x, 7x, 8x, 9x or 10x; Berserker has a multiplier of 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x, 100x or 200x.

Storm Reels are wild for only the first spin after they appear. Then they move one reel to the left, pushing any other Storm Reels further left as they do. If there is no available space to the left of the Storm Reel then it stays where it is.

This round can be extended when 2, 3, 4 or 5 Viking Scatters earn the player 2, 4, 6 or 8 extra spins.

The Final Verdict

Stormforged is an excellent high variance slot from Hacksaw, arguably one of their best to date. The theme is a little over-used, and the design style less unique than Hand of Anubis for example, but we quickly set those reservations aside. And whilst Stormforged utilises features that we have seen in other games by this provider, what sets it apart is the addition of further triggers that can push wins up to new heights.

For example, the expanding wilds, or Portals to Muspelheim as they are here, have appeared as Siren Wilds in Beast Below, and Cursed Chests in Cursed Seas, with equally high multipliers. But on this occasion, Hacksaw have added in the chance to trigger Treasure Chests with huge potential as the symbols expand downwards. And in Temple of Torment we had Sticky Wild Scarabs during free spins, much like the Sticky Wilds that appear here, but this time they appear alongside the Frost Swords that combine with Treasure Chests and Wild Multipliers once again. So, not just a case of treading the same ground, but more evolutions of ideas in this case.

The stand-out feature is the Warriors of the Storm Round which we played with Bonus Buy on the Hacksaw site. With potential for Sticky Wild Reels with multipliers up to 200x on multiple reels, you can see how this round can stack up massive wins.

And big wins are definitely going to be possible here – the high values in the paytable, huge multipliers and big Treasure Chest all point in that direction– though they will be rare things.

So, overall, a high quality, if volatile offering from Hacksaw, and one that fans of the studio, and high risk slot fans in general, will definitely enjoy.

Compare Stormforged With Similar Slots Picked By Us

Here are more games like Stormforged compared on configuration and features. Click through to read a review of each one.

Slot GameProviderThemeMin. StakeMax. RTPVariancePaylinesTop PayoutJackpot
Hacksaw Gaming£0.1096.19%1010,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingAnimals£0.1096.23%High2610,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingAnimals£0.1096.31%MediumScatter Pays5,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingAnimals£0.1096.26%High2010,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingAmerican Prairie£0.1096.36%High1010,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingHistory£0.1096.31%High1010,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingHorror£0.1096.27%High3510,000xNo
Hacksaw GamingPirates£0.1096.22%High2612,500xNo

Useful Tips When Playing Stormforged

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. Powerful Wilds And Treasure Chests Combine

One of the most exciting base game events to look out for is where a portal passes through both a Wild AND a Treasure Chest, triggering a combination of their two multiplier values. Look out for this!

2. Warriors Of The Storm Bonus Round Is The Better

Of the two bonus rounds, in my opinion, Warriors of the Storm is the better. Those fully wild reels can be incredibly powerful when they come with big multipliers. Therefore, keep your eyes peeled for Viking scatters.

3. Choose A Low Stake

A session on Stormforged can feel as icy-cold as the game looks so I recommend you pick a low stake level to absorb the tougher runs. Hacksaw games start from 10p giving you the chance to stretch your balance.

4. Play At One Of Our Recommended Slot Sites

We recommend the sites on this page because they are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission which means they are fair, safe and secure. They also provide responsible gambling tools to help you manage your spend.

Who Made Stormforged?

  • Name: Hacksaw Gaming
  • Established: 2018
  • UK License: 54059
  • Total Games: 50 +
  • Known For: Dark, high variance output and bonus rounds driven by combining multipliers
  • Popular Slots: Hand of Anubis, Itero, Gladiator Legends, Break Bones
Find More Hacksaw Gaming slots

Like The Sound of Stormforged? Here are 4 more games chosen for you...

Hacksaw Gaming

Beast Below

Variance: | RTP: 96.29%

Max Win: 10,000x

Our Score 8.2

Play Now Read Review
Hacksaw Gaming

Hand of Anubis

Variance: | RTP: 96.24%

Max Win: 10,000x

Our Score 8.8

Play Now Read Review
Hacksaw Gaming

Itero

Variance: High | RTP: 96.18%

Max Win: 10,000x

Our Score 7.6

Play Now Read Review
Hacksaw Gaming

Time Spinners

Variance: High | RTP: 96.19%

Max Win: 10,000x

Our Score 8.4

Play Now Read Review

Allslotsites.com - Trusted and Independent Online Slot Reviews

Allslotsites.com has been publishing online slot reviews since 2018. It’s fair to say we know a thing or two about what makes a good game – that magic mix of theme, style, gameplay and payout potential. For each slot we review we take you on the full journey through its narrative and design, reel configuration, key numbers including RTP and max win, volatility level, gameplay, and finally an expert verdict. You can also check our comparison tables to see how each slot matches up against others handpicked by our reviewers and check our tips on hitting that winning streak.

We are not paid by the developers whose games we cover. We are independent and our views of each game are honest. That is why you can trust us!

Learn, explore and find your next slots adventure with us!!