This game came out in 2022, the same year that supply chain problems were feared to have a chilling effect on the world economy. There is no shortage of Christmas-themed online slots, in fact, it’s quite the contrary. Like a lively geyser, this subgenre constantly erupts with fresh slot machines, reimaginings, and clones. Play’n GO, a Swedish developer of casino games, has added their own offering, Naughty Nick’s Book, to the stack. There’s a good chance the development team took the easy way out by essentially remaking an older title with the same name, Scroll of Dead.
That’s right, it’s a Christmas-themed version of a “Book of”-style game. Naughty Nick’s Book maintains the’rebellious’ theme with a cartoonishly cheeky aesthetic reminiscent of the UK’s Viz magazine. Perhaps not as risqué as the classic living room scenario with a roaring fire and a decked tree while snow falls outside, but just as effective in getting across the point: Naughty Nick’s Book. As an added bonus, the artwork has a vintage feel to it. Play’n GO’s artistic abilities are not in dispute, hence the choice to give the game a retro aesthetic was likely deliberate.
Comparing the data, it appears that the mathematical model driving Scroll of Dead is also driving Naughty Nick’s Book. Both may be set up with an RTP between 96.28 and 100%, depending on the market. Play’n GO rates the volatility as a 9 out of 10, and the maximum payout is above average for a ‘Book of’ type slot machine at 7,500x. Naughty Nick’s Book contains a maximum of 6 reels, yet the sixth reel cannot be spun in until the free spins bonus round is triggered. There are 5 reels and 3 rows in this game, and players may activate anywhere from 1 to 10 paylines. With a single payline activated, players can wager anywhere from 1 cent to £/€100 every spin.
Matching symbols on neighboring reels, from the first reel forward, left to right, trigger payouts across these 1–10 paylines. Eric Elf, Rupert the Rascal, Rudolf, and Naughty Nick are the highest-paying symbols, followed by the 10–A card royals. Winning lines of five of a kind pay 10–12.5 times the wager for the lows and 50–500 times the wager for the premiums. If you activate the sixth reel, you’ll receive a payout of between 20 and 750 times your bet for a full house.
The Dirty Nick’s Guide to Slot Machine Features
The extras in Naughty Nick’s Book are kept to a minimal in the same vein as traditional ‘Book of’ slots. The book icon, which serves as both a wild and a scatter, is crucial in Naughty Nick’s Book. The book’s wild substitution ability extends to all other game symbols with the exception of expanding symbols. Scatter symbols that appear at least three times to activate the bonus round and unlock the sixth reel and earn eight free spins.
At the beginning of the free spins round, one pay sign is chosen at random to be the unique expanding symbol. A win can occur on any reel as long as the selected symbol appears on at least one of them. The selected symbols will fill up a whole reel to make a winning combination, which will be paid out across all active paylines.
There is also a gamble option in Naughty Nick’s Book. This feature enables players to wager their base game winnings. Gamblers guess the concealed suit or color of a playing card. Up to five consecutive gambles can be made without affecting the return to player percentage.
Slots: The Decision in Naughty Nick’s Book
What about the demand side of the Christmas slot market, now that the supply side is taken care of? Players searching for games with growing pay-anywhere symbols set in a Christmas theme can enjoy what they discover in slots like Naughty Nick’s Book. The first iteration of Scroll of Dead wasn’t a ground-breaking take on the ‘Book of’ slot genre, but it did include some interesting new features that made it worth checking out for fans of the genre. Since Naughty Nick’s Book is just a reskin, it’s quite doubtful that the developers’ intention was to significantly advance the evolution of online slot games.
Naughty Nick’s Book, on the other hand, is a ‘Bad Santa’ slot, a novelty that had moderate success the year it was launched. Saint Nicked by Lucksome Games and Quickspin’s reimagining of the Christmas slot Cash Truck Xmas Delivery were also welcome additions. The three slots all provide something unique to gamers, both visually and in terms of gameplay. The best part is that everyone had nothing but positive things to say about all three, so you can rest assured that Naughty Nick’s Book will deliver all you need for a fun-filled Christmas celebration, complete with gambling. Naughty Nick’s Book culminates in a maximum prize of 7,500x the wager, with the additional sixth reel providing the winning potential with more room to grow compared to better-known instances like Book of Dead.
With its sixth reel and other rule variations, Naughty Nick’s Book, like Scroll of the Dead, isn’t your typical “Book of” slot machine game. Naughty Nick’s Book is a bit unconventional, but not so much that Ra purists will be offended. Naughty Nick’s Book is as excellent a choice as any for fans of growing symbols if you’re looking for a game set over the holiday season.
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