Release the Kraken

Soaking Up the Atmosphere

Drifting beneath the virtual waves of Release the Kraken, you’ll find yourself in a cartoon-bright underwater realm that leans way more toward Pixar than mythology. This is Pragmatic Play at its most playful, with an aesthetic aimed squarely at fans of Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid rather than anyone obsessed with tentacled terrors. The slot doesn’t labor on the legend of the Kraken; instead, you get wide-eyed fish, goofy turtles, sunken ships, and tangled coral in every shade under the sea.

The mood stays light throughout, thanks to an ambient soundtrack that bubbles and sways, with subtle whale noises and clinking reels transporting you into the saltwater scene. The visuals have a slightly chunky, digital animation style; nothing groundbreaking, but the characterful symbols and flowing backgrounds tie together well. If you want high drama and epic monsters, you won’t find it here. This one’s all about easygoing exploration and occasional thrills, more gentle current than wild wave.

How Release the Kraken Slot Plays

Release the Kraken rolls out five reels and four rows, with a base game setup offering 20 paylines. Hit the free spins round and the grid comes alive, doubling your lines to 40 for the duration—a nice uptick if you’re lucky enough to trigger it. Bets start at a casual 0.20 and can climb all the way up to 100 per spin, so this one caters to both cautious explorers and deep-pocket divers.

Don’t expect a shower of small wins; Release the Kraken slot is built for high volatility. Dry spells are common, punctuated by the chance of sizable payouts when the right features land. For anyone used to low-volatility slots, the uneven rhythm can be jarring—this isn’t a game that keeps a steady trickle of entertainment. Instead, it’s all about stamina and patience, backed up by a solid 96.5% RTP that edges above the average. In practical terms, that means when the slot does pay, it can do so in a satisfyingly chunky fashion. Just be ready for the wait between the good bits, and don’t chase the next feature if the sea gets choppy.

Bonus Features Worth a Look

One thing Release the Kraken does well is surprise players with plenty of random features that keep each round from blending into the next. On any base game spin, three tentacles might curl onto the reels and prompt you to pick one, dropping one of three possible wild features. Sometimes it’s a wandering wild that nudges across the grid, sometimes a colossal 3x4 wild block drops in, and other times a regular wild infects a cluster of symbols nearby. The triggering isn’t constant, but it pops up just enough to stop the base game from feeling bone dry on those long volatility-driven stretches.

What really sets this slot apart is the two-part bonus trigger system. You’ll need bonus symbols on reels one and three, plus a special symbol on reel five to access either the Sunken Treasure Bonus or the Roaming Kraken Free Spins. The Treasure Bonus is basically a pick-me round, offering three chests with cash prizes—quick, simple, and not a huge payday, but a decent break in the action. The Kraken Free Spins is where the real action lies. First, there’s another chest-picking prelude, adding a mild layer of suspense as you rack up your number of free spins (up to 12).

Once into the free spins, the slot brings out 40 win lines and a reeling multiplier that jumps by one each time a wild lands, up to x10. Wilds don’t just sit there—they stick and move around between spins, which can build up to some hefty combinations if you’re lucky. Unlike some slots, you can’t retrigger the feature or stack spin after spin, so there’s a sense of urgency to making those rounds count. It isn’t the most original set of mechanics, but in practice, these extras keep things moving and give players genuine reason to stick around after a dry stretch.

A Quick Look at the Symbols

Release the Kraken uses a rainbow of sea creatures for its paytable, and attention to detail here gives the slot a distinctive charm. High-paying symbols are the main cast of grinning sharks, friendly turtles, and a vintage pirate ship. The wild could be mistaken for a bonus symbol at a glance, but does what a wild should—helping bridge the gap between good board setups and actual wins.

Lower pays are brightly colored playing card letters, dressed up in tropical hues but ultimately just serving as filler. There’s visible effort in the way winning symbols flash or animate—especially the more valuable icons, which scoot and wiggle just enough to mark a big hit without going full circus. Overall, there’s a well-balanced mix of fun, color, and that slight edge of polish that distinguishes slots with a real budget behind them.

For New Divers: What to Expect

For anyone hopping into the Release the Kraken demo or experimenting with Release the Kraken free play, expect a marathon, not a sprint. Wins can be sparse if luck isn’t on your side, so bankroll management matters more than in a casual low-volatility slot. The base game runs quickly enough, but don’t get lulled into upping your bet just because the extra features haven’t landed yet. The best moments tend to come from bonus rounds, not steady base wins, so use smaller stakes if you want to stay in the water long enough to see them.

Testing features and seeing how wilds behave is as simple as running a few dozen spins in demo mode. Watch out for the pick-me rounds; once you’ve seen one or two, you’ll get a sense of the swingy nature this slot offers. Free spins, when you hit them, can turn an outing around—but there’s no shortcut to getting there.

How It Stacks Up

Release the Kraken winds up somewhere between relaxed adventure and high-volatility challenge. Compared to crowd-pleasers like Big Bass Bonanza or Dead or Alive II, its presentation is softer and friendlier, but the gameplay can snap into sharp swings just the same. If you’ve tried NetEnt’s Jumanji for the charm, or Buffalo King Megaways for volatility, this slot sits comfortably in the middle—easy to pick up, quirky with its features, but not as punishingly relentless as some Pragmatic Play designs.

Players hungry for untamed wilds and unpredictable bonuses might find it reminiscent of Pragmatic’s other themed adventures, but Release the Kraken leans harder on its visual charms than on new mechanics. This is less about revolutionizing the slot landscape and more about putting a whimsical spin on classic high-volatility formulae.

Final Thoughts: Who Should Dive In?

Release the Kraken is built for players who don’t mind waiting out dry spells for the promise of a big catch. The slot blends an above-average RTP, a varied bag of features, and a likeable visual style. Anyone strictly chasing narrative depth or ground-breaking innovation might be left wanting—but those hunting for a high-volatility ride with a lively, easy-going theme will find a lot to like.

For new players, Release the Kraken slot is forgiving visually and straightforward to play, but not so forgiving with its payout rhythm. Veterans, especially those who appreciate seeing their patience rewarded, will get the biggest kick out of hunting those free spins and multipliers. It’s not a slot that will win over the myth buffs, but for anyone up for a charming cartoon splash that occasionally pays out big, Release the Kraken is worth a few spins—just don’t expect tentacles around every corner.