Slots Like Big Thunder: 94.38% RTP and Similar Free Spins Slots

Big Thunder is a slot from Ainsworth Games with an RTP of 94.38%, played on a 5-by-3 grid and 30 paylines. If the Kong theme of Big Thunder appeals, Fruit Collector, Ecuador Gold and Thai Flower are close cousins. On the bonus side you get free spins. That shows up as win up to 500 free spins, win up to £75, 000 on a single spin and win a share of £50. Expect a Medium-Low RTP and high volatility. Its themes include Kong, Tropical and Thunder.

Big Thunder casinos

Play Big Thunder slot game at these top casinos.

Reviewed by Paul Stone
Published: May 2021

Games like Big Thunder

Big Thunder has 4 closely related games including Thunder Strike, High Voltage, Thunderfist and Platinum Lightning.

Developed by Blueprint, Thunder Strike carries a Nature theme. You spin a 6 reel, 43866 row grid with 15625 ways to win in play, so there are lots of winning combinations on offer. On the bonus side you get expanding wilds, no win respins, colossal symbols, increasing multipliers and megaways feature. In play that shows up as multiplier wild and expanding wild multipliers. Stakes run from 0.1 up to 50 a spin, so it suits both small and larger budgets. On return it edges out Big Thunder, which runs 94.38%. Return to player sits at 95.96% and counts as medium overall. Over thousands of spins that points to roughly that return, though a single visit can land well above or below it. It plays at medium-low volatility, which means smaller wins come around often, so the balance moves more smoothly. Fans often line it up alongside Thundercats. Fans of Big Thunder should find plenty to like here.

High Voltage leans into a Storm theme. It is played across a 6 reel, 4 row grid with 4096 ways to win. Volatility is medium, so you get a balanced pace, with wins that are neither tiny nor rare. You can bet from 0.2 to 40 per spin, leaving room for cautious and bigger play alike. Gameplay extras run to progressive jackpot and autoplay. Look out for minor jackpot 264.40 and major jackpot, fun play and model feature. It returns 95.67% and counts as medium overall. Treat it as a guide to long-run payback rather than a promise for any one session. That is a little higher than Big Thunder, which returns 94.38%. It is frequently grouped with Reel Thunder. It sits close to Big Thunder in feel, making it a natural follow-on.

Thunderfist leans into a Chinese theme. The reels form a 5-reel, 3-row layout offering 243 ways to win, so there are lots of winning combinations on offer. It returns 96.70%, which is high for the market. As ever, that is a theoretical average measured over a huge number of spins, so short sessions vary. On return it edges out Big Thunder, which runs 94.38%. On the bonus side you get free spins and increasing multipliers. Volatility is medium-low, so smaller wins come around often, so the balance moves more smoothly. Bets start at 0.25 and reach 125 a spin, covering most bankrolls. Players who like it tend to try Thunderstruck as well. It sits close to Big Thunder in feel, making it a natural follow-on.

Platinum Lightning is a slot built by Bgaming. It is played across a 5×3 grid with 25 paylines. Headline features include free spins and gamble feature. Specific touches include bonus symbols and substituition symbols. Volatility is medium, so it strikes a middle ground, mixing a fair hit rate with the odd larger payout. On return it edges out Big Thunder, which runs 94.38%. It returns 96.29%, placing it in the medium-high bracket. That figure is a long-term average rather than something to expect back each session. Stakes run from 2.5 up to 25 a spin, so it suits both small and larger budgets. It also draws comparisons with Thundercats 2. If you liked Big Thunder, Platinum Lightning is an easy one to try next.

Slots you might enjoy if you like Big Thunder

Big Thunder is mainly a Thunder themed slot with related themes of Tropical and Kong themes.

Best Thunder themed slots

Big Thunder is a Thunder themed online slot game. Other Thunder themed online slots include Thunder Reels, Thunderfist, Thunder Strike and Reel Thunder.

Slots by Ainsworth, developer of Big Thunder

The studio behind Big Thunder is Ainsworth. Linked-jackpot games like Quadshot and Players Paradise are among its titles. Best known for its land-based cabinets, it moved its games online in more recent years. Ainsworth is the Australian studio set up by Aristocrat founder Len Ainsworth in 1995. With that pedigree, its games carry the distinctive feel of classic Australian pokies. More Ainsworth slots sit just below if you want to keep exploring.

Here are the best Ainsworth Games slot games to play, these slot games are all made by the same provider as Big Thunder, they include Safari Spirit, Winning Wolf, Sun Chief and Golden Ox.

Everything to know about Big Thunder

Here is a table of all the key information for Big Thunder.

Big Thunder screenshot

More games with Big Thunder style bonus features

Big Thunder has similar slots with the bonus features: Free Spins.

Slots with Free Spins

The top matching slots with Free Spins are Fortune Fireworks, Scudamores Super Stakes, Pawn Stars and Red Mansions.

Big Thunder slot sites FAQs

Big Thunder Pros and Cons

A quick look at the main pros and cons of Big Thunder, based on its RTP, volatility, features, ranking and gameplay.

Pros

• Up to 500 free spins on offer
• One of Ainsworth Games’ ten best-rated titles
• A hefty 10,000x top prize
• Plenty of upside for risk-takers with high volatility

Cons

• Swings are sharp with high volatility
• RTP of 94.38% trails the average slot
• A fairly light feature set
• The kong and tropical theme won’t be for everyone