Aloha Christmas Edition Slots
Hawaii… and snow. Not things you'd usually put together, but we have just that in this slot game. Aloha! Cluster Pays has now come out in a Christmas Edition, as the title of this one suggests. So, are there major differences when comparing it to the original or is this one going to be a festive version that plays out the same? We decided to find out, and we have the answers for you here.
Who is the developer?
Since the original game came from NetEnt, you can bet this one does too.
It comes with a practice version
This gives you time to work out how to play the game, so you don't put your available budget at risk if you decide it's not for you.
The theme is obvious from the title alone
The original slot took us into a Hawaiian setting with Tiki heads scattered around the reels. All that returns here too, yet this time we have Santa hats and a few other festive touches as well, such as gifts sitting on the beach.
How festive is the design?
Aloha! Christmas Edition is not as festive as some other slots we've seen on this topic. However, there are some neat elements that make it just Christmassy enough. The Tiki heads wear Santa hats, while the beach hut has a red and white roof complete with fairy lights on it.
How to play Aloha! Christmas
This is a six-reel slot, but you'll know there are cluster pays here, so you could get up to six symbols landing on each reel. The game doesn't have a progressive jackpot, so there are no festive surprises of that nature to look for.
Wilds can appear in the game, and they can arrive with a multiplier in tow. The multiplier can be one of five amounts, from 2x through to 3x, 4x, 5x, or even 7x. The only symbols wilds won't substitute for are the scatters and the starfish.
Paylines replaced by cluster pays
You knew that already, we're sure, but we can confirm it for you here. You need at least nine identical symbols touching each other vertically or horizontally to get a prize. Diagonally placed symbols don't count.
Are you ready to place a wager?
The bets stretch from 10 cents per spin to $200 per spin, so there is a lot of scope to find a wager that fits with any budget you're playing with.
Paytable details
If you have any queries about the game, you'll find the answers in our review… or inside their paytable.
Bonus features in Aloha! Christmas Edition
Let's begin with Mystery Symbols. These are red boxes with a white question mark on them. Any quantity of these can land in a single spin, but when they do, they'll all change into an identical symbol. This happens before you receive any pays from that spin. Wilds are included in the possibilities here.
There is a random Sticky Win Respin that can trigger on any winning spin too. If it does appear, your winning combination and all identical symbols elsewhere will stick in place. Everything else spins again to see if you get more of those matching symbols. If you do, it happens again. When nothing new appears, you get a multiplier ranging up to 7x on your final prize.
Three or more scatters unlock some free spins
Three postage stamp-style scatter symbols will take you to a pick feature. you can go for 10 spins with the Tiki Bar option, with wilds carrying multipliers worth 2x, 3x, or 4x. The alternative is to choose Tiki Bar Max. In this case, you receive just six free spins, but you get bigger wild multipliers - this time worth 4x, 5x, or 7x.
Regardless of the one you choose, look out for the starfish in this round. Whenever you get some, you collect them. Each set of three starfish award two additional free games. You also get rid of a lower-paying icon from the reel set in those games. If you manage to get enough starfish to reach the end of the free spin feature, you'll find that your last set of spins only uses the highest paying symbols in the game.
What's the RTP?
This festive slot carries a return to player percentage of 96%.
Is this festive enough for you?
There are a few changes to the original Aloha! slot game, but the festive theme is among the least impressive of those. We liked it as it was a bit less full-on than some Christmas slots, but we guess it will depend on your mood. It certainly fits in well and gives you a chance to play a slot that we scored at 8/10.
Watch out for multipliers to max those prizes
While the top prizes don't reach impressive levels at their base value, you can see how multipliers worth up to 7x a time can change the potential in Aloha! Christmas Edition.
Will you begin by playing the practice version?
We suggest you do and carry on with that until you reach the free spin feature. it then gives you more information to go on before deciding whether to switch to real play.
Play Aloha! Christmas Edition for real this holiday season
If you are keen on finding lots of Christmas-themed slots to play for real, you might want to add this one to your roster of titles.
NetEnt also gives us a mobile version
It looks the same but comes with touchscreen controls to make life easier for you on Android or iOS handsets.