| Provider | Thunderkick |
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Barber Shop is a five-reel video slot from Swedish developer Thunderkick built around the sights and characters of a classic gentleman's barber. Released in 2014, it was one of the games that put Thunderkick on the map, and it holds up well today thanks to a handful of mechanics that keep things interesting long after the novelty of the theme has worn off.
Theme and Design
The reels are set inside a warmly lit shop, all polished wood and striped poles. The symbols are hand-drawn caricatures - a mustachioed gent, a bearded fellow, a man with an impressive quiff, a cut-throat razor, a can of shaving foam, and the barber shop sign that doubles as the bonus symbol. There are no generic playing card symbols here, which is always a welcome sign that a developer has put real thought into the presentation.
The overall style is cartoonish without being childish, and Thunderkick's eye for detail shows in the small animations that play out when a winning combination lands. It is the kind of slot that looks equally at home on a desktop browser or a mobile screen, and it resizes cleanly across devices.
How to Play
Barber Shop uses a five-reel, three-row layout with 25 fixed paylines. Stakes run from £0.10 to £100 per spin, giving the game appeal whether you prefer cautious sessions or something with a bit more weight behind it. The paytable is accessed via the bottom menu, along with an autoplay function that supports up to 1,000 automated spins.
The top five-of-a-kind payout is 40x your stake for the bearded character symbol. Across 25 paylines that translates to a maximum single-spin win of 1,000x your bet in base play, though the real earning potential comes from the bonus mechanics.
RTP and Volatility
The return to player for Barber Shop sits at 97%, which places it comfortably above the slot industry average of around 95-96%. Volatility is in the medium range, meaning you can expect reasonably regular wins without the long dry spells that come with high-volatility games. It is a good balance for players who want consistent action alongside the chance of a bigger payout from the bonus round.
Respin Feature
The respin is the engine of Barber Shop and it triggers automatically every time you land a winning combination in the base game. When a win occurs, a burst of shaving foam sweeps across the screen and the winning symbols are held in place while the remaining reels spin again. Any bearded symbols on the reels during this respin revert to their clean-shaven versions, keeping the visual storytelling going while the mechanic plays out.
If the respin produces another win, the held symbols update and the process repeats. This creates a chain reaction effect that can turn a modest landing into something considerably more rewarding, and it fires frequently enough to keep the base game from feeling flat between bonus rounds.
Free Spins Bonus
The barber shop sign is the bonus symbol, and landing five or more of them anywhere on the reels at the same time triggers the free spins round. You start with 10 free spins, but additional bonus symbols landing during the round each add two more, stretching the potential total up to 30 free spins.
A multiplier tracks progress beneath the reels throughout the free spins. Each spin - whether it wins or not - increases the multiplier by one step, and it can reach up to 5x. The combination of a growing multiplier and the same respin mechanic active in the base game means the free spins round can snowball considerably if conditions line up.
Inwinity Spin
When all free spins have been used, the Inwinity spin activates. The reels continue to spin at no additional cost until a winning combination lands, guaranteeing that the bonus round cannot end on a blank. It is a small but satisfying touch - you always leave the bonus with something, even if the preceding spins have been quiet.
Maximum Win
The top payout in Barber Shop reaches 1,000x your stake from base play alone. With the free spins multiplier, chained respins, and the Inwinity spin combining in a strong run, total session wins can climb significantly higher. The game does not publish a formal maximum win cap in the way some modern slots do, but the combination of mechanics creates genuine potential for standout payouts when the bonus round runs well.
Barber Shop vs Barber Shop Uncut
Thunderkick released a follow-up, Barber Shop Uncut, which expanded the game to 40 paylines and refined several of the mechanics. The original remains available at many casinos and is worth seeking out on its own terms - it has a cleaner, more focused feel and the 25-payline structure gives the base game a slightly different rhythm. If you enjoy one, the other is worth a look.
Verdict
Barber Shop delivers on a simple brief - a well-drawn theme, a respin mechanic that makes base play more engaging than average, and a free spins round with a building multiplier and a guaranteed final spin. The 97% RTP is generous and the medium volatility keeps sessions moving. Whether you are new to Thunderkick or working your way through their back catalogue, this one earns its place on the list.
Where to Play Barber Shop
These online casinos carry Thunderkick games including Barber Shop. Read our Donbet review or browse all casino reviews.
More Thunderkick Slots
If you enjoy Barber Shop, try these other Thunderkick games available at the same casinos.
