Chill Out in Tropicool 4

It’s not often we see a combination of palm trees and big chunks of ice paired together. However, it’s a recipe that worked well for ELK Studios before. The team is looking to capture lightning in a bottle again with Tropicool 4, drawing players in with eye-catching visuals and exciting bonus features.

Should you give this title a go? We break down the game’s pros and cons to figure out if it’s worth your time.

Tropicool 4 Visuals & Sounds

We really like the theme of Tropicool 4. Beach chairs and palm trees are combined with a large block of ice and snow on the leaves and parasols. It’s a unique combination that plays well with the game’s tropical party theme. The title is relatively light on animations. Those we can see are ice sheets floating in the pool and water streaming down the iceberg.

The game’s paying symbols are all fruits: pears, lemons, strawberries, and more. It works with the theme, though it feels a bit phoned in. It would have been cool if the fruits were slightly frosted. Other icons to watch out for are the three animals, representing feature symbols, Wilds, and Scatters. Each of these is instrumental in triggering Tropicool 4’s various features.

The soundtrack is the sort of track you’d expect to hear in one of those chill house playlists on YouTube or Spotify. We like how ELK Studios handled the sound effects. With each symbol encased in a block of ice, all wins are accompanied by ice cracking and shattering.

Tropicool 4 Gameplay & Features

Tropicool 4 uses a 6×6 grid with 46,656 ways to win. There is also a 3-row Cool Reel, which can produce dropping symbols and feature activations. Wins must start with the leftmost reel and pay left to right in consecutive columns. No gaps between the columns are allowed.

Character Features

There are three characters in this game, each with a corresponding feature. First among them is Flamingo Wild, which generates free drops and increases in size with each step. It can reach a maximum height of 6 symbols if it starts at the leftmost reel.

Toucan Multiplier behaves similarly to Flamingo Wild. It walks across the reels, and each time it moves, it increases the global multiplier and generates free drops. The feature ends when the Toucan leaves the screen.

Finally, Elmo Drop removes all paying symbols from multiple rows.

Feature Symbols

During each spin, there is a chance special feature icons will drop in from the Cool Reel. There are four in total, each with its own effect.

• Mystery: reveals a randomly selected symbol at the end of a drop.
• Grid Flip: flips the grid horizontally and turns into Wild.
• Row Swap: one icon replaces others on the same row. This excludes other feature symbols, Wilds, characters, and Scatters.
• Multiplier: adds its value to the global multiplier.

Locked Wilds

Alongside regular Wilds, the game also offers Locked Wilds. These Wilds will remain in place until the number on the icon itself drops to zero. Like regular Wilds, Locked Wilds substitute for any paying symbols.

Avalanche & Cool Reel

Every time you score a payout, winning symbols explode. Existing icons will fall to take their place, while new ones will appear from the top. If there are any feature symbols, Wilds, or character features in the Cool Reel, they will fall in place of standard icons, activating their corresponding bonuses.

Free Drops

Landing 3 or more Scatters on the reels simultaneously awards between 6 and 15 free drops. Within the feature, extra drop symbols can appear in the Cool Reel. If they drop down into the main playing area, they extend the Free Drops feature.

X-iter

If you’re willing to part with some extra cash, ELK Studios lets you buy your way into several bonuses. You can triple your chances of triggering a feature or unlock locked Wilds, character features, or free drops with guaranteed characters.

Tropicool 4 RTP and Payouts

Tropicool 4 is a highly volatile slot with an RTP of 94%. Not very approachable, but a shot at winning 25,000x your stake makes it more palatable. We would like to see a higher RTP from this game. As for its volatility and top prize, they feel well balanced against each other.