Play Power of Gods: Valhalla Extremely

With the release of Power of Gods: Valhalla, Wazdan goes back into Norse mythology, where Odin, Thor, Freya and Heimdall fill a 4 by 4 grid surrounded by runes, stone and the occasional enormous hammer. Rather than relying on paylines, wins come from collecting matching symbols anywhere on the reels. The bigger attraction is Hold the Jackpot, a respin feature with sticky cash symbols and four jackpot levels. Apparently Valhalla has introduced its own rewards programme. 

Wazdan plants its flag into Norse territory, with snowy mountains, stone structures and carved runes surrounding its grid. As gods, Odin, Thor, Freya and Heimdall take up the role of premium characters, while glowing rune symbols cover the lower end of the paytable. 

The character portraits have the slightly exaggerated fantasy styling Wazdan tends to favour, so we're looking at heroic gods rather than anything particularly historical. Thor's hammer becomes the Wild, which is about as subtle as Norse mythology ever gets. 

Animations become more noticeable during Hold the Jackpot, particularly as new golden symbols lock into position. The audio follows the same grand fantasy route with heavier effects during feature activity. We think the overall look fits the subject well, even if nobody involved appears to have packed lightly for the journey to Valhalla. 

Power of Gods: Valhalla uses an all pays system rather than traditional paylines. Wins begin with at least 8 matching regular symbols anywhere on the 4 by 4 grid, with higher values awarded as more matching symbols appear. 

• Wild: Thor's hammer substitutes for regular paying symbols but not for Bonus symbols. The Wild can appear anywhere on the main grid. 
• Bonus Symbols: Landing 6 or more Bonus symbols triggers Hold the Jackpot. When 3, 4 or 5 appear, they remain in place for one extra spin, potentially helping the total reach the required 6. 
• Cash Symbols: During Hold the Jackpot, cash symbols carry values ranging from 1x to 10x, plus 12x and 15x the stake. 
• Jackpot Symbols: Mini, Minor and Major symbols can appear during the bonus and award their corresponding jackpot values. Filling all 16 positions activates the Grand Jackpot. 

Hold the Jackpot 

The main feature begins when 6 or more Bonus symbols appear together. Those triggering symbols stay locked on a separate 16 position grid, and the round starts with 3 respins. 

Every new Bonus symbol that lands becomes sticky and resets the respin counter to 3. The sequence continues until all 16 positions are full or the available respins run out. 

This is where most of the personality sits. Plenty of online slot games use hold and respin mechanics, but the combination of cash values, individual jackpot symbols and the full grid Grand prize gives this version several things to watch at once. 

Sticky Bonus Trigger 

There is also a helping hand before the bonus officially begins. Landing 3, 4 or 5 Bonus symbols doesn't start Hold the Jackpot immediately, but those symbols remain locked for one additional spin. 

That extra chance can potentially bring in enough new Bonus symbols to reach the 6 symbol trigger requirement. If the total still falls short, the feature doesn't begin. 

Cash Symbols 

Cash symbols during Hold the Jackpot can carry potential prizes of 1x through 10x, along with 12x and 15x values. Each one remains locked once landed. 

At the end of the feature, the cash symbol values are added together along with any jackpot symbols collected during the round. 

Mini, Minor and Major Jackpots 

Three named jackpot symbols can land during Hold the Jackpot. The Mini is worth 20x, the Minor 50x and the Major 150x. 

More than one jackpot symbol of the same type can potentially appear during a single bonus round, so collecting one doesn't necessarily close the door on another. 

Grand Jackpot 

The Grand Jackpot is tied to filling every one of the 16 available bonus positions. If the entire grid fills with Bonus symbols before the respins end, the Grand awards 1,000x the stake. 

The Grand is added to the values of the other Bonus symbols already collected on the grid. 

The main game uses a 4 by 4 grid with 16 symbol positions and no conventional paylines. Instead, matching symbols are counted anywhere in view, with a win beginning when at least 8 copies of the same regular symbol appear. 

That structure means symbols don't need to connect from left to right or sit next to one another. Only the highest qualifying win is paid. 

The Wild can replace regular symbols, while Bonus symbols work separately from those standard combinations. Three, four or five Bonus symbols can stick for another spin, and 6 or more send the action into the dedicated Hold the Jackpot grid. 

This keeps the base rules fairly compact. We count matching symbols rather than tracing lines across the screen, then the bonus switches the focus entirely towards filling empty positions. 

We'd group these three with Power of Gods: Valhalla for their mythology, hold style bonuses or feature driven grid mechanics. 

• Gods of Olympus V: Greek rather than Norse mythology takes over, but the divine cast and feature focused setup make this a natural thematic neighbour. 
• Throne of Elements: Platinum: Another fantasy heavy slot with powerful characters and a bonus structure that puts more emphasis on special mechanics than standard line wins. 
• Magnificent Link Flamecrest Phoenix: We get another collect focused feature here, with sticky symbols and jackpot mechanics providing the stronger connection. 

We think Power of Gods: Valhalla is at its best once the Hold the Jackpot feature starts filling the screen. The base game is simple for a reason; the all-pays mechanics do away with traditional paylines, so most of the nerve wrecking comes from watching those Bonus symbols appear. 

The sticky setup for 3, 4 or 5 Bonus symbols is a nice touch because the feature can start building before the full trigger arrives. Once inside, cash values and four jackpot levels give the respins enough variety without turning the rules into homework. 

Among online casino games, this feels most suited to anyone who prefers collect mechanics and jackpot symbols over free spin rounds. Our only reservation is that the base game can feel fairly plain between bonus attempts. Valhalla, apparently, saves most of the festivities for the afterlife.