Slots Like Grand Melee: A Sticky Respin Tournament
Grand Melee is Thunderkick’s medieval carnival release, opening on a 6 reel, 4 row grid with 1,193 ways to win, formed whenever matching symbols land across 3 or more adjacent reels. There are no wild symbols anywhere in the game, so every win depends on the Sticky Respin Feature, which can strike at random in the base game: a target symbol is chosen, and landing 5 or more of it locks those positions in place and re-spins everything else, repeating for as long as fresh matches keep landing. Sticky symbols can also upgrade to a higher-paying icon or expand to fill an entire reel, and the whole grid itself can grow from 4 rows up to 7 during an active sequence. Landing 5 or more golden crown scatters triggers Free Spins equal to the scatter count, and the Sticky Respin Feature is then guaranteed on every single spin of the bonus. The default build pays out at 96.17% RTP, sits at high volatility, and tops out at a 5,000x stake maximum win, though Thunderkick has notably left this one without any Bonus Buy option at all.
Where to Play
18+ only. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
Slots Like Grand Melee: A Sticky Respin Tournament Demo Play
The playable demo of Slots Like Grand Melee: A Sticky Respin Tournament below needs no account or deposit. All features, bonus rounds and paytables match the real money game. 18+.
Game Information
Slots Like Grand Melee
Thunderkick’s own catalogue makes up this whole list, since few other studios build sticky-respin mechanics quite this way.
- Sword of Arthur
A different Thunderkick sticky mechanic entirely, built around a multiplier that never resets rather than the target-symbol respin system used here. - Rocket Fellas Inc
A rocket-themed release from the same studio, running wild symbols and hot reels instead of the wild-free sticky respin approach built into Grand Melee. - Gigantoonz
A cluster-pays cartoon release from Thunderkick, tracked by its own Quantumeter mechanic rather than the ways-to-win respin structure used here. - Money Cart 2
A bonus-only Thunderkick release with no base game at all, offering a 50,000x ceiling against the 5,000x cap and full base game found in Grand Melee. - Esqueleto Explosivo 3
One of the studio’s biggest hits, running a x1024 Mucho Multiplier cascade format that plays nothing like the sticky, non-cascading grid used here. - Esqueleto Explosivo Feliz Navidead
A festive skeleton-themed sister to Esqueleto Explosivo 3, sharing that same cascading multiplier format rather than Grand Melee’s sticky respin system. - Coba Reborn
A jungle temple rebuild from ELK Studios rather than Thunderkick, included here as a useful contrast in how a different studio handles a high-volatility respin structure. - Carnival Queen 2
A fireworks-and-masks carnival setting from Thunderkick, driven by a climbing multiplier rather than the target-symbol Sticky Respin Feature found in Grand Melee. - Buffalo King Untamed Megaways
A Thunderkick title with an unrelated bonus format, included as a contrast pick for players comparing Megaways mechanics across different developers.
How the Game Works
Reviewed by Paul StonePublished: July 2026
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Playing card values from 10 through A fill the lower-tier payouts, while five colour-coded knight symbols in blue, green, purple, red and gold carry the higher wins. The grid runs 6 reels by 4 rows as standard, and any group of matching symbols spanning 3 or more adjacent reels forms a win across the game’s 1,193 ways to win. Notably, Grand Melee includes no wild symbol whatsoever, so every win comes down to matching regular symbols directly or building toward the Sticky Respin Feature.
The Sticky Respin Feature can trigger at random on any base game spin. A single symbol is picked as the target and shown above the reels, and landing 5 or more of that symbol locks those positions in place before re-spinning everything else. The sequence keeps going as long as new matches of the target keep appearing, and locked symbols can be upgraded to a higher-paying icon or expanded to cover a full reel, with the grid itself able to grow from its usual 4 rows up to a maximum of 7 as the respins continue.
Free Spins and the Bonus Game
Landing 5 or more golden crown scatter symbols triggers Free Spins, with the number awarded matching however many scatters landed on that spin, and the bonus can be retriggered by landing more scatters during the round. The key difference from the base game is that the Sticky Respin Feature is guaranteed on every single spin once Free Spins begin, rather than triggering at random, which gives the bonus a far more consistent stream of expanding and upgrading symbols to work with.
