Thunder Screech

Thunder Screech Slot Review

Slot Provider: Play n Go

RTP: 96.2% | Variance: Medium | Maximum Win: 5,000x

Our Score: 8.0

Play at Casumo Casino
QUICK LINKS: Game Information | Where To Play | Full Review | 200 Spins | Compare Slots | Tips For Players | About The Developer

About Thunder Screech

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 8th March 2021

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.

Thunder Screech from Play n Go is a prairie-themed online slot with 5 reels and 10 paylines. Wilds are central to the gameplay. Up to 9 are randomly added in The Call Feature, and in The Strike, any Wilds on the reels are upgraded to Thunder Wilds with progressive multipliers and re-spins that continue until no more Wilds land. There is also a free spins round with guaranteed Thunder Wilds on each spin.

This is a medium variance slot with a maximum win of 5,000x and spins start at 10p.

 

Thunder Screech Game Information

  • RTP: 96.20% | 94.20% | 91.20% | 87.20% | 84.20%
  • Variance: Medium
  • Maximum Win: 5,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 4
  • Paylines: 10
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Theme: American Prairie
  • Features: Wilds, Multiplier Wilds, Free Spins, Sticky Wilds

Thunder Screech Review Scores

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

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"A medium variance prairie-themed slot with a couple of fun Wild features up it's sleeve powered-up by multipliers in the free spins round!"

Our Score: 8.0

Thunder Screech Pros and Cons

What We Liked

  • Fun features in the base game
  • Sticky Wilds always trigger re-spins
  • Good top payout for medium variance
  • Multipliers combine up to 9x
  • Nice design and soundtrack

What We Didn't like

  • A bit more volatile than expected

Theme & Design

Our Score 8

Prairie-themed slots tend to draw on the epic settings of North America – think Wolf Howl by Just For The Win or Bronco Spirit by Pragmatic Play – but for Thunder Screech Play n Go have taken a more basic approach with a cartoon style reminiscent of Disney. Illustrated mountains and forests form the backdrop whilst the reels are a mix of native Indian styles and almost photographic-level animal symbols.

Thunder Screech by Play n Go
Thunder Screech – a Prairie slot with cartoon vibes

It has a nice feel to it in fact and there are some fun animated moments when an eagle swoops over head or lightning strikes when one of the features trigger. Meanwhile, that atmosphere is completed by a soundtrack that mixes drumbeats, woodwinds and chanting. Whilst far from being epic, Thunder Screech still creates a unique and immersive identity that carries throughout.

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.

Thunder Screech has an optimum RTP of 96.2% in the UK which is about average for a Play n Go slot. For comparison others slots by this studio include Ghost of Dead (96.21% RTP), Hooligan Hustle (96.27%) and Boat Bonanza (96.25%).

The game does have four other RTP settings – 94.2%, 91.2%, 87.2% or 84.2%. Which you play at will be at the discretion of your casino. You can check the RTP by hitting the ‘?’ button on the bottom left of the reels when you load the game up. I verified this number at a few slot sites as part of this review. I found Barz Casino form White Hat Gaming runs at the 96.2% setting making it a good place to play.

This is a medium variance slot so less volatile than other Play n Go games and a good option for casual slots players less interested in the high risk action you find in games like Book of Dead.

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 maximum payout from one spin is 5,000x which is good for a medium variance slot. However, if you want bigger potential you could try the awesome Raging Rex 2 with a 30,000x max win, or any of the games in our list of Play n Go’s highest max win slots.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

This is a 5 reel by 4 row game where wins are scored by landing between 3 and 5 identical symbols from left to right across one of 10 paylines.

One of the impressive parts about Thunder Screech, asides from that 5,000x max win, is the high values in the paytable.

Thunder Screech Paytable
The paytable with 75x wins for highest paying premiums

Let’s start at the low end first though. Low payers are the cards 10 through to Ace, valued at between 0.2x for three 10s up to 3x for five Aces. The premiums are where things get interesting. These are the wildlife, from beavers, otters and badgers to wolves and ravens. They are valued at 1x for 3 beavers up to a massive 75x for 5 of the ravens.

