Review setup
Mobile Device | iPhone 15, Chrome 135.0.7049.53 |
Desktop Browser | MacBook, Chrome 135.0.7049.53 |
Play Time on Mobile | 50 Minutes |
Play Time on Desktop | 50 Minutes |
Amount Bet | $5,076 |
Final Result | Won $31 |
25 Cookies Hit the Bonus is a festive slot from Playson. The action unfolds on a simple 5×5 grid, and you need to trigger a bonus round to earn a payout.
I was excited to play this online slot, as Playson is a highly-rated studio. The studio typically focuses on classic themes like fruit, jokers, Ancient Egypt, and Irish luck, so I was intrigued to see how it would tackle the Christmas theme.
My 25 Cookies Hit the Bonus review explains everything you need to know about this slot. I’ll evaluate the graphics, soundtrack, and the bonus features, and I’ll discuss my gameplay journey.
First impressions with 25 Cookies Hit the Bonus
I was immediately captivated by the joyful soundtrack of 25 Cookies, which perfectly matches the festive scene depicted. The graphics looked pretty sharp too, although they are a little generic. I’ve played dozens of Christmas-themed slots, and many of them feature presents, a tree, and snow falling in the background.
It was simple to set my bet size, and I could also check out the rules quickly and easily. It took me a few seconds to realize that the “Hold For Turbo” button was the play button. I hit play, and I was impressed by the smooth mechanics and animations.
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Visuals and presentation: 4/5
The graphics for 25 Cookies Hit the Bonus aren’t exactly groundbreaking. This online slot depicts a standard family home at Christmas, filled with colorful presents and a vibrant Christmas tree. The room is bathed in a warm glow, and snow gently flutters in the night sky outside.
I’d say the Playson team has played it safe, filling the slot with all the classic Christmas tropes. While it’s not exactly an innovative approach, the graphics are pretty sharp. I also thought the animations were excellent, especially during the “Extra Bonus Game” and the “Super Bonus Game.”
Multipliers jump onto the grid with a satisfying swoosh. The cookies shake as they come to a halt on the grid. It’s exciting to watch all your winnings flying onto the “Total Win” section as fireworks erupt at the end of the bonus round too.
The role of sound: 4/5
Once again, this online slot features pretty generic festive music. However, I enjoyed the upbeat, jaunty tunes, which were perfect for the Christmas theme.
The lively piano and woodwind instruments help to set the scene. I really liked the special effects during the bonus rounds too.
Gameplay journey: 3.5/5
Here’s how my journey unfolded when playing 25 Cookies Hit the Bonus:
- I set my bet size to $2 per spin. That left me with a Mini jackpot of $20, a Minor jackpot of $40, a Major jackpot of $100, and a Grand jackpot of $2,000. I increased the speed to medium and hit play.
- My first 20 spins were unsuccessful, and I was down by $40. I was expecting to endure losing streaks, as this is a highly volatile game, but that was a little disconcerting. My bad luck continued, as I lost another 16 spins, meaning I was down by $72, but I then finally triggered the bonus game. I won $56, which made up for some of my previous losses.
- I kept spinning but without much success. I was down by $160 by the time I triggered the bonus game for a second time. However, I won $134, so that narrowed my losses to just $26.
- I found the base game a little frustrating. I couldn’t win anything until the bonus game was triggered, and the losing streaks were tough. As such, I decided to abandon the base game and simply activate the buy bonus feature instead.
- There are three options: Bonus Game (50x your bet), Extra Bonus Game (100x), or Super Bonus Game (300x). I opted for the standard option. My bet size was $2, so it cost me $100. Unfortunately, I only won $46, which was less than half the fee I paid to activate the feature.
- By this point, I was down by $80. I decided to try again. I triggered the Mini jackpot, but I won just $56, extending my overall losses to $124. I activated it a third time. On this occasion, I landed some useful multipliers, and I won a far more impressive sum of $192.
- I was now down by just $32. That inspired me to activate the “Extra Bonus Game” feature, which cost me $200. Multipliers were already in place when the bonus game grid appeared, and it quickly filled up with cookies. However, I only won $114, which was significantly less than the $200 I paid. I gave it another go, and my luck improved. This time I won $212, which included the “Mini” jackpot. I noticed that multipliers could be applied to the jackpots, which can potentially lead to large wins.
- However, I still hadn’t managed to trigger the larger jackpots, and I was down by $106. I activated the “Extra Bonus Game” feature again. This time, additional multipliers came into play, and most spaces on the grid were filled. I won a total of $346, which was exciting.
