Holy Hand Grenade by Print Studios delivers a distinctive take on medieval slot gaming by focusing on explosive mechanics rather than traditional knight-and-dragon themes. Set against the backdrop of a stone church in medieval Europe, this high volatility slot combines humorous elements with serious win potential, offering players a maximum payout of 20,000 times their stake. The game stands out through its innovative SuperSpinners system and symbol transformation features that create dynamic gameplay across both base and bonus rounds.
Game Overview and Theme
The visual presentation transports players to medieval Europe, where the action unfolds outside and inside a sturdy stone church structure. The design features stained-glass inspired symbols set against weathered stone architecture, creating an authentic period atmosphere. The soundtrack blends upbeat medieval music with organ tones, punctuated by goat bleats and hallelujah choruses that reinforce the religious satire underlying the theme.
Print Studios developed this title as part of the Silver Bullet partnership program with Relax Gaming, ensuring wide distribution across regulated markets. The medieval religious setting provides a framework for the explosive mechanics that define gameplay, with the titular Holy Hand Grenade serving as the central feature trigger rather than a mere thematic decoration.
Technical Specifications and RTP Analysis
The mathematical model behind Holy Hand Grenade operates at high volatility, creating a gameplay experience characterized by less frequent but potentially larger wins. The return-to-player percentage varies based on how players engage with the game, offering strategic choices that affect long-term theoretical returns.
RTP Configurations
Standard play mode delivers 96.45% RTP, representing the baseline theoretical return for players spinning normally. Activating the Scatter Boost feature increases the RTP to 96.64% by adding more scatter symbols to the reels for an additional 50% cost per spin. Players who prefer to bypass base game play entirely can purchase direct access to free spins at 95 times the bet amount, which carries a 96.82% RTP value.
These RTP variations create meaningful strategic decisions. The Scatter Boost option represents a middle ground for players seeking more frequent bonus triggers without committing to the full feature purchase cost. The higher RTP on feature buys compensates for the immediate capital outlay, though variance remains high regardless of entry method.
Grid Structure and Paylines
The base game operates on a 5-reel, 4-row configuration with 26 fixed paylines. Winning combinations form from left to right on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost position. This relatively compact grid expands significantly during the bonus round, growing to 6 reels and 5 rows with the payline count doubling to 52.
The expansion creates substantially more winning opportunities during free spins, with the additional reel and row positions generating new combination possibilities. The absence of wild symbols means all wins must come from natural symbol matches, placing greater emphasis on the transformation features that convert symbols into matching types.
Symbol Values and Paytable Structure
The paytable divides into lower-value card suits and higher-value thematic symbols. Diamond, spade, heart, and club symbols form the bottom tier, paying 1x to 2x the bet for five-of-a-kind combinations in the base game. These values increase to 2x to 2.50x when landing six-of-a-kind during the expanded free spins grid.
Mid-tier symbols include a bag and candles, offering 8x to 10x for five matches, scaling to 15x to 20x for six-symbol combinations. The character symbols represent the premium tier: a woman pays 15x for five or 30x for six, a man delivers 20x for five or 40x for six, and the bishop tops the regular paytable at 20x for five symbols or 50x for six-of-a-kind.
The goat scatter symbol triggers the bonus round but carries no independent payout value. The Holy Hand Grenade itself functions as a feature symbol rather than a paying symbol, activating transformation mechanics when it lands. This paytable structure creates a clear value hierarchy while keeping the focus on feature activation rather than base game line hits.
SuperSpinners Multiplier System
SuperSpinners represent one of the core mechanics that differentiate Holy Hand Grenade from standard payline slots. These markers appear in the spaces between reels on any spin, displaying either a numerical multiplier value or remaining blank. When a winning payline passes through an active SuperSpinner showing a number, that multiplier applies to the win amount.
Multiple SuperSpinners can activate simultaneously on a single spin. When a winning line crosses through more than one active SuperSpinner, the multiplier values combine additively before applying to the win. This creates potential for substantial multiplier boosts, particularly when multiple winning lines each pass through different SuperSpinner positions.
The SuperSpinners remain active during free spins, adding an extra layer of win potential to the already enhanced bonus round. The random nature of both SuperSpinner activation and multiplier values means players cannot predict when significant multiplier boosts will occur, maintaining volatility throughout gameplay sessions.
Holy Hand Grenade Feature Mechanics
The titular feature activates when the Holy Hand Grenade symbol lands on any reel position during base game or free spins. Upon landing, the grenade explodes, affecting symbols within its blast radius. All symbols caught in the explosion zone transform into a single randomly selected paytable symbol, potentially creating or enhancing winning combinations.
The explosion radius varies, affecting different numbers of symbol positions depending on where the grenade lands and the specific trigger. This randomness adds unpredictability to the feature, as a well-placed explosion can transform numerous symbols while a less fortunate placement might affect fewer positions.
During free spins, the Holy Hand Grenade feature gains additional functionality through the overlay system. Each position where a grenade lands during the bonus round receives a marked overlay that persists for the duration of free spins. These marked positions interact with subsequent grenade explosions in ways that create chain reactions and extended transformation sequences.
Free Spins Bonus Round
Triggering the free spins requires landing three or more goat scatter symbols anywhere on the reels during a base game spin. Three scatters award 7 free spins, four scatters provide 9 spins, and five scatters deliver the maximum of 11 free spins. The bonus round immediately expands the grid to its full 6x5 configuration with 52 active paylines.
Sticky Overlay System
The defining characteristic of the free spins round involves the persistent overlays created by Holy Hand Grenade symbols. When a grenade lands during free spins, it performs its standard explosion and symbol transformation, then leaves a marked overlay on that reel position. These overlays remain visible and active for all subsequent spins in the bonus round.
