Big Bass Xmas Xtreme

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme Slot Review

Slot Provider: Pragmatic Play

RTP: 96.07% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 10,000x

Our Score: 7.8

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WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS REVIEW: The information and opinions on this page are the result of an comprehensive process of information gathering and live game testing by the gambling experts who work at allslotsites.com. Find out more here.

About Big Bass Xmas Xtreme

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 22nd October 2024

How We Review Slot Games

We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme is a fishing slot in the popular Big Bass series from Pragmatic Play. This 5-reel game has 10 paylines and follows the format of Big Bass Amazon Xtreme. In the base game fish symbols with values of up to 1,00x may randomly award their prize with random multipliers of up to 50x too. Then, before the free spins round starts, a Pick Me feature awards modifiers including extra spins and guaranteed fish symbols. Collecting wilds during the round can extend it to up to 80 spins and award win multipliers of up to 50x.

The top win is 10,000x and spins start at 10p.

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Big Bass Xmas Xtreme Game Information

  • Release Date: 18.12.24
  • RTP: 96.07% | 95.08% | 94.05%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 10,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 3
  • Paylines: 10
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Theme: Fishing
  • Features: Cash CollectsFree SpinsInstant PrizesMultipliersNudgesRe-SpinsWilds
  • Format: 5-Reel
  • Series: Big Bass Bonanza

Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Big Bass Xmas Xtreme

IMPORTANT: To give you an accurate assessment of the games we review our writers play 200 spins. Whilst this is a useful tool to help us review games and to give an example of what might happen when you play, keep in mind that 200 spins is only a very small sample and cannot be used to accurately predict what might happen over another 200 spins. The outcome of all slots play is always random.

Boom Or Bust? Our Session By The Numbers

I played 250 spins on Big Bass Xmas Xtreme on Pragmatic Play’s test servers prior to release to test the game. This is what happened.

  • Stake Size: 1
  • Start balance: 100,000
  • End balance: 99,863.70
  • Win Rate: 6.4% (16 winning spins in 250)
  • Biggest Win: 50x
  • Free Spins Round: 1

Pragmatic Play rate this 5/5 on their volatility scale and it certainly felt that way. The win rate was REALLY low at just 6.4% of spins. It took 210 spins to trigger the free spins round and then I walked away with NOTHING from the feature. I don’t ever recall that happening before! It shows just how tight the game can be.

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme 50x win
A 50x win from a base game spin

The best wins were a 50x in the base game from 5 backpacks on one base game spin. Elsewhere I got 6 random cash collect wins where money symbols are collected and a random multiplier applied. In this case the best win was a 13.9x.

Takeaways? This game is based on Amazon Xtreme which is also very volatile so it’s no surprise how this played out. Don’t expect too many festive gifts unless you are one of a very lucky few!

What We Liked

  • More free spins and bigger multiplier than other Big Bass games
  • Fun Arctic setting with puffins and frozen ice lake
  • Pick Me modifier feature to super-charge your free spins
  • Play from just 10p
  • Money fish valued at up to 1,000x

What We Didn't like

  • Lower RTP at some slot sites

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 8
  • RTP and Variance 7
  • Maximum Win 8
  • Symbols and Paytable 8
  • Features and Gameplay 8

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"A fun festive version of the iconic fishing slot with all the best features and an enticing max win."

Overall Score: 7.8

Theme & Design

Our Score 8

For this seasonal version of Big Bass we are in an arctic setting with our friendly fisherman sitting at the side of a frozen lake, ice hammer in hand under a pink glowing sky – maybe it’s the auroras. Anyway, overall it looks as simple and pleasing as ever, which I a big part of the series’ enduring appeal.

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme by Pragmatic Play
Big Bass Xmas Xtreme Game Screen

RTP and Variance

Our Score 7

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next.  Read more here.

What is Variance?

Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme has 3 RTP rates – 96.07%, 95.08% and 94.05% – for casino operators to pick from. There is not much between these but we always recommend that you find a slot site where the game is at the optimum rate. MrQ from Lindar Media is a good option here as they always run online slots at the maximum RTP settings.

TIP: Check the RTP rate where you play by hitting the ‘I’ button under the reels and scrolling through the game rules pages until you see Return to Player.

For fans of the Big Bass series it will come as no surprise to see that this is a high variance slot – all Big Bass games fall into this category. They can be tough and much of the RTP is saved back for the free spins round, so be ready for that.

Maximum Win

Our Score 8

What Is Maximum Win?

Maximum win refers to the maximum amount a player can win from one spin. It is expressed as a multiple of the stake. For example, where the maximum win is 100,000x, from a £1 stake, the maximum win would be £100,000.  

Pragmatic Play show some Xmas spirit and set the top win here at 10,000x. That is higher than most other Big Bass games except for Hold and Spinner Megaways where winnings are capped at 20,000x.

For more high paying slots don’t forget to check out our popular guide to slots with the highest max wins.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

No change to the standard Big Bass format with 5 reels, 3 rows and 10 paylines to win on. Wins are triggered by landing 3 or more identical symbols on a line from left to right, starting at the left most reel.

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme Paytable
The paytable with 200x for 5 top paying premiums

There are 9 pay symbols in the table. These are the low paying cards, 10 to Ace, valued at from 0.2x for 3 10s up to 10x for 5 Aces. The premiums are the back pack, rod and reel, puffins and fishing float, valued at from 2x for 3 backpacks up to 200x for 5 floats.

