Xmas Drop: Slot Overview
Despite Hacksaw Gaming‘s track record of delivering powerful slots, often of the cute variety, it’s surprising that the studio hadn’t ventured into creating a Christmas game until now. The recent release of Xmas Drop marks a change in that trend. In addition to immersing players in the festive visuals of Christmas, Xmas Drop introduces several gaming features that the developer has been experimenting with around its release. These features include expanding wilds, some equipped with multipliers, and two bonus rounds charmingly named Night Before Xmas and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.
Santa himself becomes a part of the Xmas Drop adventure, standing alongside the reels with his belly swaying from side to side—a distinctive presence that’s hard to miss, depending on the screen size. Whether it’s the result of indulging in too much eggnog or just adding to the festive spirit, having Santa accompany players in a Christmas-themed slot is undoubtedly a welcomed touch. Alongside the jolly old man in red, players are treated to a visually delightful scene of a heavily snow-covered forest, providing the classic and heartwarming elements one expects from a white Christmas slot.
Enclosed in a golden frame and set against a warm green backdrop, Xmas Drop features a gaming grid crafted with 5 reels and 5 rows, intersected by 19 paylines. Winning combinations initiate from the left side of the grid, traversing along a payline over consecutive reels. Rated as a medium volatile math model, players enjoy a default RTP value of 96.22% during regular betting, with varying figures when engaging in different bonus buy options. The base bet options range from 10 cents to $/€100 per spin.
The grid showcases 10 regular paying symbols in Xmas Drop. Among them, five are 10-A card royals displayed on blocks bordered in green, blue, red, purple, and yellow. The high-paying symbols include a stocking, a candy cane, a tree, a teddy bear, and some bells. Achieving a full 5-of-a-kind low-pay combination rewards 5 to 10 times the bet, while the equivalent result with high-paying symbols is valued at 15 to 25 times the bet. The game features two wild symbols, each worth 25 times the bet for a 5-wild win, and they also serve as substitutes for any regular pay symbol.
Xmas Drop: Slot Features
Xmas Drop introduces two distinct wild symbols: the Wild Santa symbol and the Wild Gift symbol, each endowed with unique powers. Additionally, players can engage with the Night Before Christmas Bonus round and the Santa Claus is Coming to Town bonus round, both adding extra layers of excitement to the gameplay. For those seeking an expedited experience, the game offers feature buy options, providing the opportunity to access specific features directly.
Wild Santa Symbol
The Wild Santa symbols exhibit an expanding feature, enlarging if the expanded symbol contributes to at least one winning combination. In its expanded form, these symbols function as wild symbols on every position covered by the expansion. Notably, Wild Santas exclusively expand downward, reaching the bottom of the reels. Those Wild Santas that do not undergo expansion retain their status as a single wild symbol, with each reel accommodating only one Wild Santa at any given time.
Wild Gift Symbol
When a Wild Santa symbol expands and encompasses a Wild Gift symbol, it transforms into a multiplier that is subsequently applied to the entire expanded Wild Santa symbol. The potential multiplier values span from x2 to x200. In scenarios where a winning combination involves multiple expanded Wild Santas, each with a multiplier, the values of the multipliers are cumulatively added before being applied to the overall win.
Night Before Xmas
Achieving a landing of 3 Free Spins (FS) scatters during the base game initiates a bonus round offering 10 free spins. Within this feature, the likelihood of encountering Wild Santa and Wild Gift symbols is higher compared to the base game. If, during this bonus round, an additional 3 FS symbols appear, it results in an extra +4 free spins. Alternatively, hitting 4 FS symbols within the ongoing round triggers an upgrade to the Santa Claus Is Coming To Town bonus round at the conclusion of the spin. If the remaining free spins fall below 10, the count is adjusted to 10.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Achieving a landing of 4 Free Spins (FS) scatters during the base game activates a feature offering 10 free spins. Within this round, the presence of a Wild Santa symbol can activate the reel it lands on. Once a reel is activated, a Wild Santa is assured to land on that reel for all the remaining free spins. If, during this feature, an additional 3 FS symbols appear, it results in an extra reward of +4 free spins.
Feature Buy Menu
Certainly! Here are the options for buying special features in Xmas Drop:
- BonusHunt FeatureSpins – Priced at 3 times the bet, each spin within this feature has a fivefold increased likelihood of activating a bonus game. This feature is highly volatile, with an RTP of 96.44%.
- 2 Wild Santas FeatureSpins – Available at 20 times the bet, each spin in this feature guarantees the landing of at least 2 Wild Santas. This feature is classified as very highly volatile, with an RTP of 96.34%.
- 3 Wild Santas FeatureSpins – Priced at 50 times the bet, each spin guarantees the landing of at least 3 Wild Santas. This feature is highly volatile, with an RTP of 96.31%.
- Night Before Xmas – Accessible for 110 times the bet, this feature is highly volatile, with an RTP of 96.2%.
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Priced at 200 times the bet, this feature is highly volatile, with an RTP of 96.41%.
Xmas Drop: Slot Verdict
Xmas Drop is a traditional slot in more ways than one and more or less a clone of RIP City. First is the theme, which decks the game out in miscellaneous Xmas items such as snow, Santa, and toys. For a studio possessing Hacksaw Gaming’s creative reputation, players may have thought the team might have pushed the boat out a bit further than Xmas Drop does. But it is the developer’s first Christmas slot, after all, so perhaps squirting masses of creativity into it wasn’t high on the agenda.
Xmas Drop is a charmingly light-natured game, however, on the surface at least. Though not an original feature, the way the jaw drops on Wild Santa symbols when they expand qualifies as something of a knee slapper and a desirable occurrence since it means more wilds on the grid, and maybe a multiplier to go with them, should a Santa pass through a Wild Gift symbol as it expands.
Hacksaw Gaming slots have a reputation for being tough going at times, where bonus buys, for example, can reward but also dole out punishment. BonusHunt FeatureSpins are one thing; they’ve been useful in helping trigger free spins more often in the past, but the two Wild Santa FeatureSpins might get expensive if they don’t perform. But there’s nothing new about all this. Gamblers who have dabbled with slots like RIP City in the past should be well prepared for what Xmas Drop delivers, or un-thrilled by the repetition, if they decide to take up the challenge on the special day, or beyond.