Christmas Slots

Big Santa Fortune is another five reel ‘Christmas’ game that was inflicted by Inspired Gaming on a wholly unprepared slot playing community in late 2022.

Like IG’s atrocity, Santa Linking, this one isn’t much to look at. But the game play is reasonably entertaining, helped enormously by a potential payout of 2500x your stake.

Theme-wise, the game is about fishing for some reason. Accordingly, the reels are decorated with a boat, a fishing rod and fish of various sizes.

There are eight types of fish, four of which don Christmas hats!!These come with cash prizes attached. To win, you’ll need to land three or more identical symbols.

A standard wild is in play that replaces other symbols, to hopefully create winning combinations. There’s also a Big Santa Fortune bonus round that you can activate by landing at least three or more bonus symbols in any position on the same spin.

Before the free spin commence, you get to the chance to match three fish in a match game to decide which fish becomes sticky for the duration. You’ll receive ‘unlimited’ free spins for the bonus round, until the sticky fish is caught by Santa. Any fish values that appear during the round are collected and awarded at the end.

RTP: 94.8%, Minimum Stake: 0.20

Santa Linking is a five reel slot from Inspired Gaming that was unleashed in November 2022. Comprising very simple gameplay, it’s the kind of slot that’s suited to casual players online.

The game’s retro theme comprises traditional playing card icons together with fruit symbols. There’s really not a whole lot going on here in the visuals department, especially when it comes to festive influences.

At first glance, a lot of players will instinctively extend their arms out in front of their faces to protect themselves against the thematic banality. It’s pretty dull, in all honesty. So is the game.

There are seven pay symbols – the low value cherries and plums pay out just 2x your bet when you land them as part of a winning combination.

The card symbols, which are actually of medium value, pay out 10x your bet while jackpot symbols are worth 25x your bet. Wilds can appear in any reel position, substituting other symbols to create winning combos if you’re lucky.

Then you’ve got the randomly-triggered Santa King feature. When active, you’ll be presented with a mini game and you can spin the reels for different payouts. Find six coin symbols and the Santa Linking feature is triggered.

This is a hold and win feature that allows you to generate extra spins provided you keep landing coins. There’s also a gamble feature that allows you to risk your winnings to receive additional cash prizes and to activate the aforementioned features.

RTP: 95%, Minimum Stake: 0.10

Christmas Bonanza is a Megaways slot from Big Time Gaming. Very, very, very closely based on BGT’s original smash hit slot, CB features cascading wins, a free spin round with progressive multiplier and a top potential prize of 26,000x your stake.

Like all rehashed slot games, this particular Christmas re-skin excels in its unoriginality. Indeed, BGT has brought nothing new to the table, save for a snow-filled festive theme. Like the standard game, premium symbols pay up to 50x your stake when you land them in groups of six.

Each win is followed by cascades. In case you didn’t know, cascades describe the process in which winning symbols fall off the reels to be replaced with new ones. Fresh symbols can also slide into place on the top row which is installed above the main game area.

Wilds are in play too, replacing other symbols to potentially create winning combinations. To gain access to the bonus round, you’ll need to spell out the word ‘GOLD’ by landing four gold scatter symbols. You’ll then receive 12 free spins although you can win an extra five spins for each additional triggering scatter.

Should you land more scatters during the bonus round, you can win an extra 10 spins. Additionally, a progressive win multiplier kicks in which starts at x1 and increases by one with each win. There’s not limit attached to the multiplier which means, in theory that it could go on forever!! Yeah right…

RTP: 96%, Minimum Stake: 0.20

Christmas Krampus is a five reel slot from Light and Wonder featuring a free spins round with collectable symbols and an enormous potential jackpot of 40,000x your stake.

Krampus isn’t actually a reference to post Christmas dinner discomfort. No, a Krampus is a horned anthropomorphic creature that either beats or eats children if they misbehave during advent. Nothing like a spot of festive cheer…

Anyway, the game plays out on five reels and features just 10 pay-lines. However, the symbol values are higher than usual – even the playing card symbols can pay up to 20x your bet when they land as part of a winning combination.

Medium to high value symbols are represented by Christmas trees, elves and logos which are the most valuable. Land five of these and you’ll win 200x your stake.

As well as standard wilds, you’ve also got scatter symbols which activate the free spins feature. Three, four or five scatters will bag you six, eight or 10 free spins.

During the round, Krampus symbols become walking wilds, rewarding extra spins as their move from right to left on the game area. They also collect the values of all gift symbols that land in adjacent positions. Each of these gift symbols is worth from 2x to 50x your stake.

