Introduction to Xmas Guardians Megaways
Xmas Guardians Megaways is a casino slot from Pragmatic Play that takes us to the North Pole for another jolly addition in their growing Christmas-themed portfolio. However, Xmas Guardians Megaways is a bit different, as apparently Santa’s workshop and hometown are under attack, and it’s up to him, alongside two trusty sidekicks, to save Christmas. While definitely not a rip-off, the theme seems to us to be somewhat inspired by the 2012 DreamWorks Animation movie Rise of the Guardians, even featuring a character with, presumably, her own ice powers. When it comes to gameplay, while we can see a slight glint of Pragmatic Play’s previous titans like Gates of Olympus and Sweet Bonanza in the Cascading reels, Xmas Guardians Megaways plays more around its Multiplier Wilds, especially with the introduction of the Total Multiplier meter in both of its bonus games. So, while relatively straightforward, there’s at least some depth to play around with, and we can’t deny its highly volatile nature, which has potential for payouts up to the max win of 10,000X the bet.
Pragmatic Play delivers another seasonal release just in time for the winter holidays, but with a bit of a twist to the usual theme, alongside a gameplay loop all about Cascades and Multiplier Wilds.
Theme, Gameplay, & Payouts
Xmas Guardians Megaways is a video slot from Pragmatic Play with 7 Reels, 2 to 6 Rows, and uses Megaways mechanics, with symbols coming in different sizes and having up to 117,649 ways to win. You can choose between making a Min.bet of 0.01 and a Max.bet of 240. Xmas Guardians Megaways come with a higher-than-average RTP of 96.53%, a hit frequency of 27.24%, high volatility, and a good max win of 10,000X the bet. However, do take note that the game’s max win hit frequency is 1 in 3,537,319 spins, the bonus game hit frequency is 1 in 370.50 spins, and the game comes in multiple versions with lower RTPs of 95.57% and 94.57%.
When we enter the game, we find ourselves on the North Pole in a snow-clad town, alongside Santa Claus and two unnamed characters, ready to fight for survival, as we see the impending attack of evil snowmen coming out of dark portals. The theme does have a bit of a twist, and even if it isn’t something completely original, we do enjoy it and prefer it to the typical Christmas themes we see each year. You can play the game on most desktops, notepads, and mobiles.
The lower-paying symbols are various Christmas items and ornaments, including crackers, stars, wreaths, fireworks, bulbs, and candy canes. Landing a win with 6 of the same symbols will pay out 0.5X to 1X the bet. The higher-paying symbols include various characters, such as the white-haired boy, the blue fox, the blue-haired girl, and Santa Claus. Landing a win with 6 of the same symbols pays out 3X to 20X the bet. We also have a few Special Symbols, including Wilds, Scatters, and Super Scatters, but more on these in the next section.
Special Features & Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Xmas Guardians Megaways?
You can win up to 10,000X the bet.
What features are available in the slot Xmas Guardians Megaways?
The features are Wild Symbols, Cascade, Free Spins, Ante Bet, and Feature Buy.
Wild Symbols
Wild Symbols help form winning combinations by being able to substitute for all symbols except Scatter and Super Scatter Symbols. Wilds can sometimes appear with Multipliers ranging from 2X to 10X.
Cascade
After a winning combination is formed, the winning symbols are removed from the playing grid, allowing new symbols to fall from above and potentially create new winning combinations. After each winning combination, a Wild Symbol will appear on the reels. Cascades continue until no more wins can be made, thus ending the spin.
Free Spins
By landing 3, 4, or 5 Scatter Symbols, you will be awarded the Free Spins feature with 10, 14, or 18 spins. During the bonus game, a Total Multiplier meter is added, where all Wild Multipliers will be added. Each time a win consists of a Wild Symbol with a Multiplier, the Total Multiplier meter will be added to said win.
If you trigger the bonus game with one of the Scatter Symbols being a Super Scatter Symbol, you will instead trigger the Super Free Spins. This bonus game uses the same mechanics but guarantees that all Wild Symbols have a Multiplier of 2X or higher.
Ante Bet
By turning on either of the Ante Bet options, you increase your chances of triggering bonuses for a price increase to your current bet.
3X = Increase your chances of triggering the Free Spins feature.
7X = Increases your chances of triggering the Free Spins feature, which will always be a Super Free Spins.
Feature Buy
Through the Feature Buy, you can instantly trigger a bonus for a price based on the current bet.
120X = Awards the Free Spins feature.
400X = Awards the Super Free Spins feature.
Final Thoughts on Xmas Guardians Megaways
Xmas Guardians Megaways is an enjoyable seasonal release with traces of Pragmatic Play’s most famous and beloved releases, but it just lacks in certain areas to really reach greater heights. Starting off, while we enjoy the theme and visuals, we wish the studio had gone just a bit further with certain elements, as the presentation and idea behind the setting just doesn’t grab us as much as we would like to, even if it is quite unique compared to many other seasonal Christmas-themed titles we see each year.
Instead, gameplay is definitely Xmas Guardians Megaways strongest suit, and even if it may not be the most innovative package of features, as they’re all pretty standard features in the wider scope, they all work great together to form a volatile gameplay loop that truly shines in the bonus games. The base game is rather standard, offering a Megaways and Cascade combo that delivers on guaranteed Wilds, which serves as a great balance while trying to hunt paylines, and even if the paytable isn’t that great, the occasional Multipliers can help boost your winnings. But they’re just not as effective as the bonus game, which brings with them the most important mechanic, the Total Multiplier meter, which is the key to potentially huge payouts.
However, then we come to the technical side, and Xmas Guardians Megaways is a bit stingy with its volatile bonus games, only having a hit frequency of 1 in 370 spins. Meaning most max win hunters would probably be looking at the Feature Buy options, which can leave a bit of a sour taste, especially as the rest of the game’s stat line is rather good. But overall, we quite enjoyed Xmas Guardians Megaways for its Cascade-centric gameplay, which can lead to plenty of fun spins and volatile wins. On top of this, even with our qualms, we think its twist on typical Christmas themes does it more good than harm and can be quite a fun slot experience.
Xmas Guardians Megaways is a slot that shows signs of Pragmatic Play’s previous big hitters, but can stand on its own thanks to its Megaways, Cascade, and Multiplier Wild feature package.
