Quick Stats
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Provider | Microgaming / Games Global |
| Game Type | Video Slot |
| RTP | 95.07% (243 ways) / 95.03% (15 paylines) |
| Volatility | Medium-High |
| Reels / Rows | 5 × 3 |
| Paylines | 243 Ways to Win |
| Min Bet | $0.30 |
| Max Bet | $6.00 |
| Max Win | 20,250x stake |
| Features | Stacked Wilds, Scatter Wins, Four House Free Spins, Gamble Trail |
| Theme | Fantasy / TV Series |
| Release Date | January 2015 |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile |
What Is Game of Thrones?
Game of Thrones is a branded online pokie built around the HBO television series of the same name, which aired from 2011 to 2019. Microgaming licensed the IP directly from HBO, which means you get the real soundtrack, the authentic house sigils, and the Iron Throne — not a knockoff fantasy reskin.
The slot comes in two versions: 243 ways to win and 15 paylines. This review focuses on the 243 ways version, which carries the slightly higher RTP and the broader bet range. The core appeal is the four-house free spins selection — each house offers a different combination of free games, multipliers, and stacked symbols, giving you genuine choice about how aggressively you want to play the bonus round.
Game of Thrones suits players who enjoy mid-length sessions with periodic big swings. It’s not designed for low rollers hoping for constant small wins, and at a $6.00 maximum bet, it won’t appeal to high rollers who need room to move. Casual players who love the show will find plenty to enjoy; grinders chasing jackpot-tier payouts should look elsewhere.
Try the demo version first to get a feel for how often the free spins trigger and which house fits your style before putting real money on the line.
Game of Thrones RTP and Volatility
The 243 ways version carries a 95.07% RTP, which sits just under the 96% industry average — a common characteristic of branded titles, where licensing costs typically push the theoretical return down slightly. In practice, this means that over millions of spins, the game returns approximately $95.07 for every $100 wagered. That’s a long-run mathematical average, not a session-by-session guarantee, and the random number generator (RNG) ensures every spin is independent of the last.
The variance on Game of Thrones is medium-to-medium-high. That distinction matters. In the base game it behaves more like a medium volatility slot — the 243 ways format generates regular small wins, and stacked wilds land with enough frequency to keep things moving. But the big money is front-loaded into the free spins, particularly the Baratheon round with its 5x multiplier. During cold streaks without bonus triggers, you can watch a bankroll erode steadily. The hit frequency sits around 27%, meaning roughly one in every four spins lands some kind of win.
At $1.00 per spin, budget for 40–60 spins between significant bonus triggers as a realistic planning figure. Players choosing House Baratheon are effectively raising their own variance within the feature — higher reward ceiling, fewer free games to catch a big hit.
Game of Thrones Betting Range
The 243 ways version has a minimum bet of $0.30 and a maximum bet of $6.00 per spin. That’s a narrow range by modern standards. At the lower end, it’s accessible for casual players testing the bonus features; at the top, the maximum potential win of $121,500 (NZD equivalent) assumes you’re playing $6.00 spins and hit the Baratheon jackpot scenario.
Note that the 15-payline version has a different betting structure — from $0.15 to $15.00 per spin — so if you’re a higher-stakes player, that version gives you more room. The paylines version also has a marginally different paytable, so the two editions aren’t direct swaps of each other.
Set your stake at a level that allows at least 100 spins without burning through your session budget. At $0.30 per spin, that’s a $30 session fund.
How to Play Game of Thrones
- Set your bet. Use the +/- controls at the bottom of the screen to choose your coin size. The 243 ways version accepts bets from $0.30 to $6.00 per spin.
- Check the paytable. Hit the info button before your first spin. It shows symbol values, scatter pay amounts, and the exact free spins structure for each house.
- Start a round. Click the Spin button at the bottom right. Use Autoplay for continuous sessions — you can set up to 500 auto-spins with optional stop conditions tied to win thresholds.
- Understand how wins work. With 243 ways to win, you don’t need to land symbols on specific paylines. Three or more matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right produce a win, regardless of row position.
- Watch for scatter symbols. Two Iron Throne scatters anywhere on the reels pay a random cash prize. Three or more trigger the free spins selection screen.
- Choose your house at the bonus trigger. You’re presented with four options — pick based on your session goal (more spins vs higher multiplier).
- After a win, decide whether to gamble. A Gamble Trail prompt appears after winning spins. You can collect immediately or risk it on a coin flip for a chance to double your win up to four times. Note: this feature is only available on desktop, not mobile.
Try this: On your first session, set autoplay to 50 spins at minimum stake and watch the scatter frequency before committing to higher bets.
Game of Thrones Symbols and Paytable
The symbol set is split between low-pay card values and high-pay house emblems.
The four low-paying symbols are metallic renderings of the playing card royals — Jack, Queen, King, and Ace — displayed in the distinctive Game of Thrones font. Five of a kind pays between 1.33x and 2x your bet for these.
