Thunderkick – Who They Are & Their Games
If you were to make a list of the biggest online games designers, Thunderkick would definitely not be on it. In fact, it can be difficult to find games from this company: many casino sites have yet to discover the charms of this delightful and severely underrated outfit. Fortunately, Progress Play casinos have seen the light. This is great news, because Thunderkick slots are seriously good, displaying a unique and innovative creative flair which has made their games a favourite of in-the-know regular players.
This company certainly cannot be described as a giant of the industry. It has less than fifty employees in total, spread across a pair of offices, based in Stockholm in Sweden and on the Mediterranean island of Malta. Their roster of games is also on the tiny side, with a total output of less than a couple of dozen so far. But then again, they were founded barely five years ago in 2012, so that’s not a bad rate of progress for such a comparatively tiny outfit. And the focus is most definitely on quality, not quantity.
Thunderkick games always display a design ethic of exceptionally high quality, colourful graphics. They are consistently distinctive too. Their relatively small range and “unknown” reputation could be said to have given them a bit of a “cult” following. But the term “cult” seems to carry connotations of being an acquired taste, or being for fans only. And neither of these terms apply to this company’s designs.
Thunderkick games really are for everybody – once you’ve found them. There are several qualities which give Thunderkick titles their unique distinctiveness: attention to detail is one aspect, but they truly are the masters of unconventional design. Sure, there are some standard five reel spinning slots in their repertoire, but they really do push the boundaries and conventions of what a slot can be to a far greater extent than any of their big name rivals.
Take Birds on a Wire for example. In this game, each “spin” consists of a flock of multi-coloured feathered friends flying in to roost on a set of electricity wires. The fact that there are three rows of five birds is the only sacrifice to the standard slot format. These birds then fly off to be replaced by a completely new flock for each “spin”. A winning combination results in the comic birds being fried by the current, with comical cartoon effects, before being replaced by new arrivals. You carry on winning until these new arrivals fail to combine into a new win. All this takes place to a charming, light hearted soundtrack.
With Sunset Delight, the setting is a seaside promenade, with the glistening sea and an amusement pier as a backdrop. The “reels” consist of three rows of three ice cream scoops, sitting on their cones. Match the ice cream flavours (or in this case, colours) and you win. This time, the soundtrack is of a 1930s swing band and the pleasant sound of soft ice cream scoops plopping onto their cones.
In Frog Grog, the colourful and atmospheric scene is a bygone apothecary, with multi-coloured vials and jars of strange potions making up the “reel” symbols. These drop into place on the apothecary shelves. Matching jars explode, to be replaced with new containers from above. The process continues until you fail to achieve more matches. Meanwhile, exploding frogs can increase your prize multipliers, while your cash wins are displayed by coins bubbling out of a cauldron of golden liquid displayed below the shelves.
In Babushka, traditional Russian Matryoshka nesting dolls are the main symbols. Exploding eggs containing various bears add to the zany fun. Meanwhile Toki Time is a surreal take on the Japanese Tamagotchi craze from a few years back. Strange but colourful animated creatures emerge from five mini volcanos while magic mushrooms and dancing flowers gyrate in the foreground. It’s weird but charming at the same time.
These are just a select few of the charming games in Thunderkick’s small but perfectly formed range, but our favourite remains one of their earlier designs: the extraordinary and innovative Esqueleto Explosivo. This was ground breakingly original when it was first released back in 2014. The theme is the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead, with a Mariachi band accompanying you in the festivities in a traditional Mexican courtyard. Here, rows of colourful skulls clatter into place as fireworks and firecrackers explode in the distance. When they match, these too explode, to be replaced by more skulls. What’s more, for each successful clatter, your prize multiplier is increased. The bigger the prize, the more exuberant the band’s playing becomes as the friendly villagers join you in the celebrations.
These are just a few of the notable titles in Thunderkick’s small but perfectly formed range of entertaining slots. They really are well worth searching out: Progress Play casino sites always carry a varied selection for you to try. Then you can see if you agree with the many players who count this less well known company as their favourite games designers.