An In-Depth Look at Sweet Bonanza Xmas (Pragmatic Play)
The original Sweet Bonanza Initially launched by Pragmatic Play earlier this year, Sweet Bonanza was something unexpected due to its distinct rules, an assortment of sugary symbols, and gameplay, capped off with a sizable potential reward. Given its success, a holiday-themed edition has now been launched called Sweet Bonanza Xmas. While essentially a graphical reskin of the original, it still offers the same features. If you were a fan of the first release or have a penchant for Christmas, this might catch your interest. For unbiased insights, treat it as a standalone game. A word of caution: too much play might prompt a visit to the dentist!
As you start the game, you will be welcomed by cheerful Christmas music playing in the background. The game's appearance has been transformed to a winter theme complete with snow, snowmen, and holiday decorations, replacing the previous enchanting candy land. The grid configuration remains, featuring 9 symbols. On the milder end, you have fruits like bananas, grapes, watermelons, plums, and apples, while the more rewarding symbols include candies in blue, green, purple, and red.
The slot uses a 6-column, 5-row layout creatively. Unlike typical spinning reels, the grid fills up with symbols at each spin's start. There aren’t traditional paylines; the volume of symbols visible determines winnings. For example, eight of the same symbol is the minimum for a win, and gathering over 12 red heart candies can yield 50 times your bet. The RTP varies between 96.48% and 96.51% based on the usage of the Ante Bet feature, with total bets ranging from 20 p/c to $/€125. The game is of medium volatility, offering a steady stream of low-value wins until features activate.
Highlighted Features of Sweet Bonanza Xmas (Pragmatic Play)
The game is centered around the Tumble feature, where winning symbols are cleared to let new ones drop, potentially leading to a streak of wins from a single spin—an extremely popular mechanic in the gaming community.
Free Spin rounds can be initiated by hitting at least four lollipop scatter symbols. The bonus game gifts you with 10 free spins initially, and hitting three or more scatter symbols during these spins adds 5 more to your count. During this mode, multiplier symbols appear, and when they land, stick around as wins continue, with all values being applied to the final total once completed. The multipliers range from x2 to x100, and scatter symbols can contribute additional multipliers of 3x, 5x, and 100x when 3, 4, or 5 land on the grid.
To not wait for bonuses to trigger naturally, players can purchase direct access, costing 100 times their wager to ensure at least 4 scatter symbols appear on the next spin. A button below the reels enables this. An Ante Bet option is also available, allowing players to spend 25% more per spin to increase scatter rates, worthwhile considering that most substantial prizes occur in bonus games. However, if using the Ante Bet, players cannot pay the 100x to trigger bonuses.
Sweet Bonanza Xmas (Pragmatic Play): Final Thoughts
With a game reminiscent of its original, albeit adorned with Christmas visuals and sound, you may get a sense of déjà vu if you've played the predecessor. The original's features, such as the buy and Ante Bet, remain intact. While the festive overhaul provides a slight twist, fundamentally, it remains the same game.
What’s the reason behind this festive revamp? Clearly, it's an effort to capitalize on the Christmas spirit. The holiday has long since morphed into a commercial holiday, so adding another profit-driven activity like this seems fitting. Despite its obvious replication, the Christmas theme is laid bare, like a holiday buffet where you pick what pleases you.
For fans of Sweet Bonanza, one piece of information remains crucial—the potential reward. Yes, it matches; you can potentially win over 21,100 times your wager, promising a very merry season indeed. While such a significant return is enticing, its odds remain uncertain, with little online evidence of massive payouts from the original Sweet Bonanza. Yet, given the season's association with miracles, who knows?
If the sugary sweetness of the first game overwhelmed you, this Christmas variant might not be your cup of tea. It's virtually the same, only adorned with festive touches. While this feels like a quick seasonal revenue strategy, if you're in for holiday-themed gaming with high stakes, it’s worth considering.
In Short
Apart from some superficial changes, everything is as it was in the original version, including its enticing potential.
(1 = worst / 10 = best)