Xmas Drop (Hacksaw Gaming) – Review & Demo Play

Xmas Drop Slot Review

I've put plenty of spins through Xmas Drop, and it hits the seasonal brief without faff. It's a 5x5 slot with 19 paylines, a medium math model, and a default RTP of 96.22%. The headline act is expanding Wild Santa, backed by Wild Gift multipliers and two named free spins modes, Night Before Xmas and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. With a max prize of 12,500x, it can swing, yet the base game stays lively thanks to those reel-length wilds.

Xmas Drop Slot Layout, Design, and Symbols

Xmas Drop lays out a gold framed grid over a snowy forest, with a jolly Santa bobbing beside the reels. Symbols stick to festive staples: stockings, a candy cane, a Christmas tree, a teddy bear, and gold bells, plus blocky card ranks from 10 to A. The interface keeps things simple under the reels, so staking and help pages are easy to reach. It looks tidy on desktop and mobile, keeping the action clear when reels fill with wilds.

The paytable gives the bells pride of place at 20x for five of a kind. Teddy bears and trees can land up to 17.5x, while candy and stockings top out at 15x. Lows range between 5x and 10x for five. Both wilds carry their own line pays, with five wilds paying 25x. That mix fits the 19-line layout, and the expanding wild mechanic means premium symbols can link across multiple reels when Santa stretches down a full column.

Xmas Drop Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	5	x20
	4	x10
	3	x6
	5	x17.5
	4	x7.5
	3	x1.5
	5	x17.5
	4	x7.5
	3	x1.5
	5	x15
	4	x5
	3	x1
	5	x15
	4	x5
	3	x1
	5	x10
	4	x2
	3	x0.4
	5	x7.5
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.3
	5	x7.5
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.3
	5	x5
	4	x1
	3	x0.2
	5	x5
	4	x1
	3	x0.2
	Wild
	Wild
	Scatter

Xmas Drop Online Slot Gameplay

Xmas Drop online slot gameplay stays straightforward. I set bets from 10p to £100 per spin, then matched three to five symbols left to right across the 19 lines. Wins arrive often enough to keep interest during quieter spells. The menu below the reels holds paytable and rules if you need a refresher. I found the rhythm suits short sessions, with quick spins punctuated by set-piece moments whenever a Santa lands in a helpful spot.

Wild Santa counts as a normal 1x1 wild until he can contribute to at least one win by expanding. When that happens, he drops to the bottom of the reel, turning every position he covers wild. Only one Santa can appear per reel. Wild Gift is the second wild. If Santa expands through a gift, a multiplier between x2 and x200 attaches to that expanded Santa. Multiple expanded Santas add their multipliers together before they apply to the win.

Xmas Drop Slot Free Spins and Special Features

Night Before Xmas in Xmas Drop triggers from three FS scatters for ten spins. During this feature, Wild Santa and Wild Gift appear more often than in base play. Land three scatters in one spin and you get four extra spins. Hit four scatters during the round and it upgrades to Santa Claus Is Coming To Town after the current spin concludes. If fewer than ten free spins remain, the tally resets to ten for the upgrade.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town in Xmas Drop starts with ten free spins from four scatters in base game, or via the upgrade. In this mode, any Wild Santa can activate the reel he lands on. Once a reel is active, a Wild Santa is guaranteed to appear on that reel for all remaining spins. Three scatters during the bonus add four spins. Stacking several active reels is where sessions can snowball into headline results.

Feature buys in Xmas Drop are available where allowed. Options include BonusHunt FeatureSpins at 3x stake, making a bonus five times more likely, plus 2 Wild Santas at 20x and 3 Wild Santas at 50x. You can also buy Night Before Xmas for 110x and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town for 200x. Stated RTPs vary by option, from 96.2% to 96.44%, and volatility shifts between high and very high on the Santa-heavy buys.

Bonus Buy Feature

BONUSHUNT FEATURESPINS Each spin is 5 times more likely to activate a bonus game.
Feature Cost:	x6 Bet
RTP:	96.44%
Volatility:	High
TWO WILD SANTAS FEATURESPINS Each spin guarantees that at least 2 Wild Santa symbols land.
Feature Cost:	x20 Bet
RTP:	96.34%
Volatility:	Extra
THREE WILD SANTAS FEATURESPINS. Each spin guarantees that at least 3 Wild Santa symbols land.
Feature Cost:	x50 Bet
RTP:	96.31%
Volatility:	High
NIGHT BEFORE XMAS Extra chance of landing Wild Santa and Wild Gift symbols.
Feature Cost:	x110 Bet
RTP:	96.2%
Volatility:	High
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN Activate reels to guarantee a Wild Santa symbol on activated reels every spin.
Feature Cost:	x200 Bet
RTP:	96.41%
Volatility:	High

Xmas Drop Slot RTP, Maximum Payout, and Volatility

Xmas Drop RTP, maximum win and volatility sit in a sweet spot for a seasonal release. The default return is 96.22%, with a medium profile that can still throw a heavy hit when multipliers line up. Top payout is 12,500x stake, which equals £1,250,000 at the £100 ceiling. Stake range runs from 0.10 to 100.00, and some sites may offer different RTP settings. The expanding wilds keep value flowing, though features drive the biggest outcomes.

Xmas Drop Slot Verdict

My verdict on Xmas Drop is positive. It is a light natured slot that delivers lively moments when the jaw drops on Wild Santa symbols as they expand. The presentation nails the festive tone without overcomplicating the screen. Sessions can be swingy, yet the additive Wild Gift multipliers up to x200 give clear win paths in base and bonus. It feels familiar, yet the animation sells the mechanic and keeps the grid worth watching.

For me, the best play comes from chasing the upgrade into Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, as active reels locking in Santas create repeatable pressure on every spin. BonusHunt spins can help trigger rounds faster, though the Santa-heavy buys carry punchy variance if they miss. If you like a 5x5 layout with 19 lines, expanding wilds and named free spins modes, Xmas Drop earns a place on the December shortlist and beyond.