A Winter’s Tale – Blue Guru Games
Small studio Blue Guru Games has finally returned to us with a brand new slot release. I had not visited the studio since October when I reviewed the slot titled ‘Spring-Heeled Jack‘, which has a max win capped at 15,587x and a Free Spins feature with Mystery Symbol Stacks. I am excited to see what Blue Guru Games has in store for 2023 and hope more people discover its underrated games. The provider has finally released its Christmas game for 2022. This slot is titled ‘A Winter’s Tale’, which is available to play now!
For this slot, we have a traditional Yuletide Holiday theme to celebrate the Christmas Spirit! The game background shows off a cosy landscape covered in snow. There is a wooden cabin on the right side, with the lights glowing through the windows and smoke coming from the chimney. On the left side, there is an adorable elf character pulling a sleigh filled with presents and tall trees covered in snow. There are some animations you will notice, such as the snow falling on your screen, the smoke from the chimney and the glowing lights in the cabin.
The reel border is wooden, with snow on the top & bottom, plus an unlit lantern hanging on the left side. The artwork uses a unique, beautiful style, which I personally adore. Vibrant colours are used for the design of the symbols. Low-paying symbols are different coloured letters with matching hats. Premium symbols are Christmas items such as Baubles and Christmas Trees. The game background changes when you enter the different features. I think Blue Guru Games has created a cosy Christmas release, and I admire the artwork.
A Winter’s Tale has a setup of 5 reels by 4 rows; this includes 20 set pay lines. This slot is high variance with a set RTP of 95.15% and a max win capped at 1,556x. You can bet from £0.10 to £200.
A Winter’s Tale Symbols & Pay Table
There are 9 symbols in total; this includes 4 low-paying symbols. These are represented by J, Q, K and A. There are also 3 premium symbols, these are represented by Christmas Baubles, Christmas Trees and Ram’s. In addition to these regular symbols is a Santa Wild and Present Scatter. The highest paying symbol is the Ram premium, which pays 30x for 5 across a pay line. Santa Wilds appear on reels 2 to 5 and substitute for all symbols, but the scatter.
A Winter’s Tale Features & Mechanics
Landing a Present Scatter will add it to the collection and award a Respin. Collecting 5 or more scatters with these respins will trigger the ‘Scatter Prize Screen Feature’. The number of Scatters collected equals the number of presents you can open, with a maximum of 12 presents. Click on the screen to open these gifts to be awarded cash prizes, multipliers and possibly the Free Spins feature. Cash prizes are multiplied by multipliers unwrapped during this feature. This feature can be purchased for 50x your chosen stake, with 5+ present picks.
1, 2 or 3 Free Game Prizes from the ‘Scatter Prize Screen Feature’ will award 5, 7 or 9 Free Games. A maximum of 12 Free Games can be awarded. During spins, all Wild symbols that land will lock in place for the duration of this feature. This feature can be purchased for 70x, with 5+ present picks and a Free Spin guarantee.
Conclusion
Overall, I think this slot is the perfect slot for people who prefer simplistic releases and visual aspects that are not overwhelming. The game background is not over the top, with some details which go perfectly with the Christmas theme. Vibrant colours are within the symbols artwork, which includes different coloured hats with a letter for low paying. There are some straightforward animations within the game background, and each symbol has a unique animation. I think Blue Guru Games has done well with this creation and is one of many underrated studios within the casino industry. Now onto the features and mechanics;
There are 2 main bonus features, the first is the Scatter Prize Screen Feature. For this feature you are opening presents to reveal different prizes. Possible prizes are cash prizes, multipliers and possibly the Free Spins feature. During the Free Spins feature all Wild symbols that land will lock in place for the duration of this feature. Both features can be purchased if available in your country. Be sure to try out the game for yourself and check out our exclusive casino offers.
