Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ is a 6-reel Megaways™ video slot with 7 rows and up to 117,649 ways to win. Developed by Iron Dog Studio, the game was launched on the 24th of November 2021, just in time for the jolly season.
Thanks to a licensing agreement, the developer also gained access to the world-class Megaways™ mechanic from Big Time Gaming. This enabled Iron Dog Studio to make many slots with random reel modifiers and other goodies for players, including Rock The Reels Megaways™, Astro Newts Megaways™ and most recently, Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™.
The developer’s ambition is to entertain players with fun slots that employ the newest technological advancements, whilst making sure to keep the ”soul” of the game alive. And Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ promises to deliver just that – an entertaining, festive video slot whose Christmas theme is accompanied by quality visuals and innovative game mechanics.
Don’t miss out on all the presents this launch has in store for you – discover them all in our in-depth Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ slot review!
Graphics & Sounds: 95%
Payout: 95%
Bonus Features: 95%
Popularity: 90%
Originality: 90%
Overall score: 93%
Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ seems to build on a known successful recipe, employing familiar mechanics that die-hard Megaways™ slots enthusiasts can’t get enough of: win reactions, free spins with locked reels and increasing multipliers – all wrapped in a pretty, Christmassy bow.
The seasonal touch of this title will not only tug at your heartstrings and make you want to reach for a second cup of hot chocolate, but it will also keep you entertained for many spins to come, thanks to the fast-paced game action and colourful design.
A true staple of a great Megaways™ slot in our list, the popular tumbling reels or cascading reels mechanic is also present in Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™. What this means is that if a winning combination gets formed, the symbols involved will disappear, and new ones will come tumbling from above to fill the gaps. The mechanic will continue until no more new winning combinations are formed.
The game takes this known mechanic further by adding bauble symbols with the reel cascades, their role being to help you light up the Christmas tree and make your way into the free spins bonus round.
Rudolf the Reindeer is a unique feature that can be activated during the base game and the free spins. If Santa’s red-nosed companion makes an appearance in the base game, he will award you with 4 features:
However, if you activate Rudolf the Reindeer during the free spins bonus feature, you will get:
One aspect that sets apart Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ slot from similar launches is the lack of a scatter symbol. Instead, it’s the reindeers that play a key role – either by adding wilds onto the reels, trigger respins, or helping the player move up the ladder on the free spins path.
To be awarded bonus games, you need to light up at least 8 baubles on the tree trail. This will give you 8 free spins, and every tumble after adds another bauble.
There are 13 positions you can reach on the Christmas tree trail, and the further you climb, the more extra spins and multipliers you get, as shown below:
Retriggers are also possible if you hit 4 consecutive reel cascades. You will then get 2 extra free spins, and every cascade you trigger after will give you another free spin, with a maximum of 4 possible.
Once you get to the 13th position, you also increase your chances of Rudolf the Reindeer making a surprise appearance and awarding you with a modifier.
During the free spins, players will also be presented with a global win multiplier that increases by 1x after each successful tumble. Moreover, any reel that gets filled with the maximum number of 7 special symbols will stay locked at that number of positions for the remainder of the feature.
Each locked reel will give you an additional +1 to the win multiplier and a free spin will be awarded. If you can land between 4-6 consecutive tumbles during the bonus game, you will get 2-4 free spins.
If you wish to pay your way into the bonus round, you can do so by purchasing any of the free spins options detailed above. The cost ranges between 70x-250x your bet for 6-13 free spins with different multiplier values, depending on how high you want to climb the ladder.
Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ offers an estimated base RTP of 96.04%, which is considered to be the industry average for a Megaways™ slot. However, keep in mind that this percentage can vary depending on the casino, local regulations, the jurisdiction you play in and whether you buy the bonus or not.
The game has a high level of volatility, making big wins possible, albeit with a lower frequency. With that said, the maximum win is still capped at 25,000x your stake or between $/€/£5,000 and $/€/£2,500,000 in monetary terms, depending on the size of your bet.
Iron Dog Studio’s new Christmas bash welcomes players of all budgets. You can spin at Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ slot for as little as €0.2, while the maximum bet allowed is €100 – making it just as interesting for a high roller.
Visually, Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ truly excels at creating authentic Christmas imagery. The reels are populated by classic card symbols embedded with shiny neon lights, elves and the gingerbread man, all waiting to fill your heart with festive joy (and hopefully endless presents).
The reels are set in the middle of a cosy living room, right next to a warm fireplace and a decorated Christmas tree. In the background, we can hear traditional festive music to put us in a celebratory mood.
Lastly, although we’d expect this title to be more mellow or slower in action, the opposite is actually true – the reels spin with a fast-paced rhythm and as the number of Megaways™ changes, so does your fortune.
The brand-new video slot aims to employ Iron Dog Studio’s core mission, which is ”To build for the future, whilst utilising the strength of the past.”
For that reason, the game is optimised for all player categories and devices. It uses HTML5 and Java Script technology to give you the same experience whether on a desktop device, smartphone or tablet. It’s also compatible with multiple operating systems – Windows, iOS and Android – and you can try it for free, right here on this page.
On any given spin on Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™, you can get between 2-7 special symbols and between 64-117,649 paylines. To make a winning combination, you need 3 or more symbols of the same kind from left to right, starting from the left-most reel.
Should you welcome Santa climbing down the chimney this holiday season or is this title not worth a second spin? Let’s see:
Pros
Cons
Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ promises to be another successful thematic launch in Iron Dog Studio’s portfolio, alongside Christmas Megaways™ slot, which was extremely well-received by players back in 2020.
And, based on our first impressions, we believe it has all the elements to succeed: high maximum win potential and RTP, multiple exciting free spins rounds with increasing multipliers, and lots of winning cascades to help you bag even more presents on Christmas eve.
Provider | Blueprint Gaming |
RTP | 96.03% |
Volatility | High |
Number of ways | 117,649 Megaways™ |
Provider | Blueprint |
RTP | 96.55% |
Volatility | High |
Number of ways | Up to 117,649 |
Provider | Blueprint |
RTP | 97.00% |
Volatility | Medium/High |
Number of ways | 470,596 |
Provider | Big Time Gaming |
RTP | 96.5% |
Volatility | Medium to High |
Number of ways | 117,649 |
Provider | Blueprint |
RTP | 96.01% |
Volatility | High |
Number of ways | 15,625 |
Provider | ReelPlay |
RTP | 96.18% |
Volatility | High |
Number of ways | Unlimited |
Provider | Big Time Gaming |
RTP | 96.54% |
Volatility | Medium/High |
Number of ways | N/A |
Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ has an estimated RTP of 96.04%, which is right at the average of most Megaways™ slots. However, the game comes in three different RTP versions depending on the casino you play at, so lower scores of 94.07% and 88.24% are possible as well.
Santa’s Big Bash Megaways™ slot offers a capped maximum win of 25,000x your stake or €2,500,000 if you play with the highest bet.
You can find a total of 4 random reindeer modifiers that you can trigger in the base game. Friendly Rudolf can either trigger 4 additional wilds on a reel cascade, add a 5x multiplier to your wins, add 3 more positions on the Christmas tree or give you an extra respin.
The slot is rich in many different features, such as tumbles, wild symbols, Rudolf the reindeer, free spins and bonus buy.
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