Santa’s Stack

Santa’s Stack Slot Review

Slot Provider: Relax Gaming

RTP: 96.27% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 20,000x

Our Score: 8.4

Play at NY Spins
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About Santa’s Stack

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 2nd November 2021

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.

Santa’s Stack is a festive cluster pays slot from Relax Gaming. It has a fun retro design reminiscent of 8-bit computers. Landing clusters of 5 or more identical symbols triggers wins, and when a wild forms part of a wining cluster, re-spins are awarded with a mystery symbols feature. There is also a free spins round with guaranteed wilds on every spin.

The max payout is 20,000x and spins start at 10p.

This is a review of Santa’s Stack. You can also check our review of Santa’s Stack Dream Drop.

Santa’s Stack Game Information

  • Release Date: 25.11.21
  • RTP: 96.27%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 20,000x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 8
  • Rows: 8
  • Paylines: Cluster Pays
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Theme: Christmas
  • Features: MultipliersMystery SymbolsRe-SpinsWilds
  • Format: Cluster Pays

Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Santa’s Stack

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

Test spins and results analysis by Mark Wadie.

Results from 200 spins with real money on Santa’s Stack at Casumo.

  • Stake Size: £0.1
  • Start balance: £1,031.19
  • End balance: £1,030.65
  • Win Rate: 25% (50 winning spins in 200)
  • Biggest Win: 79.7x
  • Free Spins Round: 1

I got to see everything that Stanta’s Stack has to offer over 200 spins. The win rate was very decent at 25% (50 spins produced payouts of some kind), whilst the base game Wild Re-Spin feature dropped 5 times. How far you get with that one depends on how far you can build out your mystery symbol cluster across the reels. Technically I suppose it would be possible to fill the entire screen with mystery symbols if you kept landing new clusters next to the mystery symbol cluster, but that didn’t happen this time. Wins were generally small, maxing out at 17.2x shown in this screen shot.

Santa's Stack Re-Spins Feature
Re-Spins feature leading to a 17.2x win

The free spins round showed up just once which is about what you would expect. This is a good bonus feature because you know for sure that each subsequent spin will give you more wilds, so that by spin 5 you are guaranteed to land 5 spins. That’s big because the Wild Re-Spin feature from the base game is in play too, along with a progressive multiplier that grows when BONUS symbols land. In the end I finished up with a 79.7x win.

Santa's Stack Free Spins
Free Spins feature with 4x multiplier

Take aways? This is a much better slot than the usual tat that gets pushed out each festive season. It has a solid win rate and compelling features that drop often enough to make it worth playing.

What We Liked

  • A totally original Xmas slot format
  • Wilds in clusters trigger re-spins for more payouts
  • Massive 20,000x top payout
  • Back to the 80s retro vibe

What We Didn't like

  • Volatility can spoil your Xmas!

Santa’s Stack Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 9
  • RTP and Variance 8
  • Maximum Win 9
  • Symbols and Paytable 8
  • Features and Gameplay 8

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"A fun, if highly volatile alternative to the standard festive games churned out by most slots studios"

Overall Score: 8.4

Theme & Design

Our Score 9

Retro Graphics And Upbeat Christmas Sounds

Santa’s Stack is full of the joys of Christmas with a festive atmosphere created by the snowy street backdrop with fairy lights and candy canes. The design style is 8-bit computer graphic making it look attractively retro, if a little low budget. Think Flame Busters by Thunderkick and you’ll know what we’re talking about. The approach works especially well with the 8×8 grid layout, which lends itself to simpler imagery to avoid looking too cluttered. And the soundtrack is definitely from 80s computer world, reminiscent of the Atari of Spectrum games from that era. It’s an ususual mix for a Christmas slot but that’s why we like it.

Santa's Stack by Relax Gaming
Santa’s Stack – 8 bit gaming style

RTP and Variance

Our Score 8

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.

The first point to mention here is that Santa is no push over in this game – don’t expect big gifts to come flying off the sled too often. This is a volatile slot with an uneven win distribution. Although it kicks out wins roughly every 4 to 5 spins they will mostly be very small in size, and you’ll be waiting a while before any of those big payouts.

That said, the RTP is at 96.27% which is favourable and there are no other rates so you will play at 96.27% whichever UK slot site you choose.

