Gates of Olympus and Olympus Thunderhold share a 6×5 format, Greek mythology theme, cascading wins and pay-anywhere gameplay. This comparison looks at where they differ, including RTP, Free Spins, multipliers, bonus-buy options, betting limits and maximum wins.
Table of Contents
Gates of Olympus and Olympus Thunderhold have a lot in common at first glance. Both feature Zeus and Greek mythology, use a 6×5 layout, award wins anywhere on the grid and remove winning symbols so new ones can fall into place. Both are also classified as medium-volatility games.
Olympus Thunderhold is available in our free slots collection with demo credits. Despite the similarities in theme and layout, the two games differ in several important areas, including Free Spins, multiplier systems, RTP options, betting limits and maximum payouts.
Gates Of Olympus vs Olympus Thunderhold
Gates of Olympus is developed by Pragmatic Play, while Olympus Thunderhold is an RTG Slots release. The two slots have a remarkably similar foundation, but several important differences appear once their bonus features start.
The table below puts their main specifications side by side.
| Feature | Gates of Olympus | Olympus Thunderhold |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Pragmatic Play | RTG |
| Theme | Greek mythology / Zeus | Greek mythology / Zeus |
| Layout | 6 reels × 5 rows | 6 reels × 5 rows |
| Volatility | Medium | Medium |
| Win system | Pay Anywhere | Pays Any |
| Matching symbols | 8–30 | 8–12+ |
| Cascade mechanic | Tumble Feature | Cascading Wins |
| RTP | 96.50% | 91%, 95%, 96.25% or 97.5% configurations |
| Minimum bet | $0.20 | $0.20 |
| Maximum bet | $300 | $20 |
| Maximum win | 5,000× bet | 2,500× base bet |
| Free feature trigger | 4+ Scatters | 4+ Scatters |
| Starting free rounds | 15 Free Spins | 10 Free Games |
| Retrigger | 3+ Scatters = 5 extra spins | 3+ Scatters = 5 extra games |
| Multipliers in base game | Yes | No |
| Multipliers in bonus | Yes | Yes |
| Multiplier range | 2×–500× | 2×–100× |
| Bonus multiplier behavior | Running multiplier carries through Free Spins | Combined multipliers apply to the current cascade |
| Feature Buy | Buy Free Spins | Buy Feature |
| Feature Buy cost | 100× current total bet | 100× current total bet |
| Enhanced betting option | Ante Bet | Bonus Bet |
| Enhanced bet increase | 25% | 25% |
| Enhanced option effect | More Scatters; doubles natural Free Spins trigger chance | More Scatters; increases chance of Free Games |
| Feature Buy with enhanced option | No | No |
| Autoplay | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Spin | Yes | Yes |
| Turbo Spin | Yes | Yes |
Theme & Visuals
The two games look noticeably similar. Each places Zeus beside a large 6×5 reel grid surrounded by an Olympus setting. Dark purple reel backgrounds, gold trim, temples, columns, clouds and fire appear throughout, while crowns, rings, hourglasses and colored gems make up much of the symbol selection.
Their interfaces follow a similar general layout as well. Feature controls sit to the side, the main spin control is prominent, and betting options run along the lower portion of the screen.
There are still noticeable differences. Gates of Olympus has a brighter gold-and-purple presentation with its own Zeus artwork and branding. Olympus Thunderhold gives more space to the illustrated Mount Olympus surroundings and uses a different Zeus design, logo position and visual treatment. The broad Greek mythology presentation is closely matched, but the artwork and surrounding interface remain distinct.
Gameplay & Winning Mechanics
Traditional paylines do not determine wins in either slot.
Gates of Olympus uses a Pay Anywhere system. A payout can begin when at least eight matching symbols are visible anywhere across the grid, with payout tiers extending as high as 30 matching symbols.
After a winning spin, the Tumble Feature removes the symbols involved. The symbols above fall into the vacant spaces and new ones enter from the top. If the new arrangement produces another payout, the process repeats. The official rules do not set a fixed limit on the number of possible tumbles, so the sequence continues until no additional winning combination forms.
Olympus Thunderhold follows much the same basic pattern through its Pays Any system. Its winning tiers begin with eight matching symbols and extend through a 12+ tier. Winning symbols disappear, the remaining symbols fall, and new ones fill the available positions until a cascade no longer produces another payout.
Thunderhold also specifies that its Pays Any bet equals 1/20 of the total wager, including Scatter calculations. Only the highest win for each paying symbol is awarded.
The reel flow is therefore very similar, while the mechanics layered on top of those cascades create most of the differences between the games.
RTP & Volatility
Gates of Olympus and Olympus Thunderhold are both officially classified as medium volatility. That places them in the same broad variance category, although it does not mean their payout structures or mathematical settings are identical.
Gates of Olympus has an RTP of 96.50% in the version checked. The same figure is shown for standard play, Ante Bet and Buy Free Spins.
Olympus Thunderhold is less straightforward because RTG lists several available RTP configurations: 91%, 95%, 96.25% and 97.5%. An operator can therefore offer a version with a different RTP setting, and the exact configuration running in a particular demo or casino should not be assumed without confirmation.
