- A Christmas edition of BGaming’s rubber duck slot, using the MergeUp cluster pays mechanic with 9 symbol levels
- Free spins with marked cells and multipliers that climb as high as x128
- Very high volatility, 97.25% RTP and a max win of x5,000 the bet
Lucky Ducky X-mas is a BGaming slot released on 17 December 2024, as the studio’s last new game of that year. It is set in a shop full of rubber ducks, and the aim is to merge small ducks into bigger and better ones until you reach the King Duck.
At launch, BGaming said a standard version without the Christmas look would follow in January, once the festive season was over. This review covers the X-mas edition, which came first.
The Look of the Game
The reels are filled with brightly coloured ducks, some wearing fun hats and crowns. They have a summery feel, but there is snow outside the shop in the main game. When the free spins start, it begins to snow and Christmas lights shine in the shop windows, so the game moves from day to night as you play.
The soundtrack is Jingle Bells, which tells you straight away what time of year it was made for. BGaming describes the idea as light-hearted and easy to follow, in the style of many mobile games, and that comes across well. Nothing here is hard to understand.
How MergeUp Works
Lucky Ducky X-mas uses BGaming’s MergeUp mechanic, which is a type of cluster pays. There are no paylines. Instead, a win is made when 4 or more matching ducks land next to each other, either up and down or side to side.
After the cluster pays, the ducks in it do not just disappear. They merge into a duck one level higher. There are 9 symbol levels in total, and the more valuable the level, the bigger the payout. The amount you win depends on both the level of the ducks and how many of them are in the cluster.
This is where the chain reactions come in. A merge can create a new higher level duck that joins up with others of the same kind, which then forms another cluster, pays, and merges again. A good spin can climb several levels in one go. It is quite satisfying to watch the ducks get bigger and better from one win to the next.
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The King Duck and Scatters
The King Duck is the 8th level symbol, and the Scatter is the 9th and final level. That means there are two ways to get Scatters on the reels. They can drop anywhere at random, or they can be created when a cluster of King Ducks merges up.
This links the main game and the bonus in a nice way. Every merge chain is not just paying you, it is also moving you closer to a Scatter and the free spins.
Free Spins
Landing 4 or more Scatters starts the free spins:
- 4 Scatters give 15 free spins
- 5 Scatters give 18 free spins
- 6 or more Scatters give 20 free spins
During the round, any cell where a winning cluster forms gets marked. The next time a win lands on a marked cell, that cell gains an x2 multiplier. Every further win on the same cell raises the multiplier again, and it can climb as high as x128.
The marks and multipliers stay in place for the whole round, so the grid gets more valuable as the free spins go on. The longer the round goes on, the more marked cells there are for new clusters to land on, and the higher their multipliers can be.
You can also win more spins. Landing 4, 5 or 6 Scatters in a single free spin adds 5, 8 or 10 extra spins to the round.
Buy Bonus
There is a Buy Bonus option in some markets, but it is not available to UK players.
RTP, Volatility and Max Win
The RTP is 97.25%, which is higher than many slots. The volatility is very high, so you can expect quiet spells between the bigger wins. The max win is x5,000 the bet, and BGaming lists the top prize as €250,000.
Keep in mind that RTP is worked out over a very large number of spins and does not tell you what will happen in a single session.
About BGaming
BGaming makes a lot of Christmas editions of its games each year, from fruit slots to cluster games like this one. MergeUp is one of its own mechanics, and BGaming says it has been popular with players since it first came out. If you want more festive games, our list of the top 10 Christmas slots is a good place to start.
Overall
Lucky Ducky X-mas is a fun and simple Christmas slot. The rubber duck theme is a bit different, and the MergeUp mechanic gives every win a second purpose, as merged ducks climb the levels and lead towards the King Duck and the Scatters.
The free spins are the main event. Marked cells and multipliers that climb as high as x128 mean the round can build up nicely, and extra Scatters can keep it going for longer. Add in the snow, the shop lights and Jingle Bells, and it has plenty of festive charm.
The 97.25% RTP is a plus, but the very high volatility means it can take a while for the big wins to show up. For players who like cluster games with a clear sense of progress, it is well worth a spin over Christmas.