And there is a Wild symbol of course, represented by the fisherman. It has no pay value and only shows up in the free spins round where it lands on any reel and triggers cash collects when in view at the same time as the fish.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 8

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme is a greatest hits of features from the series, including special modifiers, progression trail and multipliers. Here is how it works:

Money Symbols  

Fish symbol carry money values of 0.2x, 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x, 200x, 250x, 333x, 500x or 1,000x. Usually these only collect in the bonus round but in this case, like Amazon Xtreme, they are sometimes randomly collected after a base game spin.

And … when this happens a multiplier of 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 10x, 20x, 30x, 40x or 50x may be applied to the win.

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme Cash Collect
A cash collect with 4x multiplier in the base game

Free Spins With Modifiers and Re-Triggers

The Round Is Triggered By Scatters

That’s all well and good but the best stuff in Big Bass games is always in the free spins rounds. Here, you need to land 3 or more fish scatters on one base game spin to set the round up.

There is also a ‘Near Miss’ feature that means if you land 2 scatters but no 3rd there is an extra chance to get that 3rd or more. If the 2 visible scatters can nudge down one row and remain on their reels, they do so, before a re-spin ensues. This continues until a 3rd scatter lands or the 1 or both scatters drop off the reels. OR … a Narwhal (an Arctic whale) may appear and simply change one symbol into a scatter to complete the set of 3.

There Is A Pick Me Feature To Choose Modifiers

Before the round starts there is a Pick Me feature to select modifiers that are applied throughout the free spins round. You get to pick from presents under a tree and continue picking until you reveal a boot. If you triggered this part with 4 or 5 scatters then 1 or 2 modifiers are already revealed, giving you a head start.

These are your modifiers:

Free Spins – 1, 2 or 3 extra spins, with a maximum of 6 extra spins awarded via the Pick Me feature.

Guaranteed Fish – 1, 2 or 3 fish GUARANTEED to land on EVERY free spin.

Fisherman Wilds – Up to 3 fisherman wilds are added onto the progression meter at the top of the reels to give you a head start in progressing to the next level, more spins and a bigger progressive multiplier.

Remove Lowest Value Fish – the lowest value fish are removed up to 2 times from the game.

Big Bass Xmas Xtreme Pick Me Round
The Pick Me round to choose modifiers
Cash Collect and Progression Meter

Once it starts, the free spins round works as in every other Big Bass slot. You need to land fisherman wilds on any reel at the same time as money fish to trigger a collect. At the same time, your wilds are collected above the reels and each 4th one extends the round and increases a win multiplier like this:

  • 4 Wilds – 10 more spins and 2x multiplier
  • 8 Wilds – 10 more spins and 3x multiplier
  • 12 Wilds – 10 more spins and 10x multiplier
  • 16 Wilds – 10 more spins and 20x multiplier
  • 20 Wilds – 10 more spins and 30x multiplier
  • 24 Wilds – 10 more spins and 40x multiplier
  • 28 Wilds – 10 more spins and 50x multiplier – there is no further multipliers or extra spins after this level

If you’ve played other Big Bass slots you’ll notice now that there is much more scope to increase the multiplier here and extend the round to as many as 80 free spins.

Finally, if you land wilds but no fish, the game may randomly switch money fish in to trigger a cash collect OR a waterfall may appear and randomly change all symbols except for the wilds to give you an extra chance of landing fish.

OR … if there are fish but no wilds then a hook may appear and randomly pull up a reel to reveal a fisherman wild.

OR … if there are no fish or wilds then a hook may appear and bring both onto the screen by pulling up a reel.

The Final Verdict

This Christmas version of the Big Bass game won’t be for everyone. It looks great and is stacked with all the best features from the series but it’s extremely tight and volatile maths model means it will be a very frustrating play at times. No doubt the free spins round is configured in such a way that it can produce very big wins with high value multipliers on rare occasions, but in truth this is only a game that high variance fans should take on.

Useful Tips When Playing Big Bass Xmas Xtreme

Remember, online slots are games of chance, there is NO strategy that can improve your odds of winning. However, reading our review and following these tips will help you get the most out of your time playing this slot game.

1. Look Out For The Fish Scatter

This game is ALL about the free spins round and you need 3 fish scatters to trigger it.

 

2. Keep Collecting Wilds During Free Spins

Keep your eyes on the wild meter above the reels. This game gives many more free spins and multipliers through the meter than previous Big Bass slots.

3. Choose A Low Stake

Follow our bankroll management tips and choose a low stake to avoid an early exit! This volatile slot can eat your balance fast.

4. Play At Our Recommended Slot Sites

We have chosen the sites on this page because they all scored high in our reviews and they are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. That makes them fair and safe places to play slots.

Who Made Big Bass Xmas Xtreme?

  • Name: Pragmatic Play
  • Established: 2015
  • UK License: Remote 046683-R-325951-014
  • Total Games: 500 +
  • Known For: Wide range of themes and styles, live casino including gameshow formats, and bingo
  • Popular Slots: Fruit Party, Dog House Megaways, Big Bass Bonanza, Release the Kraken
Find More Pragmatic Play slots

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