When a new Holy Hand Grenade explosion affects a position containing an overlay, that marked position transforms into an additional Holy Hand Grenade symbol. This newly created grenade immediately triggers its own explosion, creating a chain reaction. Multiple overlays caught in a single explosion can generate multiple new grenades simultaneously, leading to cascading transformation sequences that can affect large portions of the grid.
Each Holy Hand Grenade that lands during free spins awards 2 additional spins, extending the bonus round. This retrigger mechanism combines with the overlay system to create potential for extended bonus sessions, particularly when chain reactions generate multiple grenades in quick succession.
Strategic Implications
The overlay accumulation mechanic means free spins sessions gain power as they progress. Early grenade landings establish marked positions that increase the likelihood and impact of subsequent explosions. Sessions that trigger multiple grenades early can snowball into highly productive bonus rounds as the chain reaction potential grows with each new overlay.
The 52 paylines active during free spins double the base game win frequency, while the expanded grid provides more positions for symbol matches. Combined with SuperSpinners remaining active and the transformation mechanics, the free spins round concentrates the majority of the game's win potential into these bonus sessions.
Scatter Boost Feature Purchase Options
Players seeking more control over bonus frequency can activate the Scatter Boost option, which increases the bet by 50% in exchange for additional scatter symbols appearing on the reels. This feature increases the probability of triggering free spins naturally without requiring the full feature purchase cost.
The Scatter Boost RTP of 96.64% sits between the base game and feature buy values, reflecting the improved bonus hit rate while maintaining some base game play. This option suits players who want enhanced bonus frequency but prefer the traditional gameplay flow of building toward triggers rather than buying direct access.
Direct feature purchase costs 95 times the base bet and immediately launches the free spins round. The 96.82% RTP on this option represents the highest theoretical return available, though the high cost per trigger means bankroll considerations become critical. Feature buying eliminates base game variance but concentrates risk into fewer, more expensive bonus attempts.
Betting Strategy and Bankroll Management
The high volatility profile demands careful bankroll management regardless of play style. Standard play at minimum bet levels provides the longest session duration but requires patience through extended dry spells between significant wins. The 20,000x maximum win potential means even small bets carry meaningful upside, making conservative betting viable for players prioritizing session length.
Scatter Boost play increases cost per spin by 50%, requiring proportionally larger bankrolls to maintain equivalent session length. The improved bonus frequency may reduce variance somewhat, but the high volatility core remains unchanged. Players should calculate their effective bet size including the boost cost when determining appropriate stake levels.
Feature buying concentrates bankroll into fewer attempts, making it suitable only for players comfortable with high-risk approaches. At 95x the bet per purchase, even modest base bets translate to significant feature costs. A bankroll sufficient for multiple feature purchases becomes essential, as single bonus rounds can easily fail to return the purchase cost despite the improved RTP.
Conclusion
Holy Hand Grenade delivers a well-executed high volatility experience built around innovative transformation mechanics and an expanding grid system. The SuperSpinners provide consistent engagement during base play, while the overlay-driven free spins create genuine excitement through chain reaction potential. Print Studios has crafted a slot that rewards patience with substantial win potential while maintaining moment-to-moment interest through frequent feature activations.
The multiple RTP options and play styles accommodate different player preferences, from conservative base game grinding to aggressive feature buying. The 96.45% base RTP sits at industry standard for high volatility slots, while the boosted options provide meaningful alternatives without drastically altering the core experience. The 20,000x maximum win represents significant potential without venturing into the extreme variance territory of some modern slots.
The medieval theme execution balances humor with atmospheric design, creating a distinctive identity without relying on licensed properties or overused fantasy tropes. The absence of wild symbols initially seems limiting but proves inconsequential given the transformation mechanics that serve a similar function while adding more strategic depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RTP of Holy Hand Grenade slot?
The base game RTP is 96.45%, which increases to 96.64% with Scatter Boost activated, and 96.82% when buying the bonus feature directly. All three options maintain high volatility regardless of RTP variation.
How many free spins can you win in Holy Hand Grenade?
The initial trigger awards 7 to 11 free spins depending on the number of scatters landed. Each Holy Hand Grenade symbol that appears during the bonus round adds 2 additional spins, allowing for extended sessions through retriggers.
Does Holy Hand Grenade have wild symbols?
No, this slot does not include traditional wild symbols. The Holy Hand Grenade transformation feature serves a similar function by converting multiple symbols into matching types, creating and enhancing winning combinations.
What is the maximum win potential in Holy Hand Grenade?
The maximum win is capped at 20,000 times the total bet amount. This can be achieved through combinations of high-value symbols, SuperSpinners multipliers, and extensive symbol transformations during free spins.
How does the SuperSpinners feature work?
SuperSpinners are multiplier markers that appear between reels on any spin. When a winning payline passes through an active SuperSpinner, its multiplier value applies to that win. Multiple SuperSpinners on the same win combine their values additively.
Can you retrigger free spins in Holy Hand Grenade?
Free spins cannot be retriggered by landing additional scatter symbols during the bonus round. However, each Holy Hand Grenade symbol that lands awards 2 extra spins, effectively extending the bonus round through feature symbols rather than scatters.
What is the betting range for Holy Hand Grenade?
The minimum bet is 0.10 and the maximum is 60.00 per spin in the base game. When using Scatter Boost, these amounts increase by 50%. Feature purchases cost 95 times the selected base bet amount.
How does the overlay system work in free spins?
Each Holy Hand Grenade that lands during free spins marks its position with a persistent overlay. When subsequent explosions affect these marked positions, they transform into additional Holy Hand Grenade symbols, triggering chain reactions that can affect large portions of the grid.