Santa Hopper slot review
Featuring cascading reels and a maximum win potential of 10,000x, Santa Hopper is a 7×7 Christmas-themed slot released by Push Gaming in November 2025. The slot combines cluster-based gameplay with Instant Prizes, progressive multipliers, and oversized symbols for increased payout opportunities.
With medium-to-high volatility, the slot’s RTP starts off at 96.35%, but fluctuates depending on the game mode being used. Push Gaming also incorporates its Push Bet feature, which can either guarantee or drastically increase your chances of landing key symbols in return for a higher base bet.
Highlights
Santa Hopper summary review
Santa Hopper is a lively Christmas-themed slot that features the trademark chaos one comes to expect from Push Gaming slots. The visuals are unsurprisingly festive and playful, but it’s the game’s bonus mechanics that really steal the show.
The base game and Free Spins round include progressive multipliers, Instant Prizes with bet multipliers, and non-paying symbols that interact with paying symbols to create more lucrative potential. The Free Spins game also includes the Bubble mechanic where drifting Bubble symbols can increase the value of existing special symbols on the grid.
However, the sheer amount of bonus features, coupled with the absence of standard pay symbols in the Free Spins round, makes the game hard to grasp, especially for first-timers.
The game won’t appeal to players who prefer simple setups, but for anyone who enjoys experimental, feature-rich slots with varying RTP rates coupled with a festive twist, than Santa Hopper is worth a shot.
Pros
Progressive multipliers
10,000x max win
Stacked bonus features
Cons
Steep learning curve for beginners
Free Spins lack standard symbols
Bubble Feature inconsistent in value
Santa Hopper comprehensive review
In this Santa Hopper slot review, I’ll be analyzing the game’s diverse mix of bonus features and how they interact with one another. In doing so, I’ll also be breaking down the differing RTP rates as well as the role of the Push Bet mechanic. By the end, you can see for yourself whether Santa Hopper has any staying power beyond the Christmas season.
RTP and volatility
The game comes with medium-to-high volatility and a base RTP rate of 96.35%. However, as demonstrated below, this figure is subject to change depending on the game mode:
| Bonus Buy and Push Bet options | Cost | RTP |
| Bonus Buy: Jingle Drop Feature | 20x | 96.26% |
| Bonus Buy: Jingle Drop Feature with Instant Prize | 75x | 96.38% |
| Bonus Buy: Random Bonus Symbols | 100x | 96.40% |
| Bonus Buy: Random Bonus Symbols with Chimney symbols | 350x | 96.36% |
| Push Bet: Wild Santa | 2x per spin | 96.28% |
| Push Bet: Scatter | 0.40x per spin | 96.37% |
| Push Bet: Scatter and Wild Santa | 2.50x per spin | 96.35% |
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.35% without any bonys elements |
| Maximum win | 10,000x |
| Number of paylines | N/A – Cluster mechanics |
| Volatility | Medium-high |
It’s worth noting that for the above table, Bonus Buy costs refer to a one-off payment each time you want to trigger the feature. On the other hand, the Push Bet mechanic raises your total cost per spin, while payouts remain tied to your base bet.
Getting your head around all the variable RTP rates can be a bit confusing, but what matters is that all percentages lie above the industry average of 96%. In fact, only one of the RTP variants drops below the game’s default, and even then, it’s still at a perfectly reasonable level.
I enjoyed the freedom to opt in and out of different game modes. It adds an almost strategic element to gameplay, where you have to weigh up risk versus rewards.
As for volatility, I managed to pick up some decent wins early on before running into a few dry spells. This is exactly what you would expect from a slot with medium-to-high volatility, so I have no complaints on that front either.
Bonus features
Santa Hopper comes stacked with bonus features that center around a handful of key symbols. These consist of non-paying and paying icons that can appear during the base game, Free Games round, and with the Push Up feature.
The slot consists of two Wilds that substitute for all other symbols except Chimneys and Scatters. Represented by Santa and the Golden Present, these Wilds come attached with multipliers with the following values: 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, and 10x.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Bonus features | Wilds, Scatters, Santa Wilds, Golden Present Wilds, Chimney symbols, Free spins, Respins, Multipliers, Jingle Drop Feature, Santa Feature, Bubble Feature (in Free Spins game) |
| Top features | Santa Wilds |
| Jackpot | N/A |
The Instant Prize symbols are depicted as coins with numbers on them. These numbers act as Bet Multipliers with payouts based on your wager. The values are as follows: 1x, 2x, 5x, 10x, 25x, 50x, 100x, 250x, 500x, and 1,000x.
Santa Feature
The Santa Feature is triggered when a Chimney symbol appears alongside at least one Santa Wild. When this happens, the Santa Wild hops onto the Chimney, but not before leaving behind a Golden Present Wild in the position it vacated.