There is also a Wild – a wooden bird – that subs in for all other symbols bar the scatters, and a variation called Thunder Wild which comes with a multiplier of up to 3x.

 

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 8

The name of the game here is Wilds … in standard format they simply sub for other symbols. They can drop at any time on a spin or through The Call feature in which between 5 and 9 are randomly added to the grid after a spin.

A win with Wilds in Thunder Screech
Wilds forming a win in testing

Better still, you may encounter a Thunder Wild that looks the same but displays a multiplier of up to 3x. These always trigger re-spins in which they stick whilst their multiplier increases by 1x on each spin. These can combine with other Thunder Wilds to from win lines with multipliers of up to 9x.

The Call feature in Thunder Screech
The Call adds up to 9 Wilds to the reels

Or, Thunder Wilds can also created by The Strike, a lightning bolt that hits the reels and upgrades ALL Wilds to become Thunder Wilds.

There is also a Free Spins round, triggered by landing 3 Dream Catcher Scatters anywhere on the grid. The same rules apply except players are GUARANTEED to land Thunder Wilds on every free spin. This then triggers re-spins that continue until there are no more Wilds present on the reels.

The Final Verdict

Our Score 8.0

Thunder Screech is a fun slot with a nice balance of features that means you don’t have to hit the free spins round to enjoy some good payouts. Whilst base game wins aren’t that easy to come by, once one of the Strike or Call features is triggered things can heat-up quickly enough. In particular, the multiplier Thunder Wilds are powerful symbols, especially when they combine, and with these being guaranteed on every spin in the bonus round there is every reason to believe this game can deliver on its 5,000x max win potential.

Boom or Bust? 200 Spins On Thunder Screech

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 Thunder Screech for free at Casumo to test the game and this is what happened.

  • Stake Size: £1
  • Start balance: £25,000
  • End balance: £24,898.70
  • Biggest Win: 40.2x
  • Free Spins: 0
  • Session Time: 16 minutes 20 seconds

Although Play n Go have this down as a medium variance slot to me it felt more like medium-high, so be ready for that. The free spins round did NOT trigger even once over 200 spins and the wins weren’t as regular as I expected. However, the two headline features did both trigger 3 times each. Of the two, the Strike was the most fun, on one occasion upgrading two wilds to Thunder Wilds, both of which grew to 3x multiplier wilds after 3 re-spins. You can see that in the screenshot below. That brought up a 40.2x win, the best of the session. The Call also produced an exciting moment late in the game by adding 5 Wilds to the reels which brought up a modest 12.2x win. You can see that in the second screenshot below.

The Strike Feature in Thunder Screech
The Strike brings up 2 3x Thunder Wilds for a 40.2x win
Wilds Added To The Reels in The Call
5 Wilds randomly added by The Call in testing produced a 12.2x win

Overall, it was disappointing not to find out how the free spins round goes and I did feel that the volatility was a little higher than expected, but this was a fun 200 spins with enough feature-triggers to keep me entertained throughout.

Useful Tips When Playing Thunder Screech

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 Out For Lightning Strikes

In my opinion the best feature in the game is The Strike. This is really effective if you have 2, 3 or more Wilds already on the reels as it transforms them into multiplier wilds which can produced big wins even in the base game.

2. Start With A Low Stake

I felt like the volatility was a bit higher than medium so beware as the game might burn you quicker than you expect. Therefore I would start with a low-ish stake to absorb any dead spins whilst waiting for features to drop.

3. Have The Sound On

Despite it’s slightly Disney-esque looks this game actually has a fun atmosphere with the sound on for those lightning strikes or swooping birds. Enjoy the production!

 

4. Play At Our Recommended Slot Sites

I suggest picking a site from the list on this page. We have chosen these sites because they are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission who set out strict guidelines on safety, security and fairness.

Who Made Thunder Screech?

  • Name: Play n Go
  • Established: 1997
  • UK License: Remote 021725-R-304911-020
  • Total Games: 200 +
  • Known For: Grid slots, high variance slots, huge range of themes, styles and maths models
  • Popular Slots: Book of Dead, Reactoonz 1 and 2, Troll Hunters 2, Rise of Olympus
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