Developer: Nolimit City
Reels: 6
Rows: 3-3-4-4-5-5
Paylines: Up to 614,656
RTP: 96.10% | 94.08% | 92.09% | 87.09%
Free Spins Freq: 1 in 166
Max Win: 12,250x
Max Win Probability: 1 in 2.5m
Volatility: Very High
Min/Max Bet: 0.20/200 (Eur)
Release Date: December 5th, 2023
Slot Overview
It’s that time of year, and No Limit City has blessed us with a Christmas title only they could come up with.
The game is a reimagined reskin, with some minor math changes to their ‘Gulag’ title, with lots of sexual innuendoes regarding Santa, Mrs Claus, a somewhat seedy-looking elf, and a Grinch-inspired character.
But those who are fans of the mentioned ‘Gulag’ title from No Limit would be at home within this slot.
Slot Features
xWays
xWays symbols land on reels 1-2 in the main game and reels 5-6 in free spins. When xWays hit, they reveal 2-3 instances of a random pay symbol. If more than one xWays symbol lands, they all show the same symbol. If an xWays ends up being split by an xSplit Wild, the xWays multiplier is doubled for each split.
xNudge Wilds
xNudge Wild symbols land on reels 3-4 in the base game or free spins. They create a stacked wild symbol that is always nudged to cover the entire reel. Each nudge increases the wild multiplier by +1. Several wild multipliers add their values together, and if an xNudge is split by an xSplit, one more wild is added to the reel.
xSplit Wilds
xSplit Wilds are present on reels 5-6 in the base game and reels 1-2 in free spins. When xSplits land, they split all symbols to the left and right, doubling them. The symbol will show a multiplier if the split happens more than once. In addition, if scatters do not trigger free spins and an xSplit splits them, they are transformed into an entire reel of wild symbols. xSplit Wilds turn into two wilds after landing, which can be split by another xSplit Wild.
Free Spins
Free spins are triggered when 3 scatters land to activate Spirit Spins, 4 scatters for Spirit Spins: All Aboard, or 5 scatters for Spirit Spins: Double Joy. The grid is switched into a 5-5-4-4-3-3 pattern in all rounds, and all reels remain unlocked for the entire duration. Next, a set-up spin occurs to determine how many spins are awarded and what win multiplier the premium symbols get. In Spirit Spins, one premium symbol gets a multiplier; in the other two bonuses, all symbols get a multiplier. Multipliers are doubled in Spirit Spins: Double Joy. During free spins, a reel at the top of the grid may randomly increase the active premium symbols’ multipliers:
- Spirit Spins – randomly increases the multiplier by +1, +2, or double the value.
- Spirit Spins Double Joy – randomly increases the multiplier by +2, +4, or double the value.
Collecting scatter symbols also occurs during the round, awarding one free spin each. Collecting 3 scatters in Spirit Spins upgrades them to Spirit Spins: All Aboard, activating multipliers on all character symbols.
Bonus Buys
From the Nolimit Bonus, players can select four bonus buys. Spirit Spins cost 60x the bet (RTP 96.18%), Spirit Spins Cost 270x the bet (RTP 96.27%), Spirit Spins: Double Joy are 486x the bet (RTP 96.36%), or the Lucky Draw option costs 187.2x the bet where you win one of the previous three options (RTP 96.33%).
Summary
For a reskin with some minor math changes, Jingle Balls lives up to the No Limit ethos. That is great artwork, paired with great mechanics and the typical humour/dark themes they bring to their titles.
When you add the above, as well as the multiple ways to play the game with base game spins, the option to increase scatter hit rates by paying 50% of your base bet per spin, or the variety of bonus buy options available, you have a Christmas title that stands out from the generic ones in this theme. I highly recommend you try it yourself.
Rating: 8/10 – Beatriz Mayhew
