Secrets of Christmas pokie review
Secrets of Christmas pokie review
Season-specific pokies are always an interesting choice by software providers but many opt to make the bonus features so worthwhile players opt for the title all year round. NetEnt’s Secrets of Christmas released in December 2016 is so stuffed full of features we’re happy to spin the reels any time of the year.
Where to play Secrets of Christmas pokies online
We take a look at the stunning Christmas themed slots title by NetEnt available at our recommended online casinos listed in the table above.
Secrets of Christmas format
Secrets of Christmas has the standard format of an online video pokie. Featuring 5 magical reels with 25 paylines situated on a snow freckled window – mirroring the classic Northern Hemisphere Christmas unlike our sweltering one Down Under. A short video starts before being taken to the reels with cinematic audio and a quick animation flying us through the snow to a small wooden house. Our guess is its Santa’s house since we are learning about the secrets Christmas holds.
NetEnt have stuck with standard online slots format placing the buttons to adjust the bet size under the reels. Players can wager a minimum of $0.25 and a maximum of $125 with varying bet levels available from as little as one and as many as 10. Alter the coin value to find your preferable bet size if you want all 10 bet levels activated.
AutoPlay is also available with a custom number of spins eligible to be spun automatically – you can choose to stop when you trigger the Bonus features or after a specified number.
Additionally, the Return To Player for this title is 96.70%.
Secrets of Christmas symbols
NetEnt are known for their graphics so we expected good things from the provider. While we’re usually against traditional symbols on modern video pokies we have to say we are okay with the low paying symbols being represented by 10 to A here. This is predominantly due to the fact they’ve been designed to appear as wreaths which ties them into the theme – instead of standing out as a lacklustre effort.
The middle paying symbols including the Santa stocking, milk and cookies, and the gingerbread house, while the top paying symbols include the candles and the bell.
Players need at least three of any of these symbols to receive a payout which you can view by clicking on the paytable accessed via the ‘i’ symbol.
Other symbols include the Scatter symbol, which is the bag full of toys and three or more will trigger the Free Spins feature.
The Wild symbol is represented by Santa’s face and can appear on any of the reels to substitute for all symbols except the Scatter.
There’s also additional symbols during the Free Spins feature including Wilds represented by the bell or the candle, snowflakes, and Santa.
Secrets of Christmas bonus features
While it may seem like there’s only Free Spins to this title, we’ve cracked the secret as there’s much more.
The Bonus features on this title can bring you a sack full of goodies with at least three Scatter symbols triggering 10 Free Spins – lighting up the reels when the feature is triggered.
But before the Free Spins feature commences, the reels transform and you enter the house full of toys all spread out under the tree. Here, players can pick from 20 Christmas gifts ranging from two to 10 free spins, multipliers of up to 2x, up to two Wild reels and additional Wild symbols – the candle and the bell can act as Wilds. These will apply for the 10 Free spins – or 20 if you’ve managed to reveal an extra 10.
Audio and graphics by NetEnt on Secrets of Christmas
The graphics are beautiful. From the written note on the milk and cookies to the animated flecks of snow sprinkling the game screen – each detail has been carried out exceptionally well and we wouldn’t expect anything less from Net Entertainment. While the graphics are all Christmas themed you can appreciate them all year round – perfect for when you need just a little festive cheer.
The audio is crisp and the opening video sounds as if it is the opening of a movie – but the Christmas effects only really suit if it’s the festive season. You can mute the sounds via the audio icon in the bottom left hand corner.
Our thoughts of Secrets of Christmas
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It’s no secret we’re a fan of this title for Christmas and we wouldn’t mind playing a few real money wagers any time of the year. The Free Spins didn’t take too long to trigger and when we did we won a Wild Reel, two extra free spins, and an additional Wild and this resulted in a 2800-coin payout.
Overall this title is definitely worth a spin at Christmas time – you can decide whether you want to play it any other time of the year by heading to Slots Million online casino.