Quick Stats
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Provider | Quickspin (Playtech) |
| Game Type | Video Slot |
| RTP | 96.29% (Blackspins FAQ incorrectly shows 96.46%) |
| Volatility | High |
| Reels / Rows | 5 × 3 |
| Paylines | 20 Fixed |
| Min Bet | $0.20 per spin |
| Max Bet | $100.00 per spin |
| Max Win | 7,326x stake |
| Release Date | 14 May 2019 |
| Features | Stacked Wilds, Multiplier Meter (1x–5x base, up to 15x in free spins), 3-Stage Free Spins (Symbol Upgrade → Whirling Wild Collection → Whirling Wild Drop) |
| Scatter Trigger | 3 Troll King Hammer scatters on reels 2, 3, and 4 |
| Theme | Norse Troll Folklore / Classical Music |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile (HTML5) |
What Is Hall of the Mountain King?
Hall of the Mountain King is Quickspin at their most ambitious — a slot game built around one of the most recognisable pieces of classical music ever written, with a three-stage free spins structure that literally builds toward a crescendo alongside Grieg’s orchestral score.
The Troll King lives inside a mountain in the frozen north. Outside, the base game runs across a stone reel set in daylight. Inside — deep in the cave during the free spins — the atmosphere turns dark, the music escalates, and the three-stage bonus sequence works through Symbol Upgrade, then Whirling Wild Collection, then an explosive Whirling Wild Drop finale. Every time the Troll King smashes a block, the music builds another notch.
In the base game, stacked wilds drive a Multiplier Meter that reaches 5x from a single winning combination with five wilds. It’s decent but deliberately restrained — the game saves its real potential for the bonus. The three-stage free spins sequence is where 7,326x becomes possible: low-value symbols are stripped from the reels and replaced with high-value stacks (Stage 1), up to six whirling wilds are gathered (Stage 2), then all those wilds crash onto the reels across three final spins with the upgraded multiplier still active (Stage 3).
Quickspin is a Stockholm-based studio, founded 2011 and acquired by Playtech in 2016. They’re known for polished Scandinavian visuals and mechanics that prioritise feature depth over quantity. Hall of the Mountain King is widely regarded as one of their finest releases.
Who this is for: NZ players who want a genuinely theatrical high-volatility pokie with a distinctive three-stage bonus structure, an unforgettable soundtrack, and a 7,326x ceiling. The game rewards patience — most of the value lives inside the bonus.
Who this is not for: Players who need frequent base-game payouts or a simple, low-feature experience. The base game is deliberately quiet between wild appearances. Average spins to bonus trigger is around 200, per real-play data reviewed.
RTP and Volatility
Hall of the Mountain King carries an RTP of 96.29%, confirmed across all independent sources. The Blackspins FAQ incorrectly states 96.46% — use 96.29% for session planning. At that return rate, the house edge is 3.71%. Blackspins also notes the RTP is split between the base game and free spins, with the base game offering a slightly higher share — common structure for high-volatility games where the bonus carries a larger proportion of the total RTP.
Volatility is high. Real-play data from one reviewer (jarttu84, 1,800 spins at €1) showed an average of approximately 200 spins between bonuses, with bonus wins ranging from 9x to 103x and an average of 50.7x per bonus. That average is modest for a high-volatility game, but the 7,326x theoretical maximum sits at the extreme end of a wide outcome distribution — most sessions won’t approach it, but the free spins structure does enable outsized wins when Stage 3 fires with a full Whirling Wild load.
At $0.20 minimum stake, a $40 session covers 200 spins — statistically enough for approximately one free spins trigger at that average. At $1.00 per spin, $200 is a reasonable session budget to expect a couple of bonus entries.
Do this: Before playing, decide whether you’ll use the $0.20 minimum to explore the game cheaply or play at a stake where the 7,326x theoretical maximum means something to you in dollar terms. At $0.20 per spin, the same 7,326x pays $1,465. At $1.00, it pays $7,326.
Betting Range
Hall of the Mountain King accepts bets from $0.20 to $100.00 per spin. All 20 paylines are fixed and always active. The bet is set as a total stake per spin using the Total Bet control — coin denominations adjust via up/down arrows.
At $100 maximum stake, the 7,326x maximum win pays $732,600. The Autoplay function allows up to 1,000 automatic spins with advanced loss and win limit settings.
Start here: Given the ~200 spin average to trigger the bonus, $0.20 per spin for 100 initial spins ($20 total) gives you a good read on the base-game wild frequency and multiplier meter behaviour before you consider scaling up. Most of what matters in Hall of the Mountain King is the bonus — but understanding how often wilds hit in the base game tells you how prepared the multiplier meter is when a scatter trigger eventually fires.
How to Play Hall of the Mountain King — Step by Step
Base game spins resolve quickly. Free spins — all three stages — can take several minutes depending on upgrade speed and symbol collection.