RTP: 94%, Minimum Stake: 0.10

Plenty of Presents is a simple five reel slot from JustForTheWin that’s essentially a re-skin of Wolf Howl – the moderately successful 2020 game that kind of went under the radar for most players.

Although lacking the visual presentation of Christmas games like Jingle Ways Megaways, POP scores quite well in terms of in-game features – despite a simplistic base game. Populating the reels are the usual Xmas objects including bells, a Christmas tree cake, gifts, Father Christmas. As with JJM, the Christmas bell is the most lucrative symbol paying out 20x your stake if it lands five times across a pay-line.

A blue gift box serves as the wild and appears in any position on all five reels. It performs the usual function of replacing all other symbols apart from the scatter, you help you create winning combos. It can also pay out 5x, 10x or 30x your stake when it appears three, four or five times.

To trigger the bonus round, you’ll need to land three, four or five scatters in any position. The game will then award you with eight, fifteen or 30 free spins depending on how many triggering scatters appear. You can also re-trigger the round by landing scatters on the same spin. Your initial triggering scatters also activate the Jingle Wilds feature.

The Jingle Wilds feature will convert each scatter as well as all adjacent symbols into x1 multiplier wilds while also upgrading existing multipliers by up to x5. All upgraded multiplier wilds remain on the reels for the entire bonus round.

In addition, the Here Comes Santa Claus feature randomly activates, awarding two to four scatters which can help you trigger the bonus round.

RTP: 94.07%, Minimum Stake: 0.20

Christmas Cash Spins is the latest Yule-tide money-pit from Inspired Gaming (we’re just kidding, you might actually win some money). The developer’s little elves have been rather busy this year with Crimbo games, having unleashed Merry Christmas Megaways and Big Christmas Present to a hopelessly unprepared and unsuspecting audience.

Although featuring a chilling RTP of 94% and a humbug max win potential of just x1000, the game is helped big-time by its hold-and-win cash spins bonus round. The base game is fairly typical of a five reel slot though. You’ll need to land five symbols across one of 25-pay lines to win.

A Xmas tree wild is in play which appears on the second, third and fourth reels. When it lands, it will cover the entire reel and help replace other symbols to create winning combos. But it doesn’t come with any multipliers.

In the base game, if you manage to land four to five symbols in a 2 x 2 square, they’ll combine to create a bonus chance wheel. If it lands on green, you’ll trigger the bonus cash spins round. The other way to trigger it is to land six bonus symbols on the same spin.

You’ll then been given three spins and a hold-and-win type game ensues. All of your triggering symbols will remain sticky for the duration with any new ones that appear becoming sticky too. Should more bonus symbols appear, they’ll reset your re-spins counter to three and can also merge to create larger symbols.

At the conclusion of the round, each cash symbol in view will then flip to reveal a prize with merged symbols offering more lucrative prizes as well as jackpots. For instance, a 5 x 3 size bonus wheel symbol can award one of four jackpots with the most valuable worth 1000x your stake.

RTP: 94%, Minimum Stake: 0.25

Jingle Ways Megaways is a Red Tiger yuletide slot featuring BGT’s prolific game engine. So this can only mean one thing – repackaged in-game features such as ‘chain reaction’ wins (translation: cascading reels), more than 100,000 ways to win and a six reel game area.

We’ve tried not to overburden you with Christmas themed slots this year given how many of them are, um, not terribly good. But Jingle Ways Megaways actually turned out to be an entertaining effort from Red Tiger. And it looks great.

Set inside Santa’s workshop, the game area comprises the usual 6 x 7 layout. These are decorated with stockings, gold bells and star decorations. Land a gold bell six times in combination and you’ll win 2.5 x your stake. Each win activates the chain reaction cascading reels mechanic. As ever, winning symbols fall off the reels with new ones falling into their vacated positions.

The rotund bearded German occasionally appears on the reels proffering reel modifier gifts. These include Mega Wilds, Festive Reels, Raining Wilds and a Multiplier Boost. Mega Wilds come in fours, can cover an entire reel (two to five) and include x7 multipliers.

For the Festive Reels gift, all low-value symbols are removed from the reels and you’ll be guaranteed a win. The Raining Wilds gift sees random wilds spread across the four middle reels and another win guaranteed. The multiplier boost is activated exclusively in the bonus round and will increase the free spins multiplier by five.

To trigger the bonus round, you’ll have to receive a related gift from Santa or land three or more snow globe scatters in any position albeit as part of one cascade. Eight free spins will then be awarded as well as a multiplier of x1. You’ll also receive an extra 2 spins for every additional triggering scatter that you unveil.

