As the festive season kicks into gear, a selection of those weekly slot launches that we are all familiar with are showcasing a distinct theme. As the online casino market becomes flooded with Christmas content once more, we take a look at a number of those new entrants.

Christmas Carol Megaways – Pragmatic Play

Pragmatic Play’s festive entrant comes in the shape of Christmas Carol Megaways, which sees three Christmas Ghosts pay players a visit in a 200,704 ways to win video slot.

Each win triggers a cascade of symbols, with all winning symbols being turned to ice and replaced, ensuring any spin can lead to multiple wins.

Four or more scatter symbols, represented by a golden timepiece, will trigger the free games feature, where players can choose their allocation of free spins and starting multiplier, while also having a mystery option.

During the bonus round, each win triggers not only a tumbling feature but also increases the multiplier by x1, which remains throughout the duration of the entire free games mode.

“Christmas lights and Christmas trees are starting to go up in households all over the world and we can’t wait for one of the most magical times of the year, so we’re inviting you to join in with Christmas Carol Megaways.

“With a widely recognisable and a potentially lucrative bonus round, our Christmas hit will have players hoping the magic of the season never ends.” – Lena Yasir, vice president at Pragmatic Play.

Carol of the Elves – Yggdrasil

The 5×5, 3,125 payline Carol of the Elves invites players to the festive world of the Elves as they prepare for their busiest time of the year.

With 12 spots on the reel initially frozen over, each winning symbol releases magic stars which have the power to open new spaces for symbols to fall, while also triggering a respin. The grid returns to its partially frozen state after no more wins are achieved in base play or respins.

Once the grid is completely unfrozen, the Elves either side of the reels come into play, with magic stars charging either the red elf for extra lives during the respins, or the green elf, who adds to the multiplier for the round. Each elf requires five magic stars to reach the next level.

With the respins continuing and players building up their bank of lives through the red elf, any spin can be the start of a lucrative win thanks to the generosity of the game’s Christmas characters.

“The festive season is upon us and Carol of the Elves sees Santa’s loyal helpers take players to the next level in their play sessions through the gifts of multipliers and extra lives.

“We continue to strive to create highly engaging and immersive content and we’re delighted with Carol of the Elves. We’ll be ho-ho-hoping our players love it too as they get ready for one of the most exciting times of the year.” – Jonas Strandman, senior games strategist at Yggdrasil.

Christmas Gift Rush – Habanero

Christmas Gift Rush, says Habanero, has been designed for players dreaming of a white Christmas. The 3×3 slot showcases festive visuals and sound effects as well as the supplier’s Jackpot Race tool, fusing the logic of a poker-style pot with a jackpot solution.

Wins on the centre line trigger the nudge feature, with the reels continuing to nudge until there are no winning combinations left on the screen. For those who unlock three lines, however, the multiplier increases with each nudge.

“We’ve left a gem of a present in the stockings of jolly players looking to celebrate the holidays in style with a jovial new slot, Christmas Gift Rush.

“Serving up all the Habanero trimmings of stunning graphics, pitch-perfect sounds and state-of-the-art features, it’s a Christmas cracker of a slot that’s sure to chime the bells this winter. We wish all of our partners and fans a truly magical holiday season and look forward to the year ahead!” – Toni Karapetrov, Head of Corporate Communications at Habanero.

Christmas Cash Pots, Santa Stacked Free Spins and Santa King Megaways – Inspired Entertainment

Inspired Entertainment has unveiled a trio of festive treats, with Christmas Cash Pots, Santa Stacked Free Spins and Santa King Megaways representing the group’s latest holiday themed slot games.

Christmas Cash Pots promises “a cash-filled journey of free spins and seasonal cheer,” Santa Stacked Free Spins is a Christmas-themed version of Gold Cash Free Spins, and Santa King Megaways aims to deliver festive cheer via the ever popular Big Time Gaming mechanic.

“We have Christmas covered at Inspired. With a strong line-up of festive titles, our games are set to provide all-round seasonal entertainment, appealing to an array of different players as they see in the new year.

“First on the festive list is Christmas Cash Pots – a perfect game for the regular bonus hit player. This game delivers a bonus hit rate circa 110, while offering consistent cash collector pay outs.

“Santa Stacked Free Spins is the ideal game for the classic slot player offering an exciting gamble which allows you to reach the free spins round from any normal base game win. Last but by no means least is a festive game for the popular Megaways ever-growing fan base out there.

“We’ve taken the hugely successful Reel King Megaways and partnered it with the King’s festive relative to create Santa King Megaways, offering players a remarkable 117,649 ways to win on every spin. With the classic Reel King scrolls ding bonus, the game gives players the chance to earn big cash rewards and up to 25 increasing multiplier free spins.

“We have the festive slots wrapped up for our operator partners. With each of these games, players are set for a merry and bright online and mobile slot experience.” – Steve Collett, Chief Product Officer at Inspired.