The four high-paying symbols are the house sigils: Targaryen (the three-headed dragon), Stark (the direwolf), Lannister (the lion), and Baratheon (the crowned stag). Five of a kind payouts in the 243 ways version: Targaryen pays 5x, Stark pays around 6.67x, Lannister pays around 8.33x, and Baratheon pays around 10x your stake. Five of the Game of Thrones logo wild symbol pays 16.67x.
The wild is the Game of Thrones logo. It appears stacked on all five reels in both the base game and during free spins, substituting for all symbols except the scatter. When a full reel of stacked wilds lands, it can complete multiple simultaneous winning combinations across the 243 ways — this is where the base game’s biggest hits come from.
The scatter is the Iron Throne. Two scatters anywhere on the reels pay a random cash prize (consolation win without triggering the bonus). Three or more scatters trigger the House Selection free spins screen.
Bonus Features
House Free Spins Selection
Three or more Iron Throne scatters trigger the bonus. You’re taken to a selection screen showing four houses, each offering a different trade-off between free games and win multiplier. Every house’s chosen symbol lands stacked on all reels during the feature, increasing the frequency of big wins when that symbol connects. Free spins can be retriggered by landing three more scatters during the feature.
House Baratheon Free Spins
Eight free spins with a 5x win multiplier applied to every payout. The Baratheon sigil lands stacked up to 3 symbols high on every reel. Fewest spins, highest multiplier — this is the highest-variance option and the one behind the 20,250x maximum win. Choose Baratheon when you’re prepared for a tight, high-stakes feature where one big symbol cluster plus the multiplier can produce the largest single-round payouts the game offers.
House Lannister Free Spins
Ten free spins with a 4x multiplier. The Lannister lion lands stacked 4 symbols high. A solid middle ground between Baratheon’s peak potential and the extended sessions offered by Stark and Targaryen. The extra two spins over Baratheon give you marginally more chances to retrigger.
House Stark Free Spins
Fourteen free spins with a 3x multiplier. Stark symbol stacks 5 symbols high. More spins mean more opportunities to retrigger and stay in the feature longer. Players who prefer building wins across a longer bonus round — rather than swinging for one monster hit — typically choose Stark.
House Targaryen Free Spins
Eighteen free spins with a 2x multiplier. Targaryen stacks 6 symbols high — covering more reel positions than any other house. Lowest volatility of the four options, with the most spins and the greatest retrigger potential. If your session bankroll is running low and you need the bonus to last, Targaryen is the defensive pick.
Gamble Trail
After any winning spin in the base game, the Gamble Trail activates. A coin is tossed and you predict heads or tails. A correct call doubles your current win and moves you one step forward on a map featuring locations from Essos and Westeros. Four consecutive correct predictions can multiply your win up to 4x its original value. Authentic HBO series clips play during the trail, giving this feature genuine production value. One wrong call ends the feature and you walk away with nothing. Important: the Gamble Trail is desktop-only and does not appear on mobile devices.
Microgaming and Games Global
Microgaming holds the title of the world’s first online casino software provider, having launched in 1994. The Game of Thrones pokie was released in January 2015, at the peak of the show’s cultural dominance. In 2022, Microgaming’s B2B games portfolio was acquired by Games Global, which now distributes the title — hence the “Games Global” listing you’ll see at some casinos. The underlying game, mechanics, RTP, and features are unchanged from the original Microgaming release.
Is Game of Thrones Worth Playing?
Pros:
- Four distinct free spins modes let you choose your own risk level during the bonus — a feature design that still holds up against modern releases
- The 243 ways format generates frequent enough base game wins to sustain longer sessions at lower stakes
- Stacked wilds land with meaningful frequency, making the base game more engaging than a typical scatter-hunt slot
- Maximum win of 20,250x stake is legitimate and achievable through the Baratheon feature, not a theoretical jackpot buried behind impossible probability
- Authentic HBO soundtrack and licensed assets give the theme real atmosphere
Cons:
- RTP of 95.07% sits nearly a full percentage point below the 96% industry average — you’re paying a premium for the licensed branding
- $6.00 maximum bet is restrictive for higher-stakes players
- The Gamble Trail is desktop-only, so mobile players miss a feature entirely
- Base game can feel thin between bonus triggers; the variance is front-loaded into the free spins
- Graphics look dated compared to 2024–2025 releases, even with the polished medieval aesthetic
Game of Thrones delivers for players who want a branded experience with genuine mechanical depth. The house selection feature adds real strategic interest that most TV-tie-in slots skip entirely. For a session bankroll of $30–$50 at mid-range stakes, it’s a solid NZD pokie. Players who prioritise RTP efficiency or high-bet flexibility should look at alternatives — Peaky Blinders by Pragmatic Play (96.50% RTP) or Thunderstruck II by Microgaming offer comparable thematics with better return rates or wider bet ranges.
Responsible Gambling
Game of Thrones uses a certified random number generator (RNG), meaning every spin is independent and outcomes cannot be predicted, influenced, or timed. All results are random. Before starting any session, set a budget you’re comfortable losing entirely. If gambling stops feeling like entertainment, step away and contact your local responsible gambling support service for help.