Crack the Ice in Tropicool 5 from ELK Studios

ELK Studios loves its sequels. If an idea works and players love it, why deprive them of what they want? It’s an approach that served the team well, propelling them to new heights and ensuring they remain competitive. Tropicool 5 is the latest big sequel from the studio, and it promises to be just as thrilling as the games that came before it.

We’ll walk you through everything you need to know about this ELK Studios release in this review. Learn all about the game’s visuals, features, and payouts to determine if it’s right for you.

Tropicool 5 Visuals

The graphics are top-notch, not that we’d expect anything less from this developer. We love the colourful backdrop, with large chunks of ice floating above a coral reef. It’s a very eye-catching view and wildly different from other slots in the series. Then again, that’s not surprising. As we saw in Cygnus 6, ELK Studios has no trouble keeping the visuals fresh even in long-running series.

Available symbols include different-coloured fruits, grapes, watermelons, limes, pineapples, and strawberries. A spinning egg, toucan, and flamingo icons are Wilds, while the letter B is the Scatter.

Tropicool 5 Gameplay and Features

The Tropicool 5 slot uses a 6×5 playing area with 15,625 ways to win. Forming wins requires landing three or more matching symbols in adjacent positions from left to right. Each win triggers cascading reels, removing the winning symbols from the grid. Existing icons take their place while brand new ones appear from the top, allowing players to score multiple prizes in one round.

Wild Egg

The Wild Egg is a Wild symbol that can appear on any reel. It serves as a sticky Wild, remaining on the reels until it can expand. The egg can create Toucan and Flamingo Wilds, which cover multiple positions. Depending on which bird you get, their size will vary between two and five symbols tall.

Cool Reel

The Cool Reel sits above the standard 6×5 grid and features two additional rows. Only special feature symbols and empty ice cubes can appear here, after which they drop onto the playing area. Dropped ice cubes are immediately crushed, making room for more features and icons.

Feature Symbols

Several feature symbols in Tropicool 5 can appear on the reels. Each comes with a special effect, which we’ll go over in this section.

• Mystery symbols reveal paying or other feature icons after all wins are paid out.
• Golden symbols have an attached multiplier displayed in the lower-right corner. The multiplier is determined by the icon’s position in the grid.
• Row Swap symbols select one random icon on the same row as these symbols. The chosen icon replaces all other symbols, effectively guaranteeing a win happens.
• Locked Wild icons are sticky Wilds that lock in place for a certain number of wins. This is different from Wild Eggs.
• Big symbols make it so that paying icons, Row Swap, Wild, Locked Wild, and Mystery symbols can drop in at a 2×2 size.

Elmo Drop

Elmo sits on his hoverboard above the reels, keeping an eye out for any clamshell symbols. He will collect pearls from these icons after all wins are paid out. However, there’s a chance for Elmo to drop the pearls, which clears the top rows and triggers the Cool Reel to drop down.

Kyle the Mystery Crocodile

Kyle the Crocodile is a 6×2 special symbol that slides into the Cool Reel. If there’s room beneath him, he will drop mystery symbols in the playing area to fill any empty spots.

Free Spins

Three or more Scatters anywhere on the screen will activate the Free Spins feature. Depending on the number of Scatters on the screen, you’ll get between 6 and 15 free spins. During this feature, Extra Drop and Multiplier symbols can appear in the Cool Reel.

• Extra Drops extend the Free Spins feature by adding extra drops.
• Multiplier symbols apply the displayed value to the global multiplier, increasing all payouts.

X-iter

Players can spend extra to unlock additional goodies using the X-iter feature. Available bonus buy options include:

• Bonus Hunt – quadruples your chance to trigger the Free Spins feature. Costs 3x your stake.
• Mega Hunt – increases the likelihood of activating the Free Spins bonus over 15 times. Costs 10x your bet.
• Locked Wilds – creates three locked Wilds for 25x your wager.
• Bonus Game – guarantees a Free Spins feature trigger with bonus drops. Costs 100x your stake.
• Super Bonus – activates the Free Spins bonus with three guaranteed locked Wilds per bonus drop. Costs 500x your bet.

Tropicool 5 RTP and Payouts

The RTP in the Tropicool 5 slot is 94%, which is standard for ELK Studios titles. The game has a 25,000x top prize, which is an impressive sum. However, the high volatility ensures that getting it won’t be easy.