Santa's Stack Dreamdrop (Relax Gaming) Slot Review

Santa’s Stack Dream Drop: Slot Overview 

Santa’s Stack Dream Drop, developed by Relax Gaming and released on December 1, 2022, is a reimagined version of the original Santa’s Stack slot—this time supercharged with the renowned Dream Drop Jackpot system. This festive grid slot retains the charming 8-bit Christmas visuals and explosive gameplay mechanics of the original but adds jackpot-chasing excitement into the mix. 

Set in a tranquil snow-draped town square, Santa’s Stack Dream Drop is a cluster-paying slot on a large 8×8 grid, designed to deliver potent combinations through matching clusters and dynamic features. While the original game offered a high-volatility thrill ride, this edition raises the stakes even further by incorporating a jackpot system with a top prize potentially reaching €10 million. That means big dreams, big rewards, and a whole lot of Christmas cheer wrapped in a deceptively nostalgic package.

Design and Graphics 

Santa’s Stack Dream Drop stays true to the charming aesthetic of its predecessor. The game’s 8-bit visual style is its defining trait, delivering an old-school, pixelated look that evokes memories of retro console games. Think SimCity with snowfall, or a pixelated Christmas village bustling with cheer.The background depicts a quiet European-style town square, complete with softly falling snow, twinkling lights, and cobblestone streets. As reels spin, the scene is brought to life with adorable sprites of Santa, Mrs. Claus, Elves, Reindeer, and brightly colored light bulbs. It’s warm and welcoming, oozing old-school holiday magic while doubling as a subtle backdrop for the game’s fast-paced action. 

The interface is clean, with intuitive controls, and the addition of the Dream Drop Jackpot meter on the left side helps build anticipation, reminding players of the ultimate prize looming behind every spin.

Gameplay Mechanics 

The game utilizes a cluster pays mechanic, meaning wins are achieved when five or more matching symbols land adjacent to one another, either vertically or horizontally. The base game is simple in structure but can turn frenetic with the right setup, particularly when the Secret Santa Re-Spin or Free Spins features are triggered. 

Symbols fall in from above, and successful clusters trigger a cascade effect—removing winning symbols and allowing new ones to fall into place. This provides the potential for multiple wins within a single spin. Wild symbols assist in forming clusters and are crucial for unlocking bonus features. 

One major change from the original is the game’s RTP, which has dropped to 94.0% due to the inclusion of the Dream Drop Jackpots—a common adjustment across Relax Gaming’s DD slots. The hit frequency has also been lowered to 19.93%, indicating that wins are less frequent but can be significantly more substantial.

Sound and Music 

Audio is integral to the cozy yet high-stakes atmosphere of Santa’s Stack Dream Drop. The soundtrack is joyful and festive, featuring a melodic chiptune-style composition that mirrors the game’s retro visuals. It’s like something straight out of an old SNES winter-themed level—cheerful and light, but never overwhelming. 

Sound effects are crisp and satisfying, with gentle chimes for cluster wins and more energetic bursts during features or jackpot moments. The contrast between calm village life and big win potential is captured not just visually, but audibly too, enhancing the immersive experience.

Bonus Features 

Secret Santa Re-Spin 

This feature activates when a wild symbol forms part of a winning cluster. Once triggered:The entire winning cluster converts into mystery symbols. 

A re-spin is awarded, with the mystery symbols locked in place. 

If a new winning cluster lands adjacent to the mystery symbols, those new symbols also convert, and another re-spin is triggered. 

If the cluster surrounds non-winnable space, it still converts, expanding potential. 

The sequence continues until no more adjacent clusters form, at which point all mystery symbols reveal the same random pay symbol. 

This mechanic can snowball quickly, building suspense and boosting win potential through chained cluster growth. 

Free Spins 

Trigger this by landing 3 or more Bonus scatter symbols: 

3 scatters award 5 free spins, with +1 spin for each extra scatter. 

Wild symbols are guaranteed to appear at the start of each spin, increasing the chance to retrigger Secret Santa Re-Spins. 

With each spin, the number of guaranteed wilds increases by +1. 

Additionally, landing red, blue, or multicolor scatter symbols can award: 

+1 free spin 

+1 win multiplier 

Or both 

These enhancements make the free spins round far more explosive than the base game, especially when paired with large mystery clusters and wilds. 

Dream Drop Jackpot Bonus 

This is the big-ticket feature. The Dream Drop Bonus can trigger randomly before any standard spin. Once active: 

Players are presented with 15 gift boxes. 

Clicking on boxes reveals Jackpot symbols. 

The feature continues until 3 matching jackpot symbols are revealed. 

You then win one of the following: 

Rapid Jackpot – starts at €1 

Midi Jackpot – starts at €5 

Maxi Jackpot – starts at €100 

Major Jackpot – starts at €25,000 

Mega Jackpot – starts at €500,000 and can rise to €10 million 

Jackpots are progressive, and the game indicates which are closest to being won. Bigger bets offer slightly better odds of triggering the feature.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Santa’s Stack Dream Drop caters to both casual and experienced players, with a betting range from €0.20 to €50 per spin. While this is a slightly higher minimum than the original Santa’s Stack, it’s still accessible to a wide player base. 

Payouts depend heavily on cluster size: 

Low-paying symbols (bulbs): Pay 0.2x for five, up to 750–1,250x for clusters of 60+ 

Premium symbols (Rudolph, Elf, Mrs. Claus, Santa): Pay 0.5–1x for five, up to a staggering 10,000x for a full 60-symbol Santa cluster 

Although triggering such a massive cluster is rare, it’s possible, and paired with a 2x multiplier during free spins, it can hit the max win of 20,000x your stake.

Conclusion 

Santa’s Stack Dream Drop is a worthy upgrade to its original counterpart, maintaining the retro Christmas charm while adding the massive appeal of the Dream Drop Jackpot network. The addition of progressive jackpots shifts the focus slightly from pure feature play to dream-worthy payouts, but it doesn’t come at the expense of fun or charm. 

On the visual and audio front, the game excels with 8-bit nostalgia, offering a cozy yet dynamic holiday-themed experience. Gameplay-wise, the Secret Santa Re-Spins and Free Spins with escalating wilds and multipliers deliver excellent pacing, with the potential to snowball into some spectacular wins. 

Of course, the lowered RTP (94%) and reduced hit frequency (19.93%) reflect the volatility shift that comes with jackpot slots. Players solely focused on feature frequency may prefer the original. But for those chasing big dreams and progressive riches with a cheerful Christmas skin, this version has all the right trimmings.