There is no gamble feature and, notably, no Bonus Buy option built into Grand Melee at all, a genuine departure from Thunderkick’s usual approach on many of its other releases. UK-licensed operators would have to strip any such menu out under current UKGC rules regardless, so UK players rely entirely on the natural trigger either way.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The Sticky Respin Feature gives the base game a genuinely different rhythm to a standard tumble or ways-to-win format
- A grid that can expand up to 7 rows adds real scale to a strong respin sequence
- Free Spins guarantee the Sticky Respin trigger on every spin, giving the bonus round real consistency
- 96.17% RTP sits above the UK market average
- The medieval carnival presentation is colourful and well produced throughout
Cons
- Wild symbols are dropped from this release entirely, so every win rests on regular matches or a Sticky Respin trigger
- No Bonus Buy option exists on this release, unlike many other Thunderkick titles
- High volatility means dead spins between Sticky Respin triggers can run on for a while
- Reduced RTP configurations as low as 87.15% are also reported in circulation at some operators
Game Screenshot
Run the free demo for a good stretch before staking anything, since the Sticky Respin Feature’s random base game trigger means it can take a fair number of spins before a proper sequence shows up.
Expert Take
Reviewers have been fairly split on Grand Melee: most praise the underlying Sticky Respin concept as a genuine point of difference for Thunderkick, but several single out a real pacing problem, with long dead-spin stretches between meaningful action pulling down otherwise positive scores. The lack of any Bonus Buy option has also drawn comment, since it’s a feature Thunderkick includes on many of its other releases.
About the Developer
Grand Melee launched from Thunderkick on 16 August 2023, bringing a comedic medieval tournament theme to the studio’s long-running interest in sticky and locking-symbol mechanics. Dropping wild symbols entirely and building the whole game around a single random respin trigger marks it out from the cascading multiplier format the studio is best known for through the Esqueleto Explosivo series. See more on our Thunderkick slots page.
Grand Melee Key Stats
Grand Melee slot information last reviewed: July 2026
| Grand Melee Slot Info | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Grand Melee |
| Provider: | Thunderkick |
| Developer Rank: | A high-volatility sticky respin release built around a random target-symbol trigger and an expanding grid |
| RTP: | 96.17% at the default setting (lower configurations down to 87.15% may apply depending on operator) |
| RTP Category: | Above Average |
| RTP Rank: | Above the UK market average |
| Feature Description: | A random Sticky Respin Feature with symbol upgrades and grid expansion up to 7 rows, plus a Free Spins round with a guaranteed Sticky Respin trigger on every spin. |
| Feature Categories: | Medieval Themed, High Volatility, Sticky Respin Mechanic |
| Reels: | 6 |
| Rows: | 4, expandable up to 7 |
| Paylines: | 1,193 ways to win |
| Volatility: | High |
| Volatility Rank: | Upper tier on the site |
| Min Bet: | £0.10 |
| Max Bet: | £100 |
| Max Win: | 5,000x stake |
| Release Date: | 16 August 2023 |
| Slotslike Rank: | 1,042 out of 4,200+ games (View Top 100) |
Slots with the Same Features
Two picks worth a look beyond Thunderkick’s own catalogue.
Other Sticky and Locking Mechanics
Neither runs the exact same random trigger, but both build a bonus round around locking or holding symbols in place.
More Thunderkick Slots
Two more picks that show a very different side of the studio’s output.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Sticky Respin Feature work in Grand Melee?
A target symbol is chosen at random, and landing 5 or more of it locks those positions in place and triggers a respin of the rest of the grid, repeating as long as new matches keep landing.
Does Grand Melee have any wild symbols?
No, there are no wild symbols anywhere in the base game or the bonus round.
How many ways to win does Grand Melee have?
1,193 ways to win, formed whenever matching symbols land across 3 or more adjacent reels.
Can the grid expand during play?
Yes, the Game Area Expansion modifier can grow the grid from its usual 4 rows up to a maximum of 7 rows during an active Sticky Respin sequence.
How do you trigger Free Spins?
Landing 5 or more golden crown scatter symbols triggers Free Spins, with the count awarded matching the number of scatters landed.
What’s different about the Sticky Respin Feature during Free Spins?
It’s guaranteed to trigger on every single spin, rather than at random as it does in the base game.
Is there a Bonus Buy option on Grand Melee?
No, Thunderkick built this release without any Bonus Buy menu at all, unlike several of its other titles.
What is the maximum win on Grand Melee?
5,000x stake is the top prize on offer.
Who makes Grand Melee?
Thunderkick released the game on 16 August 2023.
Our Verdict on Grand Melee
Grand Melee’s Sticky Respin Feature is a genuinely different mechanic to see from Thunderkick, and dropping wild symbols entirely to build the whole game around it is a bold call that mostly pays off during a strong sequence. The trade-off is real pacing inconsistency between triggers, and the missing Bonus Buy menu will put off players used to paying for direct access to the action. High volatility and a 5,000x ceiling still make it a fair pick for patient players chasing something outside the usual cascade or ways-to-win format.
SlotsLike rating: 6.5/10