Word Count: 1230
Reading Time: approximately 7 minutes
An Icy Expedition in a Tropical Paradise
As the winter chill recedes and thoughts turn toward sunnier climates, many are anticipating the warmth of spring and summer. This time of year often evokes images of blooming flowers, outdoor gatherings, and relaxing holidays. However, for those who prefer cooler temperatures, ELK Studios offers a refreshing alternative with its beloved “Tropicool” series, a franchise celebrated for its quirky, frost-filled adventures.
The latest installment, “Tropicool 5,” continues the saga of Tony Toucano and Fiona Flamingo, a duo famous for bringing an unusual cold snap to every paradise they visit. Since their debut in 2021, these characters have gathered a host of friends and explored various exotic locales. This new chapter takes players to a vibrant underwater lagoon, trading palm trees for a blossoming reef beneath a frozen ocean, and introduces a formidable new reptilian companion.
Game Specifications
- Developer: ELK Studios
- Release Status: Available Now
- RTP: 94%
- RTP with Feature Buy: 94%
- Paylines: 15,625
- Volatility: High
- Minimum Bet: 0.10
- Maximum Bet: 100
- Maximum Payout: 25,000x stake
Core Gameplay and Mechanics
Set against this immersive aquatic backdrop, “Tropicool 5” operates on a 6-reel, 5-row grid. The game is powered by a high-volatility mathematical model and offers a top prize capped at 25,000 times the bet. Winning combinations are formed by landing three or more identical symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, creating up to 15,625 ways to win.
The game features nine standard paying symbols. The lower tier consists of four fruits, which award up to 0.4x the bet for a six-of-a-kind match. The premium symbols include grapes, melons, limes, pineapples, and strawberries, offering payouts from 0.6x to 2x the bet for a full line. Wild symbols are also present, substituting for any regular symbol to help complete wins.
Following any win, the contributing symbols—with the exception of Wild Eggs and Locked Wilds—are removed from the grid. Existing symbols cascade downwards to fill the vacant spaces, and new symbols drop from above to complete the grid. Additionally, paying symbols and certain feature symbols can appear in large 2×2 formats, which count as four individual symbols. If a giant symbol cannot fully drop onto the active grid, it will break apart into single symbols.
The Cool Reel
Positioned above the main grid is a special two-row “Cool Reel” that contains Feature Symbols, Ice Cubes, and empty spaces. When a winning combination creates gaps on the main grid, symbols from the Cool Reel can tumble down to fill them, activating their special properties. This reel consistently refills from the right. The order of activation for dropped features is: Mystery Symbols, followed by Row Swap, the Elmo feature, and finally the Bonus trigger.
- Mystery Symbols: These transform into a single type of random pay or feature symbol after all other wins have concluded.
- Golden Symbols: Standard pay symbols can land with a golden hue, carrying a multiplier. A Golden Symbol in the top row has a x2 multiplier, which increases by +1 for each subsequent row it lands in, up to a maximum of x6. Multipliers on the same reel are added together, while multipliers on different reels are multiplied, significantly boosting payout potential.
- Row Swap: This feature selects one symbol within its row and transforms all other symbols in that row into the same type. If a high-value character or Wild is chosen, all affected symbols become Wilds. If multiple Row Swap symbols are on the same row, their effect extends. A position affected by more than one Row Swap becomes a Wild. A 2×2 Row Swap symbol activates its power on every row it covers.
- Wild Symbols: These substitute for all regular paying symbols.
- Locked Wild: This special Wild remains on the reels for a set number of wins, indicated by a counter on the symbol. During the bonus round, Locked Wilds persist between spins until their counter is depleted.
- Pearls: Collecting a Pearl symbol gives a chance to trigger the Elmo Drop feature.
Character-Driven Bonuses
The game includes three distinct features tied to its charming characters.
- Wild Eggs and Birds: These function as Sticky Wilds. If a reel with a Wild Egg has at least one empty position below it, the egg activates, transforming into a Wild Toucan or Flamingo. The size of the resulting bird Wild depends on the number of vacant spaces, ranging from 1×2 to an impressive 1×5.
- Elmo Drop: When Elmo the sloth collects a Pearl symbol, he may trigger this feature after all wins are settled. Elmo removes all paying symbols from the top 3, 4, or 5 rows. Subsequently, all symbols from the Cool Reel cascade down to fill these newly created spaces, offering a fresh chance for wins.
- Mystery Crocodile: Kyle, the new crocodile character, appears as a massive 6×2 symbol in the Cool Reel. When he is present, all empty positions directly below him are filled with Mystery Symbols. Kyle then shifts one position to the left and remains on the Cool Reel between spins until he exits the screen.
Free Spins Bonus Round
The main bonus is triggered by landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatter symbols in a single game round, which awards 6, 9, 12, or 15 free spins, respectively. During this round, a persistent win multiplier becomes active. Two new symbols can also drop from the Cool Reel:
- Extra Drop Symbols: These award between 1 and 3 additional free spins.
- Multiplier Symbols: These add a value of x1 to x3 to the global bonus multiplier.
These special symbols are activated when they fall onto the main grid. Unlike other symbols, they cannot land in larger formats. At the beginning of each free spin, the Cool Reel is replenished with a fresh set of symbols, while all other base game mechanics remain in effect.
X-iter Feature Purchase Options
For players who want to jump directly into the action, the X-iter menu provides several options to enhance the gameplay experience.
- Bonus Hunt: For 3x the bet, the chance of triggering the bonus game is increased by more than four times.
- Mega Hunt: For 10x the bet, the likelihood of triggering the bonus game is boosted by over 15 times.
- Locked Wilds: For 25x the bet, a spin is guaranteed to land three Locked Wilds.
- Bonus: For 100x the bet, this option guarantees entry into the Free Spins round.
- Super Bonus: For 500x the bet, this guarantees entry into the Free Spins round with three Locked Wilds on every spin.
All X-iter options operate with a fixed RTP of 94%.
Editor’s Impression
“Tropicool 5” successfully builds upon the foundation of its popular predecessors, transporting players to a visually stunning and dynamic underwater world. The game retains the core mechanics that fans love, such as the tumbling reels and the feature-laden Cool Reel, while introducing compelling new elements that elevate the experience.
The introduction of Golden Symbols adds a significant layer of excitement, as their row-dependent multipliers can combine to create explosive payouts. The newest character, Kyle the Mystery Crocodile, is another excellent addition, providing a persistent source of mystery symbols that can drastically alter the game grid. These new features integrate seamlessly with existing mechanics like the Wild Birds and Elmo’s symbol-clearing ability.
The Free Spins round, enhanced by a progressive win multiplier, remains the pinnacle of the gameplay, offering the greatest potential for achieving the impressive 25,000x maximum win. Overall, “Tropicool 5” is a polished and highly engaging continuation of the series, proving that this quirky cast of characters still has plenty of chillingly good adventures to offer.