If there is more than one Chimney present, the Santa Wild will continue hopping from one to the next. Each hop increases the Santa’s multiplier by +1 while any Chimneys left behind will also transform into a Golden Present with Santa’s updated multiplier.
Jingle Drop Feature
Triggered randomly during any non-winning cascade, the Jingle Drop Feature releases one or two oversized Mystic symbols onto the grid. Depicted as colorful gift boxes tied to balloons, these Mystic symbols can appear in sizes varying from 2×2, 3×3, or 4×4.
Once they land, these gift boxes will reveal regularly sized paying symbols, or even special icons like Santa Wilds.
The Free Spins Feature requires a certain number of Bonus Scatter symbols to land anywhere on the grid during the base game. Landing three Scatters earns you six free spins, four rewards you with nine, while five Scatters will see you earn the maximum of 12 free spins.
Free Spins Feature
The Free Spins round is all about special symbols. This means regular paying symbols do not feature at all and are instead replaced by blank symbols that resemble rocks. Meanwhile, any Wilds, Chimneys, and Instant Prize symbols will be carried over from the base game into the Free Spins Feature.
With no regular-paying symbols, the cluster mechanic is disabled and each blank position spins to reveal one of the following possible outcomes:
- A Chimney symbol
- An Instant Prize symbol
- An Extra Spin symbol
- A blank symbol
It’s also worth noting that all existing Santa Wilds that were in the base game with a 1x multiplier will increase to a 2x. If no Wilds were present, one will appear with a x2 multiplier before the round starts.
Instant Prize symbols that appear during the bonus round will remain fixed until the end of the Free Spins Feature. Meanwhile, the Chimney symbols behave in the same manner as in the base game.
Bubble Feature
The Bubble Feature only appears during the Free Spins round. Before the round starts, a random number of Bubble symbols will appear on the grid with one of the following values: 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500. Additional Bubble symbols may or may not appear during the Free Spins round after a spin.
These symbols move one space after each spin and can occupy blank positions or merge into Chimneys, Instant Prizes, and Golden Presents. They do not offer any payouts and their only function is to boost the value of existing special symbols.
For instance, if a Bubble symbol with a value of 20 merges with an Instant Prize carrying a bet multiplier of 10, the Instant Prize value increases to 30.
The bonus features on Santa Hopper are innovative, fun, unique and, at times, can be very lucrative. However, the slot is definitely not beginner-friendly and it can actually be quite tricky to wrap your head around all the bonus mechanics and how they work.
This isn’t helped by a lack of clarity in the game’s information menu. For instance, the fact that regular paying symbols don’t feature at all in the Free Spins round is never actually stated so I had to figure that one out on my own. This definitely needs to be addressed.
The Bubble Feature also took me a minute to understand, and while it sounds great on paper, it only really shines if the Bubble symbols actually merge with anything meaningful.
However, once everything clicks, the game becomes a lot more enjoyable. My favorite moments came from watching Santa Wilds hop onto Chimneys to increase their multipliers, while simultaneously leaving behind Golden Presents for even more lucrative potential.
Symbols and payouts
Santa Hopper features seven regular paying symbols, with clusters formed horizontally or vertically on a minimum of five matching icons. Each symbol has nine different payout tiers that are all capped at a maximum of 17+ clusters.
The lowest-paying icons consist of three Christmas baubles, all of which share identical payouts. These start at 0.10x your wager for five matching symbols and 2x for clusters of 17 or more. Meanwhile, mid-tier icons like the Christmas tree and candy symbol also share the same payout structure, with 10x your stake for 17+ matching symbols.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Theme | Christmas |
| Reel layout | 7×7 |
| Highest paying symbol | Christmas Stocking |
| Adjustable paylines | N/A |
| Visuals | Excellent |
| Sound | Good |
| Mobile quality | Good |
The two top-highest paying symbols (the bell and Christmas stocking) differ in their payouts. The stocking pays 50x your wager for clusters of 17 or more matches, while the bell sees you earn 40x your stake for the same number of clusters.
It’s important to remember that the Free Spins round does not feature any standard pay symbols, with payouts earned only through special icons and other bonus mechanics.
It’s not unusual for cluster-pay slots to have low or mid-tier symbols that share identical payout tiers. Jammin’ Jars by Push Gaming and Reactoonz by Play’n GO are prime examples of this, with both slots having at least one pair of symbols that share the same payout rewards.
That said, considering that standard pay symbols do not even show up in Santa Hopper’s Free Spins game, I would have hoped for a bit more variety when it comes to payouts.
