Thunderkick Slots: Games, RTPs and Features
Thunderkick is an independent Stockholm studio founded in 2012, with a Malta subsidiary and licences in Great Britain, Malta, Sweden and Ontario. Its catalogue ranges from low-volatility games such as 1429 Uncharted Seas (98.6% RTP) to high-volatility titles like Esqueleto Explosivo 3 (7,500x max exposure). 9 casinos reviewed on BetsAuthority carry Thunderkick.
Thunderkick at a Glance
Thunderkick started in Stockholm in 2012 as a small studio and now employs more than 80 people. It describes itself as independent: it develops every slot and feature in-house and has no named parent company, which makes it one of the few established Swedish studios not owned by a larger group (compare Quickspin, owned by Playtech, and ELK Studios, owned by Light & Wonder). The studio is known for cartoon-style art with a strong identity, such as the Day of the Dead skeletons of Esqueleto Explosivo and the elephants of Pink Elephants.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012, Stockholm, Sweden |
| Entities | Thunderkick AB, Thunderkick Malta Ltd |
| UK licences | Gambling Commission accounts 40165 and 41752 |
| Other regulators shown | Malta Gaming Authority, Spelinspektionen (Sweden), AGCO (Ontario); Romanian supplier licence reported |
| Ownership | Independent |
| Staff | More than 80 |
| Casinos on BetsAuthority carrying it | 9 |
Signature Mechanics
- Dropping symbols with multipliers. In Esqueleto Explosivo, winning symbols explode and new ones drop in; each consecutive drop raises the Mucho Multiplier. The Explosivo Wild also destroys surrounding symbols.
- Cluster pays on later releases. Esqueleto Explosivo 3 moved the series to a 5×5 grid paying clusters of 5 or more matching symbols, with an avalanche mechanic and stacking multipliers.
- Symbol transformation. Pink Elephants uses mystery scatters and a free spins round where symbols transform into higher-paying ones, with retriggers.
- Series. Thunderkick extends its successful games into sequels, including Esqueleto Explosivo 2 and 3 and Pink Elephants 2.
Notable Releases
The figures below are taken from Thunderkick’s official game pages.
| Game | Release | Layout | RTP | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esqueleto Explosivo | 2015 | 5 reels, 17 lines | 96.0% | Low |
| Pink Elephants | October 2017 | 6 reels, 4,096 ways | 96.1% | High |
| 1429 Uncharted Seas | – | 5 reels, 25 lines | 98.6% | Low |
| Esqueleto Explosivo 3 | – | 5×5 cluster pays | 94.22% | High |
Esqueleto Explosivo 3’s page lists a max exposure of 7,500x the stake. The table shows how wide the range is within one studio: the original Esqueleto Explosivo and its third instalment share a theme but sit at opposite ends of the volatility scale, and their published RTPs differ by almost 1.8 percentage points.
RTP and Volatility Profile
Thunderkick is one of the few studios that keeps a meaningful share of low-volatility games in its catalogue. 1429 Uncharted Seas, at 98.6%, is among the highest-RTP video slots available: on A$1,000 of total stakes, the expected loss is A$14, against A$40 at 96%. Low volatility means frequent small wins and a low ceiling, which suits longer sessions and bonus wagering. Newer releases such as Esqueleto Explosivo 3 follow the market towards higher volatility and larger max exposure, at a lower published RTP. Check the RTP line in the game’s info screen at your casino, since lower configurations may be installed; see our guides to high RTP pokies and RTP.
Choosing a Thunderkick Game by Risk Level
Because the catalogue spans both ends of the volatility scale, the choice of game changes a session more than the choice of casino. A practical way to sort it:
- Long sessions or bonus wagering: low-volatility, high-RTP titles such as 1429 Uncharted Seas (98.6%) and the original Esqueleto Explosivo (96.0%). Wins arrive often and are mostly small; the ceiling is low.
- Feature-focused play: high-volatility games such as Pink Elephants (4,096 ways, free spins with symbol transformation). Expect long gaps between bonus rounds.
- Maximum upside: newer cluster-pays releases such as Esqueleto Explosivo 3 (7,500x max exposure), at the cost of a lower published RTP of 94.22%.
A useful rule of thumb from our bankroll management tips: on high-volatility games, size the stake so that the session budget covers at least 300 spins; on low-volatility games, 150–200 spins is usually enough to see the game’s typical behaviour. Esqueleto Explosivo 3’s lower RTP also means a higher expected cost: about A$58 per A$1,000 staked, against A$14 on 1429 Uncharted Seas.
Demo Play from Australia
Thunderkick’s website asks visitors to confirm they are 18 or older and offers a “Play Game” button on game pages. Unlike Push Gaming, Nolimit City and ELK Studios, whose official demos we confirmed are blocked from Australia, we have not confirmed an Australian block for Thunderkick, and availability can change by region. Several casinos also run Thunderkick demos in their own lobbies.
Availability at Casinos for Australians
9 offshore casinos reviewed on BetsAuthority list Thunderkick, including GunsBet, DundeeSlots, Bizzo, Cosmobet, Mori Win and MrPunter. That is more than for Push Gaming (2) or Big Time Gaming (3), though fewer than for Hacksaw Gaming (16). The full list is on the Thunderkick casinos page. These casinos are not licensed in Australia; see the offshore casinos guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thunderkick describes itself as independent. It was founded in Stockholm in 2012 and develops all its games in-house.
1429 Uncharted Seas, at 98.6% according to Thunderkick’s game page. It is a low-volatility game with 25 paylines.
The original is rated low volatility at 96.0% RTP. Esqueleto Explosivo 3 is rated high, with a 94.22% RTP and 7,500x max exposure.
In Great Britain (Gambling Commission accounts 40165 and 41752), with the Malta Gaming Authority, Sweden’s Spelinspektionen and Ontario’s AGCO also shown on its site.
9 reviewed casinos list Thunderkick.
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