Reindeer Royale

Reindeer Royale Review

ELK Studios is back with their Christmas release for 2024, and it seems they've taken a slightly unconventional approach. Reindeer Royale slot is more or less a reskin of their earlier game, Rabbit Royale, but with an added random Ghost feature. Instead of bunnies on the warpath, we have Rudolph's reindeer gang seeking revenge on some rather unfortunate hunters. The theme might sound a bit dark, but the cartoonish style keeps it lighthearted and adds a humorous twist to the holiday season.

Reindeer Royale game plays out on a 5x5 grid with 259 ways to win, and wins are formed by landing matching symbols on the same or adjacent win lines. You can place bets from €0.1 up to €100 per spin, making it suitable for all types of players. The premium symbols include armed hunters, their menacing meat mincer, and their hunting truck, awarding 1x to 3x your stake for 5-oak wins. While the reindeer are out for revenge, they also seem to have a bit of a rivalry amongst themselves, clashing and exchanging ammo cash prizes when they land next to each other.

Reindeer Royale Slot - Reels Screen

The game revolves around collecting ammo cash symbols, which trigger respins with roaming reindeer collectors. These reindeer collect the cash and continue to roam as long as new cash symbols appear. Wild symbols also play a key role, substituting for other symbols and revealing ammo cash prizes when involved in a win. The bonus round ramps up the action with the potential for up to 5 persistent reindeer roaming the grid, awarding cash collect respins to prolong the feature.

While the game mechanics are engaging and the 25,000x max win generous, ELK hasn't allowed the Christmas spirit to affect the game’s RTP. It remains at a below-average 94 %, the same as its predecessor. That being said, Reindeer Royale offers a refreshing departure from the endless parade of predictable and often sentimental Christmas-themed slots that tend to flood the market every year.

Reindeer Royale Features

Like its predecessor, Reindeer Royale ELK is all about respin-triggering cash prize collection and cash prize battles. You get more of the same in the bonus round, so let’s check it all out!

Ammunition Cache Prize Collection And Reindeer Respins

Ammunition cache symbols appear with random cash values, and wild wins also reveal an Ammunition symbol with a random cash prize value (if at least one Reindeer is present). All present Reindeer symbols collect the prize from all present Ammunition symbols, triggering a respin. Before the respin plays out, all present Reindeer symbols move to a random position.

If two or more Reindeer symbols land adjacent to each other, a battle between them plays out. They fire their weapons and absorb each other’s cash value, increasing each Reindeer’s total value accordingly. Each cash collection awards another respin, and you also get a Respin when at least one Reindeer lands with no ammo prize to collect.

Ghost Feature

The Ghost Feature triggers at random times during the respin feature or free spins, but only when at least 2 reindeer symbols are present. This triggers the battle between the reindeer regardless of their positions, playing out as the reels spin. The participating reindeer all absorb each other’s cash values, despite not being adjacent.

Reindeer Royale Free Spins

You trigger the Bonus Round by landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters in view, awarding 3, 4, or 5 free spins with 1, 2, or 3 reindeer on the starting free spin, respectively. You can retrigger the feature in the same way, which awards both extra free spins and more reindeer symbols.

Also, reindeer symbols present on the triggering spin are carried over into the bonus round, with 5 being the upper limit. Reindeer symbols are persistently moving around and accumulating cash prizes, and the respins they trigger are not subtracted from the free spins tally.

Reindeer Royale Slot - Free Spins

Reindeer Royale Bonus Buy (not UK)

The X-iter Bonus and Feature buy menu is available in certain jurisdictions, offering the following options in Reindeer Royale ELK Studios:

• Bonus Hunt - pay 2x your stake to triple the bonus round hit rate.
• Oh Deer! - pay 10x your stake to get at least one reindeer symbol.
• It's Reining Deers - pay 25x your stake to get at least two reindeer symbols.
• Bonus Round - pay 100x your stake to trigger the regular bonus round.
• Super Bonus - pay 500x your stake to get 5 FS with 3 starting reindeer.

Pros and Cons of Reindeer Royale

Our Verdict

ELK Studios has delivered another visually impressive game with Reindeer Royale, something this provider excels at to such a degree that we’ve come to expect nothing less. The frozen moonlit landscape and the vengeful reindeer create a unique atmosphere, and the intro does a great job of sucking you right into the action. I have to admit, I found this reskin even more engaging than the original Rabbit Royale.

While the Rudolph connection and the release date give it a Christmas vibe, this is far from your typical jolly holiday slot. You can easily play this any time of year without feeling like you're surrounded by tinsel and candy canes. I actually appreciate that ELK went this route, as it gives the game a broader appeal. Plus, who doesn't love a good revenge story, especially when it involves wacky reindeer armed to the teeth.

The gameplay is action-packed and entertaining all the way, striking a good balance between the base game and the bonus round. The cash collection respins and reindeer battles keep things interesting, and the bonus round with persistent reindeer collectors can be incredibly rewarding. The addition of the Ghost Feature not only elevates Reindeer Royale beyond a simple reskin, at least technically, but also delivers sweet out-of-the-blue top-up wins.

In conclusion, I'd say Reindeer Royale casino slot is a pretty solid choice for any slot enthusiast, regardless of season. It's visually appealing, has plenty of engaging features, and offers a massive 25,000x potential. While it might not be up there with ELK's top-tier releases, it's definitely a cut above your average Christmas slot. In my view, it’s better than your average regular slot as well, but the 94 % RTP remains an issue that many players complain about.