Released: 25 Dec 2021

★★★★★

There have already been quite a lot of incredible Christmas-themed video slots for this year and the season is just beginning. However, you can never have too many of them and it seems that each one manages to offer something new and original. In this review, we are going to talk about Inspired Gaming’s input in this category, with their brand new title called Merry Christmas Megaways slot. If you are interested to learn about all it has to offer, including the top prize of 25,000x the stake, make sure to read the full review.

In order for a Christmas game to capture the true essence of the holiday, it needs to be festive, colourful and cosy. The Merry Christmas Megaways slot offers all of that, as well as thrilling and dynamic gameplay enhanced by the Megaways engine. There are also several exciting bonus features, including free spins, mystery symbols, and a special Spin Chance bonus feature. Read all about it below.

About Merry Christmas Megaways Slot

Inspired Gaming is a UK-based company that has a lot of experience in the iGaming industry and has so far created countless amazing video slots. The Merry Christmas Megaways slot is their latest release, so let’s see what exactly they have done with it.

The layout is typical for a Megaways video slot. It consists of 6 regular reels, which can hold up to 7 symbols each, and there is also an extra horizontal reel with 4 positions. This arrangement of the grid makes the number of paylines different on each spin. The number can go as high as 117,649.

In order to land a win, you will need to match at least 3 identical symbols on adjacent reels, starting from the first reel on the left.

The Merry Christmas Megaways slot also incorporates the cascading reels system, which allows you to potentially achieve more wins on a single spin, by removing the winning symbols and replacing them with new ones.

The betting range is quite small, which makes this game more suitable for beginners, or players who want to play with smaller stakes. The minimum bet is £0.20, while the maximum bet is capped at £10 per spin. However, the maximum payout goes up to 25,000x the stake, which is impressive!

Design, Symbols and Graphics

The game offers incredible and sophisticated graphics, which are paired with very colourful and festive visuals that will get you in the holiday mood. The cosy atmosphere is perfect for a video slot of this genre.

The reels are very creatively designed and they are placed inside the fireplace, which perfectly incorporates them in the atmosphere of the game. The fireplace is decorated with fir garlands, Christmas lights and ribbons, as well as lit candles and stockings.

You can also see the fire burning behind the symbols. There is a very comfortable armchair on the left side of the reels, while the Christmas tree is on the right side.

Different coloured baubles make up the group of lower-paying symbols and they also have different markings on them. They are marked with 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A. After them, we have the group of higher-paying symbols, which consists of a bell, a present, a sleigh, and at the top, we have Father Christmas himself, who is worth 50 x the stake for a full payline.

You will also come across a wild symbol, which can only appear on the extra horizontal reel and can help you by substituting the regular pay symbols. There is a scatter symbol as well, presented by a bag full of presents that can trigger the free spins feature.

RTP, Variance and Payouts for Merry Christmas Megaways Slot

The Merry Christmas Megaways slot works on a highly volatile model, which comprises less frequent, yet very valuable rewards. The theoretical RTP of the game is capped a bit below the industry average, at 95.50%.

As for the payouts, the biggest possible win you can hope to achieve reaches 25,000x the stake. This can turn into a great profit.

You can also check out our thorough guide on the topic, where you will find more detailed information about the RTP and different volatility models.

Gameplay and Features on Merry Christmas Megaways Slot

The base game offers a certain level of fun and excitement, but you can also take advantage of a few exciting bonus features that will not only make this game more fun, but they can also make it more lucrative as well. Let’s see exactly what they are and what they offer.

Mystery Symbols Feature

The mystery symbols can be triggered at random on each spin, in which case a certain number of them will appear on the reels. They will all be transformed into the same symbol type, which can potentially be very helpful in landing a winning combination.

Free Spins Feature

You will need to land 4 or more scatters at the same time in order to trigger the Free Spins feature. Landing 4 of them will earn you 12 free spins, while each additional scatter will award you 2 more free spins.

Each cascade will increase the multiplier by 1. And if you land 3 or 4 extra scatters during the feature, you will get 5 or 10 additional free spins, with 80 being the maximum.

Spin Chance Feature

If your balance falls below the value of the selected bet, you will be given the chance to utilize this feature. It will spin a pointer, and if it lands on a green area, a spin will be awarded. But, if it lands on a red area, the remaining balance will be lost.

Merry Christmas Megaways Slot on Mobile

Thanks to the sophisticated HTML5 technology, you can also enjoy the Merry Christmas Megaways slot on a smaller screen. It’s made compatible with Windows, Android, and iOS operating systems, so you can play this game, with the same graphics and visuals, on any mobile or tablet device.

Other Inspired Gaming Slots

Here are a few more video slots by this excellent developer that we think you will enjoy.

Rise of Anubis - enter this ancient Egyptian tomb and find many incredible treasures. The layout consists of 3 rows, 5 reels, and 20 active paylines for your wins to land on. The volatility and the RTP are still unknown.

Star Wilds Hot Spin Plus - if you want a classical video slot combined with modern visuals, then you should definitely check this game out. You will get to play on 3 rows, and 5 reels, as well as 10 active paylines. The RTP of the game stands at 95.93%.

King of Charms - this is a fun Irish-themed video slot where you will get to play with gems, four-leaf clovers and pots of gold. There is a 5x3 layout that offers 10 paylines. The volatility falls in the medium range, and the RTP is capped at 95.51%.

Slotswise Verdict

If we are talking about a Christmas-themed game, then the Merry Christmas Megaways slot has everything you need. From the cosy atmosphere to the decorated and festive visuals, it is as appropriate as it can be.

When it comes to the bonus features, however, there isn’t anything new or innovative, but it’s fun nonetheless. The mystery symbols can prove helpful if they play out right and the free spins feature is a nice touch, especially because of the multiplier and the possibility to be retriggered. Overall, it’s not a bad game, and it’s worth checking out first-hand.