Secrets of Christmas

Secrets of Christmas is a 5-reel, 25-payline slot from NetEnt, released in November 2016. It carries an RTP of 96.72% and medium-high volatility. The game is set in a warm festive cabin window scene, with snowflakes drifting across the screen, blinking Christmas lights framing the grid, and a jingle bells soundtrack. NetEnt's artwork is detailed and illustrated rather than cartoonish, giving it a traditional Christmas feel that still holds up well.

Game Specifications

Before getting into how the slot plays, here are the key numbers at a glance:

• Developer: NetEnt
• Reels / Rows: 5 x 3
• Paylines: 25 (fixed)
• RTP: 96.72%
• Volatility: Medium-high
• Bet range: £0.25 - £125 per spin
• Hit frequency: ~38.8%
• Max win: 1,250x bet
• Bonus trigger rate: approximately 1 in 136 spins

The 96.72% RTP sits well above the 94-95% norm you often see on seasonal-themed slots, which tend to trade RTP headroom for novelty. That makes Secrets of Christmas better value on paper than many of its Christmas counterparts.

RTP and Volatility

Medium-high volatility means you will see reasonable win frequency - around 38.8% of spins produce something - but the bigger payouts are concentrated in the bonus round rather than the base game. The bonus triggers roughly once every 136 spins, which is less frequent than some players expect going in. Day-to-day play can feel steady enough, but the variance kicks in when the gift pick feature activates and stacks multipliers and wild reels on top of each other. The combination of stackable bonus features is where the potential ceiling is built in.

For players who prefer smoother sessions, the bet range is wide enough to size stakes conservatively. For those chasing bigger swings, the bonus mechanics are where Secrets of Christmas earns its medium-high volatility label.

Symbols and Paytable

The reels use a mix of classic Christmas icons and standard card ranks styled with festive wreaths. The Santa Claus wild substitutes for all paying symbols. It can appear stacked on the reels, which becomes significant during the free spins round. It pays nothing on its own - its job is solely to complete combinations.

The scatter is a sack of toys (the gift sack). Landing three or more anywhere on the reels triggers the bonus feature.

High-paying regular symbols:

• Bell - highest-paying regular symbol (1,250x line bet for five of a kind)
• Candle - second highest (750x line bet for five of a kind)
• Gingerbread house (500x line bet for five of a kind)
• Milk and cookies plate
• Christmas stocking

Low-paying symbols are card ranks (Ace through Ten) with festive wreath styling. Paylines pay left to right, requiring three or more matching symbols starting from the leftmost reel.

Gift Pick Bonus and Free Spins

The main feature is where Secrets of Christmas earns its reputation. Landing three, four, or five scatter symbols triggers the gift pick mechanic, which runs before the free spins begin.

You are shown 20 wrapped Christmas presents on screen. The number of picks matches the number of scatters you landed: three scatters gives three picks, four gives four picks, five gives five picks. Each gift reveals a bonus that will be active during the free spins round:

• Extra free spins: additional spins added to the base 10 (values of +2, +3, +4, +5, or +10)
• Win multiplier: x1 or x2 applied to total wins during free spins (multiple multiplier picks are added together, so two x2 picks gives an overall x4 multiplier)
• Wild reels: reel 2 or reel 4 (or both) filled entirely with wilds for the whole free spins round
• Symbol-to-wild conversion: Bell symbols or Candle symbols transform into wilds throughout the free spins

All the features you pick stack together and are active simultaneously. So a single bonus round could combine extra spins, a multiplier, a wild reel, and high-value symbol conversions at the same time. The base award is 10 free spins. With maximum picks and fortune on your side, that can extend significantly.

One limitation: free spins cannot be retriggered once the round begins. You get what the gift pick awards and no more.

Mobile

Secrets of Christmas was built in HTML5 and runs in any mobile browser without a separate app. NetEnt's mobile optimisation is generally reliable, and the grid layout adapts cleanly to smaller screens on both iOS and Android. Controls remain accessible and the animation quality holds up well on phones and tablets.

How It Compares to Other Christmas Slots

NetEnt has released several Christmas-themed games over the years. Secrets of Christmas sits at a higher RTP than most seasonal releases, and its stackable gift pick mechanic gives it more feature depth than simpler Christmas slots. Santa's Wild Ride is a higher-volatility alternative with a trail bonus system, while Santa Paws uses a cluster pay structure that plays very differently to the traditional payline format here. Secret Santa by Microgaming also uses a gift bonus but with a different trigger and reel mechanic, so despite the thematic overlap the three games are distinct experiences.

Jingle Spin (a later NetEnt release) uses a Wheel of Christmas bonus structure rather than a pick feature, making the two games feel quite distinct despite sharing the seasonal theme. For players who prefer a slot where bonus features build on each other through player choice, Secrets of Christmas is the more layered option.

Verdict

Secrets of Christmas is a well-built seasonal slot. The 96.72% RTP is above average for a themed game, the gift pick mechanic adds anticipation before each free spins round, and the stackable features mean the bonus can deliver significantly different outcomes each time it triggers. The visual quality and audio have aged reasonably well for a 2016 release.

The bonus triggers around once every 136 spins, free spins cannot be retriggered once running, and the max win of 1,250x is modest compared to high-volatility modern slots. If you want a Christmas slot with reliable base value and a bonus round that builds through player picks, Secrets of Christmas delivers that clearly. Find it at casinos carrying NetEnt or browse the wider NetEnt slots library.

Where to Play Secrets of Christmas

These online casinos carry NetEnt games including Secrets of Christmas. Read our Donbet review or browse all casino reviews.

Secrets of Christmas RTP and Variance

Secrets of Christmas has an RTP of 96.72%, which is above average. See our highest RTP slots for the best returning games. Medium volatility offers a balanced mix of win frequency and payout size.

At the minimum bet of £0.25 per spin, a £10 deposit gives you 40 spins with a statistical expected return of £9.67. Read our slot betting strategy guide for tips on managing your bankroll.

More NetEnt Slots

If you enjoy Secrets of Christmas, try these other NetEnt games available at the same casinos.