- Set your bet. Click the Total Bet section and adjust between $0.20 and $100 using the arrows. All 20 paylines are fixed.
- Open the paytable. Review the five troll symbol values, wild behaviour (golden shield), scatter trigger conditions (reels 2, 3, and 4 only), and multiplier meter operation.
- Press spin. Five reels display symbols across three rows. Left-to-right combinations on any of the 20 paylines pay from reel 1.
- Watch the Multiplier Meter on the left side of the screen. It only activates when a wild contributes to a winning combination. One wild in the win = 1x. Two = 2x. Three = 3x. Four = 4x. Five = 5x. If no wild is part of the win, no multiplier applies.
- Note stacked wilds. The golden shield wild lands in stacks on the reels. A single stack covering two or three positions on one reel can contribute multiple wilds to adjacent payline wins simultaneously — watch for full-reel wild stacks on reels 2, 3, or 4.
- Watch for Troll King Hammer scatters on reels 2, 3, and 4. Three scatters on those specific middle reels — and only those reels — trigger the Free Spins. Scatters on reels 1 or 5 alone do not trigger.
- During Stage 1: Each winning combination causes the Troll King to smash an Upgrade block on the right-side meter. This removes a low-value symbol from the reels and replaces it with stacks of the corresponding high-value symbol. If the Troll King smashes the multiplier meter’s bottom block, all multiplier values upgrade — base 1x–5x can reach 15x maximum. Smashing the top Upgrade block advances to Stage 2.
- During Stage 2: Each winning combination smashes a Whirling Wild block, releasing Whirling Wilds that are collected above the reels. Up to 6 can be gathered. The multiplier meter remains active and can still be upgraded. Smashing the top Stage 2 block advances to Stage 3.
- During Stage 3: Three free spins play out. On each spin, a random number of the collected Whirling Wilds drop onto the reels. The upgraded multiplier (up to 15x) from Stage 1 applies to all wins across all three spins.
Try this: During Stage 1, track which low-value symbol is removed first after each winning combination triggers a block smash. The game removes symbols in a fixed priority order — understanding which high-value symbol replaces which low-value one helps you anticipate the improving reel composition as Stage 1 progresses.
Symbols and Paytable
Hall of the Mountain King uses a two-tier symbol set — low-value card royals and high-value troll characters — plus the wild and scatter.
Low-value card royals (10, J, Q, K, A): Carved into stone in keeping with the visual theme. These are the symbols progressively eliminated during Stage 1 of the free spins and replaced with high-value stacks. They form the base of the paytable paying 3–5 per reel combinations.
High-value troll symbols (five types, ascending value):
- Two Warrior Troll variants — guards/soldiers of the mountain king
- Two female Troll variants — members of the mountain king’s court
- Troll King — the premium symbol. Pays 2x stake for 3 of a kind, 7.5x for 4, and 40x for 5 of a kind on a payline
Golden Shield — Wild: Substitutes for all symbols including the high-value trolls. Pays the same as the Troll King (up to 40x for five of a kind). Lands in stacks on the reels. When one or more wilds contribute to a winning combination, the Multiplier Meter activates at the corresponding level (1–5 wilds = 1x–5x multiplier).
Troll King Hammer — Scatter: Triggers the Free Spins when landing on reels 2, 3, and 4 simultaneously. This is a specific three-reel restriction — scatters on reels 1 or 5 without three middle-reel coverage do not trigger the feature.
Watch for: A full-column wild stack on reel 3. Because reel 3 is the central reel, a three-position wild stack here intersects every payline that runs through the middle of the grid — maximising simultaneous wild-contributing wins and pushing the Multiplier Meter to its highest base-game level in a single spin.
Bonus Features
Multiplier Meter (Base Game)
Active in the base game on every spin where a wild contributes to a winning combination. The meter on the left side of the reels shows five multiplier values. The level activated depends on how many wilds are part of the current winning combination:
1 wild in the win = 1x multiplier 2 wilds = 2x 3 wilds = 3x 4 wilds = 4x 5 wilds = 5x
All wins in that spin are multiplied by the activated level. The meter does not carry over between spins in the base game — it resets each spin. During free spins, the meter can be permanently upgraded to a 15x ceiling (see Stage 1 below).
Free Spins — Three Stages
Trigger: 3 Troll King Hammer scatters on reels 2, 3, and 4.
The free spins move the game from the outdoor setting into the mountain king’s cave. Grieg’s score intensifies at each stage transition.
Stage 1 — Symbol Upgrade: Winning combinations during Stage 1 cause the Troll King to smash blocks on the right-side Upgrade Meter. Each smashed block removes the corresponding low-value symbol from the reels entirely, replacing it with stacks of the equivalent high-value troll symbol. As Stage 1 progresses, the reel composition gradually purges low-value cards and fills with high-value trolls — improving every subsequent spin’s expected payline value.