RTP represents a theoretical long-term return across a very large number of plays. It does not predict the outcome of an individual spin or playing session.
Free Spins
The bonus trigger is almost identical, but the number of starting rounds differs.
Four or more Scatter symbols trigger Free Spins in Gates of Olympus. The feature begins with 15 Free Spins, and landing three or more additional Scatters while the bonus is active awards another five.
Olympus Thunderhold also needs at least four Scatters, but its feature is called Free Games and starts with 10 games. Three or more Scatters during the feature add another five.
Gates therefore starts its free-round feature with five additional spins, while the retrigger requirement and reward are the same.
The larger difference appears once those rounds are underway. Gates allows its multiplier total to develop across Free Spins, whereas Thunderhold handles multiplier values around individual cascading sequences.
Multipliers
The way multipliers work is one of the clearest differences between the two games.
Gates of Olympus allows multiplier symbols to appear during base-game play as well as Free Spins. Confirmed values are 2×, 3×, 4×, 5×, 6×, 8×, 10×, 12×, 15×, 20×, 25×, 50×, 100×, 250× and 500×.
At the end of a winning Tumble sequence, any qualifying multiplier values on the screen are added together before being applied to the sequence win. A 5× and 20× multiplier, for example, produce a combined 25× multiplier rather than multiplying by one another.
Free Spins add a further mechanic. Winning multiplier values contribute to a running total that carries through the feature, allowing the accumulated figure to grow as additional multipliers are collected.
Olympus Thunderhold keeps multiplier symbols inside Free Games. They range from 2× to 100× and remain on screen while the current cascade continues. Once the cascade ends, their values are combined and applied to the total win from that sequence.
That combined value does not become a persistent multiplier for the remainder of Free Games.
Bonus Buy
A paid route into the free-round feature is available in each slot.
Gates of Olympus calls the option Buy Free Spins, while Thunderhold uses Buy Feature. The cost is the same in both games at 100× the current total bet.
Thunderhold’s option automatically plays a spin that triggers Free Games. Gates provides access to its Free Spins feature.
The price may match, but the resulting bonuses do not. Gates begins with 15 Free Spins, compared with 10 Free Games in Thunderhold, and the multiplier behavior remains different after the feature starts.
Ante Bet vs Bonus Bet
Players who do not want to purchase the bonus outright have another enhanced betting option in each game.
Gates of Olympus uses Ante Bet. Standard wagering is based on 20 units, while activating the option raises this to 25 units, increasing the total wager by 25%. More Scatters are then added to the reels and, according to the game rules, the natural chance of triggering Free Spins is doubled.
Buy Free Spins is unavailable while Ante Bet is active.
Olympus Thunderhold calls its alternative Bonus Bet. This also raises the total wager by 25% and adds additional Scatters, increasing the chance of triggering Free Games.
There is an important difference in how that effect is described. Thunderhold’s rules confirm an increased chance but do not state that the probability is doubled. Its Buy Feature is also disabled while Bonus Bet is active.
Betting Limits & Maximum Win
The minimum wager is the same in each game at $0.20, but their upper betting limits are far apart.
Gates of Olympus allows bets of up to $300, compared with a $20 maximum in Olympus Thunderhold.
Their payout ceilings differ too. Gates has a maximum win of 5,000× the bet. Once that level is reached, the round ends immediately, the capped amount is awarded and any remaining feature activity is forfeited.
Olympus Thunderhold has a maximum payout of 2,500× the base bet. Its features also stop once that limit has been reached.
Game Controls
The everyday controls are closely matched. Autoplay, Quick Spin and Turbo Spin are available in each game, alongside standard bet and sound controls. Moving between the two therefore does not require learning a substantially different set of basic spin options.
The Gates of Olympus interface checked also includes game history, separate music controls, coin or cash display options and a Skip Screens setting for Autoplay.
Those additions mainly affect how the interface is used rather than the mathematics or bonus features, so they have less impact on the comparison than Free Spins and multipliers.
What is the difference between Gates of Olympus and Olympus Thunderhold?
The biggest differences are in their bonus mechanics and payout limits.
Gates of Olympus starts with 15 Free Spins, uses multiplier symbols in both the base game and bonus, and reaches values as high as 500×. During Free Spins, qualifying multipliers also contribute to a running total that carries through the feature.
Olympus Thunderhold starts with 10 Free Games and reserves its 2×–100× multiplier symbols for that feature. Their values combine for the current cascade rather than creating a multiplier that persists through the remaining games.
Gates also has the higher maximum bet and maximum-win multiplier. Thunderhold can be configured with an RTP as high as 97.5%, although RTG lists several available RTP settings.
Our Verdict
Gates of Olympus and Olympus Thunderhold are very similar at first glance, but the comparison changes once their bonus features are involved. Gates uses multipliers throughout more of the game and allows them to build across Free Spins. Thunderhold keeps its multiplier mechanic within Free Games and resolves it around individual cascades.
That difference has the biggest effect on how the two games play. The shared Greek mythology theme, grid size and cascading format make them look and feel familiar initially, but their bonus mechanics give each game its own structure once the features begin.
