Crabbin’ for Christmas: Slot Overview
Players eager to enjoy a festive-themed slot game, unrelated to the uncomfortable kind, should consider joining the fun as Blueprint Gaming takes us on a marine adventure in “Crabbin’ for Christmas.” Alternatively known as ‘Shelling out for a claw-some Christmas’ by the game’s creator, Blueprint Gaming thoughtfully provides a family tree for the game, featuring predecessors like “Crabbin’ For Cash” and “Crabbin’ For Cash Extra Big Splash.” Now, we have “Crabbin’ for Christmas.” Interestingly, this latest addition is not a direct copy of its predecessors. While there are familiar elements, there’s also a touch of novelty – relatively new, sort of, kind of, maybe.
Set at sea, it appears Santa encountered turbulence while delivering gifts, causing some to fall overboard. Alternatively, it could be a case of a child, expecting a well-deserved PS5, losing it at bedtime and landing on the naughty list. The sea floor is adorned with Christmas lights, creating a scene that is not overly traditional but still features a Santa fisherman and a twinkling Christmas soundtrack. Intriguing enough to dive deeper into the experience.
The aquatic adventure begins with a chosen stake ranging from 10 cents to $/€20, suitable for both standard spins and bonus buying. Two bonus buy options are available, with specifics on their offerings soon to be revealed. The game grid in “Crabbin’ for Christmas” bobs in the water, featuring 3 symbols on each of the 5 reels and utilizing 10 paylines for calculating winning combinations. Sporting a medium/high volatility math model, “Crabbin’ for Christmas” delivers a default RTP of 95%, with lower settings accessible.
Once the crabbing action commences, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and overlook regular line wins, but some of the payouts are noteworthy. For instance, landing 5 of any Crustaceans, hats, life rings, traps, or anchors yields 20 to 200 times the bet. As expected, the royal symbols offer the least thrilling payouts, ranging from 5 to 10 times the bet for a 5-symbol combination. Wilds play a crucial role in forming winning lines by substituting for all pay symbols but are exclusive to free spins. Since wilds appear on all reels, their payout value matches that of the anchor.
Crabbin’ for Christmas: Slot Features
Now, let’s delve into the exciting features. Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols triggers 10, 15, or 20 free spins, respectively. During these free spins, each wild symbol that appears collects the cash value associated with any visible Crustacean symbols. The individual values of Crustacean symbols range from 1x to 50x the bet. Additionally, landing a Golden Fisherman wild symbol not only collects the Crustacean values but also multiplies them by up to x10. Each wild symbol that appears is also collected. Accumulating 4 wilds leads to an upgrade of the lowest-paying Crustacean to the next size, and receiving +5 extra free spins accompanies each Crustacean upgrade.
Lightning Spins
When you land 6 or more Crustacean cash symbols, it activates Lightning Spins. This feature begins with 3 spins, during which the triggering Crustaceans remain locked in place. Other positions may be filled with Crustaceans, Fisherman symbols, or valueless present symbols. Each new Crustacean symbol landing resets the spin count. Additionally, if a Crustacean displays the Mini, Minor, Major, or Mega Cashpot, it is worth 10x, 25x, 100x, or 2,000x the bet. If a regular Fisherman symbol appears, it sticks in place and collects all cash values within view.
Should a Gold Fisherman land, it multiplies all cash values (including those collected by other Fishermen), then proceeds to collect all cash symbols, lock them in place, and reset the spin count. Completing all positions awards a total win multiplier of up to x5.
Bonus Buy
Players have the option to purchase the standard bonus for 75x the bet, which can trigger either free spins or Lightning Spins. Alternatively, for 180x the bet, you can buy free spins or Lightning Spins, with the added perk that all Fisherman symbols during this feature are golden.
Crabbin’ for Christmas: Slot Verdict
The term “new” in the introduction may have been optimistic. Essentially, Crabbin’ for Christmas can be seen as Crabbin’ for Cash Extra Big Splash with a basic hold ‘n win round added, perhaps for amusement. While Lightning Spins are not inherently bad, they have been observed in various forms in previous Blueprint Gaming titles like DOND Lightning Spins and Limerick Lightning. However, it doesn’t stand out as an exceptional bonus round. Still, it’s commendable that Blueprint Gaming put in more effort than simply duplicating a previous concept. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to discover that Crabbin’ for Christmas is built upon another slot featuring sea creatures, yet to be encountered.
Blueprint Gaming is known for adeptly rearranging and repackaging components from their slot portfolio to create something seemingly new, redone, or essentially the same. Crabbin’ for Christmas exemplifies the assembly of a game using elements from various sources, akin to a Mr. Potato Head toy. However, setting aside the grumbling for a moment, let’s focus on the positive aspects. Crabbin’ for Christmas is as entertaining as numerous other sea-themed slots involving cash symbol collection. It offers a maximum exposure of 2,500x, multiple ways to potentially achieve a win, and a noteworthy Jackpot version to keep an eye out for. It exudes a festive and somewhat Christmassy vibe, accomplishing its intended purpose.
While Crabbin’ for Christmas may not be the most thrilling Christmas slot reviewed this year or any other, it holds its own. If you’re specifically seeking a blend of hold ‘n win action, a Cashpot element, free spins, cash symbol collection, and crustaceans during Christmas, then Crabbin’ for Christmas is sure to check off those boxes on your list.