The Troll King can also smash the bottom block of the Multiplier Meter during Stage 1. When this happens, all multiplier values permanently upgrade for the remainder of the free spins. The maximum reachable multiplier is 15x (up from the base game’s 5x ceiling).
Stage 1 ends when the Troll King smashes the top Upgrade block, automatically advancing to Stage 2.
Stage 2 — Whirling Wild Collection: Winning combinations during Stage 2 smash Whirling Wild blocks, releasing Whirling Wilds that are collected and held above the reels. Up to 6 Whirling Wilds can be collected before Stage 3 begins. The Multiplier Meter remains active and can continue to be upgraded toward 15x during Stage 2.
Stage 2 ends when the top Whirling Wild block is smashed, advancing to Stage 3.
Stage 3 — Whirling Wild Drop: Three free spins. On each of the three spins, a random number of the collected Whirling Wilds drop onto the reels at random positions. The upgraded multiplier from Stage 1/2 (up to 15x) applies to all wins across all three spins.
This is the climax — all accumulated upgrades (upgraded reel symbols from Stage 1, collected wilds from Stage 2, upgraded multiplier) combine across three final spins. The soundtrack reaches its famous crescendo simultaneously. Stage 3 with a full 6-wild collection and a 15x multiplier across an upgraded reel composition is the scenario behind the 7,326x maximum win.
Design and Theme
The base game takes place outside — green hillside, blue sky, stone reel set with carved symbols. The free spins move deep into the mountain cave: dark stone walls, glowing amber lighting, the Troll King’s hammer animated centre-stage. The setting shift is gradual and deliberate, tracking Grieg’s score as it escalates.
Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” starts quietly in Stage 1, builds through Stage 2, and reaches its iconic full-volume crescendo during Stage 3’s Whirling Wild Drop. If you know the piece — used in everything from Peer Gynt productions to countless film trailers — the synchronisation between the music and the three-stage bonus structure is genuinely impressive. Even players who don’t recognise it will feel the mounting tension.
The Troll King is the visual anchor — his hammer animations drive both the Upgrade blocks (Stage 1) and the block smashing in general. Each smash produces a satisfying crack and particle effect that communicates clearly what’s been triggered without cluttering the screen.
Quickspin’s HTML5 build runs cleanly across all devices. The game’s rich visual detail scales without compromise to smartphone screens in landscape mode.
Is Hall of the Mountain King Worth Playing?
Pros:
- Three-stage free spins structure is one of the most original bonus architectures in the Quickspin catalogue — each stage building on the last in a way that genuinely rewards long bonus runs
- Grieg’s orchestral score synchronised with the bonus escalation is an exceptional design achievement — the musical crescendo during Stage 3 is memorable
- 7,326x maximum win is a meaningful ceiling for a high-volatility 20-payline slot
- Symbol Upgrade mechanic (Stage 1) progressively improves the reel composition — unlike static free spins, Stage 1 wins directly improve the quality of every subsequent spin
- 96.29% RTP is confirmed and competitive for a high-volatility game
- $0.20 minimum stake; Autoplay up to 1,000 spins with loss/win limits
- Quickspin (Playtech subsidiary) — MGA-licensed, established developer with a strong fairness track record
Cons:
- Average ~200 spins between bonus triggers means long base-game waits are normal — patience is essential
- The three-stage bonus structure is initially confusing; several reviewers needed 3–4 bonus entries before fully understanding what was happening
- Average bonus win in real-play testing was ~50x — good but well below the 7,326x theoretical maximum that requires an optimal Stage 3 run
- Base game is deliberately quiet — few features fire between scatter triggers, making standard spins feel flat for players expecting ongoing base-game action
- Scatters only trigger from reels 2, 3, and 4 — Blackspins doesn’t specify this; players expecting any-reel triggers will be confused when edge-reel scatters appear without triggering
Hall of the Mountain King is an exceptional high-volatility slot for players who can appreciate both the patience it demands and the theatrical payoff when Stage 3 finally fires. The Grieg soundtrack integration is genuinely brilliant, the three-stage mechanic is unlike most free spins structures, and 7,326x is a ceiling worth chasing. Budget for ~200 spins per bonus entry, accept that most bonus rounds won’t hit anywhere near the maximum, and you’ll find one of Quickspin’s finest releases.
Responsible Gambling
Hall of the Mountain King uses a certified random number generator (RNG). All reel outcomes, scatter positions, upgrade block selections, whirling wild placements, and multiplier trigger events are fully random and independent between spins. The 96.29% RTP applies across millions of spins — individual sessions will deviate. High volatility means extended losing stretches are normal. Set a session budget before playing, and contact your local responsible gambling support service if gambling causes concern.