Maximum Win

Our Score 9

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.  

The maximum payout on one spin is set at 20,000x stake which is very enticing. It’s about average for a high risk slot from Relax but they do have higher paying games. Check out our list of Relax Gaming’s highest paying slots to find out more.

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

This is a cluster pays slot with a game grid of 8 colums and 8 rows. Clusters are made up of 5 or more identical symbols on horizontally or vertically adjacent positions.

Santa's Stack Paytable
The paytable with 10,000x for 60+ Santas!

There are 7 symbols in the table. They are 3 lights in blue, green and red, valued at from 0.2x for 5 blues up to 1,250x for 60 or more reds; and 4 Christmas characters – reindeer, elf, old lady and Santa, valued at from 0.5x for 5 reindeer up to 10,000x for 60 or more Santas.

There is also a Wild symbol, represented by the letter W, that will substitute for any pay symbol to complete a cluster.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 8

Santa’s Stack is not a feature-packed game but it doesn’t need to be. The cluster pays mechanic and clever use of mystery symbols means the gameplay is interesting at all times. And of course, with handy multipliers, there is the potential to win really big too.

Secret Santa Re-spins With Mystery Symbols

When a Wild symbols lands as part of a winning cluster, a re-spin is awarded.

Before the re-spin occurs all symbols in the winning cluster are converted into mystery symbols, showing a ‘?’. These are held in place for the re-spin. If a new winning cluster forms covering positions adjacent to the mystery symbols, the new cluster also converts into mystery symbols and another re-spin is awarded.

This continues until no new winning clusters occur adjacent to winning clusters or no new wins occur featuring a Wild. Then, all mystery symbols convert into the same pay symbol before wins are calculated and paid out.

Free Spins With Guaranteed Wilds

Landing at least 3 bonus symbols – displaying the word BONUS – will trigger the Free Spins round. You get 5 Free Spins plus one extra spin for each extra bonus symbol above the three.

The round is super-charged because wild symbols are guaranteed to land on each free spin, which may trigger the Secret Santa Re-spins. On the first free spin, ONE wild is guaranteed to land. On the second, its TWO. And so on.

And finally, landing a bonus symbol during the free spins round awards either an extra Free Spin, a 1+ Multiplier – or both!

The Final Verdict

Santa’s Stack is a nostalgic slot with a retro feel that ties in perfectly with Christmas, and we give bonus points to Relax for producing something truly original in both design and gameplay at this time of the year. The format is simple with the 8×8 grid and Cluster Pays but the extra features drive things along nicely and give you some serious potential to aim for. And all against the backdrop of a   peaceful scene with snow falling at dusk onto a deserted street lit up by colourful Christmas lights.

In terms of the maths, it’s great to see high-paying regular symbols with Santa awarding up to 10,000x your bet for a screen filled with the bearded guy. The best chance of hitting the bigger payouts, which are capped at 20,000x your bet, comes with the free spins and you’ll want to find the Multipliers while hitting lots of Santa symbols on the reels to reach this.

A word of warning though – be prepared for the massive volatility, which can become a plod when there are many losing spins in a row. If you can put up with that and you enjoy festive slots and retro graphics, Santa’s Stack will definitely appeal. In fact, we suspect we might see this game format appear on standard, non-festive slot in the future too.

Good luck!

Useful Resources

Relax Gaming Slots List and Profile Pages

Useful Guide to Slots Variance

Useful Tips When Playing Santa’s Stack

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. Play At Low Stakes

This is a very volatile slot so avoid burning through your Xmas funds by setting a low stake and being patient whilst chasing down the bonus round.

2. Look For Wilds In Winning Clusters

Make the most of those re-spins – landing wilds in winning clusters will trigger a re-spin during the base game with all winning symbols converting to mystery symbols.

3. Turn The Sound UP!

Part of the charm of this slot is the retro arcade sound affects that definitely provide an alternative type of Christmas cheer.

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 Santa’s Stack?

  • Name: Relax Gaming
  • Established: 2010
  • UK License: Remote 037462-R-319357-014
  • Total Games: 100 +
  • Known For: High variance, high max win, progressive jackpots, innovative game mechanics
  • Popular Slots: Money Train, Temple Tumble, Dream Drop Jackpots, Hellcatraz
Find More Relax Gaming slots

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