Introduction to Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch
Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch is a casino slot from Reflex Gaming that dresses up the studio's popular fishing series in a festive Santa hat. The game mixes cosy Christmas cheer with salty-sea action with twinkling lights over a bobbing boat, fish with stockings, and a fisherman in Santa clothing reeling in cash prizes. The mechanics lean on a cash-fish system with fishermen popping up to claim the values shown on fish. You can also find a Max Play mode that increases catch potential by removing the regular symbols from the grid and only showing blanks, Fish, Fisherman, and Bonus symbols, which ramps up the frequency and potential size of Cash Fish awards. It's time you grab your favorite rod and come with us.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch is a video slot from Reflex Gaming with 5 reels, 3 rows, and 10 paylines. The game's Min.bet is 0.1, and the Max.bet is 100. Reflex Gaming claims that the RTP is 96%, but the demo says 94% so we're not really sure what to believe. The game's volatility is high, and the hit frequency is 17.92%.
Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch takes us to the same waters we visited in Big Game Fishing Golden Catch, but the green pine trees are now covered in snow. We're looking at very calm waters of a sea, lake, or maybe even a river. In the middle of the screen are five transparent reels with a white and red frame. On top of the reels is the game's logo featuring a fisherman dressed in a Santa outfit. Wins are made by landing 3 or more matching symbols on one of the ten paylines, starting on the first reel to the left. You can access this Christmas fishing adventure on mobile phones, notepads, and desktop computers.
The lower-paying symbols in Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch are 10, J, Q, K, and A. They pay between 5x and 10x the bet for a five-of-a-kind win. The higher-paying symbols are fishing lure, bobber, fishing rod, basket, and boat, and they pay between 20x and 200x the bet for a complete winline. The Wild Symbol is the fisherman in Santa clothing that substitutes for the regular symbols on paylines. The Wild is also the top-paying symbol, awarding 5,000x the bet for a complete winline.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch?
You can win up to 5,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch?
The features are Wild Symbol, Cash Fish Symbols, Hook A Bonus, Free Spins, Max Play Mode, Golden Bet, Dual Gamble, and Feature Buy.
Wild Symbol
The Wild Symbol is the Fisherman in Santa clothing. It substitutes for all regular symbols, but not the Bonus symbol. It can appear with a multiplier of 2x, 3x, 5x, and 10x during the Free Spins. When a Fisherman lands while Cash Fish are on the reels, he collects their displayed cash values and any multiplier shown.
Cash Fish Symbols
There are 7 Cash Fish Symbols, each with a cash value shown beneath it. The smallest fish is worth 1x, and the mighty golden pike pays the game's max win of 5,000x the bet. Cash Fish pay their displayed value when a Fisherman appears anywhere on the reels, and you will collect all visible fish values multiple times if multiple fishermen appear. The fish values appear dimmed in the base game and only become active when the Fishermen are added to the reels in the Free Spins and Max Play mode.
Hook A Bonus
Fishing rods might appear above any reel that doesn't have a Bonus Symbol in the base game. The rod drops a hook that might bring a Bonus Symbol with it when it's pulled up. Dropped Bonus symbols can help trigger the Free Spins bonus if you're lucky.
Free Spins
Landing 3 or more Bonus symbols in the base game triggers the Free Spins. Landing 3 Bonus symbols awards 10 Free Spins (starting at Level 1), 4 awards 15 Free Spins (starting at Level 2 and with extra trail entries), and 5 awards 20 Free Spins (starting at Level 4 with the trail filled). The two smallest fish types are upgraded one level at the start of the feature, and they are added to a nine-stage trail as Fishermen land. Every set of 3 Fishermen activates the next level, upgrades fish, and can award an extra 10 spins. Fishermen who land when there's no cash fish on the reels will lock in place until a catch appears or the Free Spins end.
Max Play Mode
Max Play Mode is an alternate base game that is played at the same bet level. The Fisherman symbol is added to the reels as an active collector, and the reels only contain Fish, Fisherman, and Bonus symbols. All regular-paying symbols are removed or replaced by a non-paying Christmas pudding.
Golden Bet
Golden Bet increases your bet by 1.5x and increases the chances of triggering the Free Spins. You're awarded a respin whenever 2 Bonus symbols land, giving you another shot at landing a third one and triggering the bonus game. The Golden Bet works in both standard and Max Play modes.
Dual Gamble
Dual Gamble allows you to gamble base game wins (including Cash Fish wins in Max Play) for either bigger cash prizes or a chance at Free Spins entry levels. The gamble wheel setup presents a left wheel for cash multipliers (1.5x, 2x, 3x, 5x) and a right wheel for Free Spins upgrades. The gamble continues until you collect, lose, or hit the cash-wheel maximum. Odds for Free Spins gambles are displayed on the wheel and vary by the level being chased.
Feature Buy
Feature Buy lets you buy into Free Spins for a fixed price of x125 the bet.
Final Thoughts on Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch
Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch is a well-polished so-called reskin of Big Game Fishing Golden Catch. Reflex Gaming didn't reinvent the wheel here; they put a Santa hat on it. The visuals are merry, and the sound design gives the reels a satisfying jingle when things line up, but there's nothing new when it comes to features, symbols, and max win. In fact, this game has a stated RTP of 96%, while the original one has an RTP of 94%. However, the demo we played stated 94%, so that might be the case for both titles.
The real enjoyment in this game comes from watching the Fishermen collect Cash Fish and seeing the trail fill during Free Spins. It creates tension and a nice sense of progress as the trail symbols above the reels light up. The Max Play mode is an option for those players who can't get enough of fishermen and are willing to skip the regular symbols to see more of the bearded guy in a Santa costume.
If you want to try out another game in this fishing series, you shouldn't miss Big Game Fishing TopHits, which features the same fisherman but double the number of paylines and some other nice features.
Big Game Fishing Christmas Catch from Reflex Gaming is a charming holiday take on a proven formula, best suited for players who enjoy high-variance, feature-driven casino slots.
