Thurisaz

Thurisaz is an atmospheric, Norse-themed video slot developed by Kitsune Studios in partnership with Hacksaw Gaming, released on January 28, 2026. Named after the ancient rune associated with strength and conflict, the game is set deep within a craggy, fjord-like landscape dominated by dark clouds and lightning.

Played on a 5x5 grid with 19 paylines, the game features cascading wins and a unique Frame Multiplier system where winning positions build up multipliers. Coupled with expanding Dropping Wilds that act as multipliers themselves, the game offers a strategic battle on the reels. Unlike many extreme-volatility Hacksaw titles, Thurisaz sits at a Medium volatility, making it a more balanced experience while still offering a substantial 10,000x max win.

The visual presentation is stark and powerful. The base game is set outdoors amidst rugged peaks and stormy skies, guarded by two fierce Viking warriors – one male with axes, one female with a sword and shield. The symbols are carved rune stones and Viking artifacts like drinking horns and longships. The atmosphere shifts during the bonus round to a darker, indoor stone setting, perhaps a hall or a tomb, emphasizing the mystical nature of the runes.

The game uses a 5x5 grid. Wins are awarded for matching symbols on one of the 19 fixed paylines from left to right.

Cascading Wins: Winning symbols are removed from the grid, allowing new ones to drop down and potentially form new combinations.

Wild Symbols: There are two types of Wilds.

• Standard Wild (Golden W): Substitutes for all paying symbols.
• Dropping Wild (Rune Stone): Expands downwards to the bottom of the reel. The number of positions it covers determines its multiplier (1x to 5x). If multiple Dropping Wilds are part of a win, their values are added together.

Frame Multiplier

• Activation: Every win creates a glowing frame behind the winning symbols.
• Multiplier Growth: If a win occurs on a framed position, it activates a 2x multiplier. Each subsequent win on that frame increases the multiplier by +1, up to a maximum of 5x.
• Win Calculation: Multipliers from frames are added together if multiple frames are involved in a win. They also add together with any Dropping Wild multipliers.
• Reset: In the base game, all frames and multipliers reset between spins.

Thurisaz Free Spins

• Trigger: Landing 3, 4, or 5 Scatter symbols (Blue Runes) awards 10, 12, or 14 Free Spins respectively.
• Persistence: The key difference in the bonus is that Frame Multipliers DO NOT reset. They persist and grow throughout the entire feature.
• Retrigger: Landing 2 Scatters during the bonus awards +2 extra spins.

Feature Buy (Bonus Buy)

Players can purchase features directly from the main game:

• BonusHunt FeatureSpins (3x Bet): 5x higher chance to trigger Free Spins.
• Dropping Wild FeatureSpins (50x Bet): Guarantees at least 1 Dropping Wild.
• Thurisaz Free Spins (100x Bet): Instantly triggers the bonus round.

The paytable features Viking characters and artifacts as premiums, and runic stones as low-paying symbols. Payouts below are multipliers of the bet for line wins.

Thurisaz is a distinct title from Kitsune Studios, but its mechanics invite comparison to other grid-based multiplier games:

• Sugar Rush (Pragmatic Play): Uses a similar concept where winning positions leave a spot that turns into a multiplier on the second win. Thurisaz adapts this to a payline structure rather than cluster pays.
• Stormforged (Hacksaw Gaming): Shares the gritty Viking aesthetic and features expanding portals/wilds, appealing to the same thematic audience.
• Hand of Anubis (Hacksaw Gaming): While darker and Egyptian-themed, it uses a similar "underlay" multiplier mechanic (Soul Orbs) that requires strategic positioning.

Thurisaz is a handsome and sturdy slot that lives up to its name's association with strength. It steps away from the extreme volatility often seen in this genre, offering a Medium variance path that might appeal to players who find high-variance games too punishing. The Frame Multiplier mechanic is engaging, though the fact that multipliers only add (instead of multiplying each other) keeps the math model "controlled." However, with persistent frames in the Free Spins and the potential to combine frame multipliers with Dropping Wilds, the 10,000x max win is a respectable treasure worth raiding for.