During the bonus round, every win increases the multiplier by up to x15. Manage to land three or more scatters and you can win extra fee spins with no limits. The Santa Gift feature also remains active which means the four reel modifiers can come into play.

RTP: 95.69%, Minimum Stake: 0.10

Big Bad Wolf Christmas Special is a five reel slot with 25 pay-lines that features an excellent 97.34% RTP. In contrast to many of the other games listed in this category, BBWCS is new having been launched in time for Christmas. Indeed, there’s nothing quite like a fairy tale about three pigs and a predator to inspire festive cheer.

BBWCS is basically a re-spin of the award-winning original from Quickspin. All the symbols have been retained albeit with a coating of snow, while the background is now a winter landscape. Joining the wood-finish playing card symbols (sigh) are a teddy bear and a trio of domesticated ungulates.

The wild is represented by a beehive and pays out 40 times you stake when five appear across a pay-line. There are four bonus features: swooping reels, pigs turn wild, free spins and blowing down the house.

The swooping reels feature is an Avalanche-style mechanic that’s activated after all wins. The symbols are blown away to be replaced with new ones, with the process repeated until wins are no longer possible.

Pigs Turn Wild is triggered after successive wins and one of the three pigs turns wild. If you manage six wins in a row, they’ll all turn wild.

The free spins round is unlocked by landing at least three wolf scatters – a 3x multiplier will then be awarded together with 10 free spins. Should another three scatters appear during a free spin it will re-trigger and you’ll get another 10 spins..

Blowing Down the House comes into play if you manage to unveil a minimum of three moon symbols on the fifth reel. The wooden house is blown down and you’ll be the recipient of two spins. Unveil six and the brick house is blown down, 2 spins awarded as well as a 2x multiplier.

RTP: 97.34%, Minimum Stake: 0.25

Santa King Megaways is a six reel re-skin of the hugely popular Reel King game, comprising a max win ceiling of x10000 and more than 117,000 pay-lines.

SKM’s festive retro theme is pretty basic, much like the original Reel King slot. Game-play is accompanied by an upbeat Christmas jingle that evolves into Jingle Bells should you gain access to the bonus round.

The slot plays out across the standard Megaways game area with two to seven symbols included on each reel. Wins are created by landing at least three symbols from left to right. A sack of presents is the most valuable and can award up to 50x your stake if you manage to land six of them.

The standard wild (a crown with Santa Clause hat) replaces all others but only appears on the extra reel installed above the main set. In addition to the cascading reels mechanic, SKM includes a couple of extras such as the Reel King feature and a free spins round.

The Reel King feature is activated if six reels turn yellow during a base game spin. You’ll then be able to spin one to six reels which contain coloured gift boxes. Form any three box combination and a cash prize equal to your stake will be awarded. It’s also possible to win a 10x multiplier for landing three red gift-boxes.

To advance to the Super Reel King feature, you will need to land illuminate at least three positions in the min reel set to progress one space along a numbered trail. The further you progress, the better the reward.

For the free spins round, progressive multipliers come into play and the round starts with a 1x multiplier. This is increased for each cascading win with each illuminated reel remaining in place, allowing you the chance to win extra spins and more multipliers.

RTP: 95.56%, Minimum Stake: 0.20

Jingle Bells Power Reels is a festive eight reel slot from Red Tiger. Released on December 1 by Red, it includes raining wilds, multipliers and a max win potential of 6,544.

The reels are arranged in a darkened, winter-time living room complete with stockings, a wreath and an evergreen conifer decorated with multi-coloured light bulbs and a gold star. Wins are possible by landing three or more symbols on a pay-line.

Lower value symbols are signified by playing card suits while medium to high symbols are represented by candy canes, stockings, baubles and a set of bells – the bells are the most valuable and will pay out 12.5 your stake when 8 appear.

Accompanying the base game is an assortment of extra features including Mega Wilds, a Christmas Tree Multiplier, Raining Wilds, Winning Reels and a free spins round.

For the Mega Wild feature, Santa walks across the screen pushing a 6 x 5 wild symbol enabling you to land some sort of winning combo. For the Christmas tree multiplier, he’ll shake the evergreen conifer and you’ll receive a multiplier for your next win.

The Raining Wilds feature sees him tiptoe across the screen throwing multiplier or wild gifts and you’ll again be guaranteed a winning combination.

For the Winning Reels round all low value symbols are removed thus granting you a winning combo with more lucrative symbols. The free spins round is triggered when three snow globe scatters turn up on the reels. 8 spins are then awarded as well as another three for each extra scatter that appears.

RTP: 95.78%, Minimum Stake: 0.10