In total, the slot’s pay symbols can be grouped into just four categories, with only the two top symbols offering distinct payouts. So, overall, the payouts aren’t terrible but given the Christmas theme, I had hoped for more.
How to play Santa Hopper
Before you start spinning your reels, select the coin icon to adjust your bet per spin. There are a total of 25 pre-set bet tiers available that range from $0.10 to $100. While you’re here, you also need to decide if you want to use one of the three Push Bet options available: Wild Santa, Scatter, or the Wild Santa and Scatter symbol.
Once you are satisfied with your bet settings, select the big spin button on the bottom right-hand corner of your screen represented by two circular arrows.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Min bet | $0.10 |
| Max bet | $100 |
| Autoplay | Available |
| Turbo mode | Available |
| Game history | N/A |
The game also offers seven preset autoplay options that range from as low as 10 to as high as 1,000 automated spins. You can pause autospins anytime by selecting the spin button. For faster gameplay, you can activate turbo mode by selecting the lightning bolt icon.
To view payouts, symbol values and feature explanations, select the hamburger menu. From here, you can press the ‘?’ icon for a deeper breakdown of how the game works. You can also select the gear button which lets you toggle on and off the soundtrack, game audio, or both.
Casinos where to play Santa Hopper
You can play Santa Hopper along with other festive themed slots by Push Gaming at the following online casinos:
| Casino Logo | Rating | Bonus | Go-to-casino button | Show more | T&C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
91%
Playscore
based on
|
100% up to $1,000 + $25 On The House
|
Play now players accepted |
|
Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. MI, NJ, PA or WV only. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA & WV). |
2
|
88/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
92%
Playscore
based on
|
$20 Bonus Dollars + 100% up to $1,000
|
Play now players accepted |
|
Visit Borgata.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. NJ only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER. |
3
|
85/100
Expert rating
by Dasha G.
86%
Playscore
based on
|
100% up to $1,000 and 2,500 Reward Credits on a $25+ wager
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
1
|
94/100
Expert rating
by Sophie P.
81%
Playscore
based on
|
50,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
2
|
94/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
91%
Playscore
based on
|
1.5 million WOW Coins + 35 free Sweepstakes Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
3
|
93/100
Expert rating
by Sophie P.
79%
Playscore
based on
|
50,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
4
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Sophie P.
77%
Playscore
based on
|
50,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
5
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
81%
Playscore
based on
|
10,000 Gold Coins + 2 Sweeps Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
6
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
79%
Playscore
based on
|
25,000 Gold Coins + 2.5 Spree Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
7
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
87%
Playscore
based on
|
Up to 120,000 Gold Coins + 10 Sweeps Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
8
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Vule P.
79%
Playscore
based on
|
500 Gold Coins + 3 FREE Sweeps Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
9
|
89/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
89%
Playscore
based on
|
Up to 650,000 Gold Coins + 1,400 Fortune Coins
|
Play now players accepted |
|
|
10
|
88/100
Expert rating
by Paul P.
96%
Playscore
based on
|
250,000 Gold Coins + $25 Stake Cash
|
Play now players accepted |
|
Expert verdict
When it comes to bonus features and thinking outside the box, I feel like Santa Hopper is up there with the very best. The way Santa Wilds interact with Chimney symbols to increase their multipliers, while also leaving behind Golden Present Wilds, is not only on theme but also very clever.
That said, the game is a victim of its own ingenuity. The bonus mechanics aren’t the easiest to grasp and the info section lacks clarity.
While the Bubble Feature can be very beneficial, if it were down to me, I would replace that bonus mechanic and return standard paying symbols into the bonus game. As creative as the round is, I think having some familiar structure would make the Free Spins round feel more intuitive and balanced in my opinion.
Elsewhere, I did enjoy the freedom to opt in and out of the Push Bet mechanic whenever I wanted. Overall, the game has more benefits than drawbacks and its maximum win potential of 10,000x, while not the highest, is still very reasonable.
FAQs
What is the RTP of Santa Hopper?
Santa Hopper RTP starts off at 96.35%, although the rates vary according to the game mode or Bonus Buy option selected.
What is the maximum win potential of Santa Hopper?
Santa Hopper has a maximum win potential of 10,000x your own stake.
What bonus mechanics does Santa Hopper include?
Santa Hopper is stacked with bonus features that include the Jungle Drop Feature, the Santa Feature, and a Free Spins Game with drifting Bubble symbols.
How do I trigger free spins?
The Free Spins game is triggered after landing at least three Bonus Scatter symbols anywhere on the grid. Alternatively, use the Bonus Buy option to activate the feature manually.
What is the volatility of Santa Hopper?
Santa Hopper comes with medium-to-high volatility, offering a nice balance between frequent wins and decent returns.