- That left me with a $40 overall profit. I decided it was time to activate the Super Bonus Game. I had to pay $600, which was daunting, but I hoped my good luck would continue. Substantial multipliers emerged on the grid, and I also won four Mini jackpots and the Minor jackpot, resulting in a total win of $734. That left me up by $174 overall, so it seemed like a good time to take a break.
- I returned to the slot later that day, and I decided not to bother with the base game this time. I had enjoyed far greater success by activating the bonus features during my first session, so I persisted with that approach.
- This time, I set my bet size to $1, so it wasn’t as expensive to activate the bonus features. I activated the “Extra Bonus Game” feature five times. Each time I paid $100, so it cost me $500 in total. I won $69, $85, $133 (including Major and Mini jackpots), $73, $89, and $116, which left me down by $8 in my second session.
- I then activated the “Super Bonus Game” five times. It cost $1,500 in total, and I won $164, $58, $182, $126, and $177. That was disappointing, as I didn’t exceed the cost of activating the feature, and it left me with steep losses.
- I had another attempt in a bid to recoup those losses. Fortunately, I triggered two Major jackpots, and I won a total of $734. I was now down by just $267 for my second session and $93 overall. That encouraged me to activate the feature again. I won $325, which slashed my overall losses to $68.
- I felt like I had momentum now, so I activated it again, but I won just $129.
- I decided to have one more go. That proved to be a good decision, as I won $570. That included a Minor jackpot and three Mini jackpots, with multipliers attached to them. That left me up by $31 overall, so I ended the session there.
Bonus Features Through My Eyes: 4/5
The base game does not contain any regular symbols, so players can only win during the bonus rounds. That’s an unusual format for an online slot, but it means that the bonus rounds are always exciting. Here is what they entail:
Feature | Description | Impact on Gameplay |
---|---|---|
Bonus Game | Landing any five symbols on the middle row of the grid will activate the bonus game. Alternatively, you can pay 50x your bet to activate this bonus round. Three re-spins are granted at the start of the bonus game. Each time a new symbol lands on the grid, the number of re-spins will be reset to three. Any symbols that land on the grid will stick to the reels until the end of the bonus round. At the end of the round, all of the symbols are added to determine your total win. |
I triggered the bonus game a couple of times during the base game. However, I had to endure lengthy losing streaks before triggering it, so I decided that I’d prefer to activate the buy bonus feature instead. I enjoyed the bonus game. It typically lasted for a minute or two, as I would keep triggering re-spins, and I’d typically fill most of the spaces on the 5x5 grid before the round ended. |
Boost symbol | A Christmas stocking serves as the boost symbol. This symbol can be very rewarding, as it collects all bonus, sticky bonus, and jackpots from the reels. For example, if you have symbols worth $5, $10, $10, $10, and $20, they will go into the stocking, leaving you with $55. If the stocking bursts out of a present box at the very end of the round, it can be extremely lucrative, as it collects every symbol from the grid, including multipliers. This will instantly double your overall winnings. |
I was always pleased to see the stocking symbol appear. It’s not particularly rewarding if it shows up at the start of the round, but it can be very useful if it appears at the end. |
Sticky boost symbol | The sticky bonus symbol is a stuffed, red nose reindeer. It appears randomly in the base game, and it then remains on the reels until the bonus game is triggered. This symbol can give a value of 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 7x, 8x, or 9x your bet. |
I didn’t see much of this symbol, as I opted to activate the bonus buy feature, rather than triggering the bonus round organically during the base game. However, it appeared a couple of times, and I found it to be reasonably lucrative, although I preferred the stocking. |
Mystery gift box symbols | There are two mystery symbols, which can appear during the bonus round. The green present can reveal a standard cookie, a jackpot cookie, or a stocking. Meanwhile, the red present will reveal a Mini, Minor, or Major jackpot symbol. The presents are opened at the very end of the bonus round. |
I enjoyed the intrigue and anticipation that these mystery symbols added to the game. Sometimes, it was a major anticlimax, as a $1 cookie would emerge. However, I also received Major jackpots from some mystery symbols. I also liked the way that multipliers could be added to these mystery gift boxes. |
Bonus game multipliers | Multipliers are triggered randomly during the bonus rounds. Up to 10 multipliers can land on random cells on each spin. If several multipliers land on the same position, the multiplier value for the cell increases. For example, if one cell has a 3x multiplier, and a 2x multiplier lands on it, the cell will have an 5x multiplier. Multipliers remain on their cells, and they’re applied to the symbols at the end of the round. |
The multipliers helped me secure my biggest wins when playing the 25 Cookies Hit the Bonus slot. They appeared frequently whenever I played the “Extra Bonus Game” or the “Super Bonus Game,” although they were a lot less common during the standard bonus game. I liked the way they would increase throughout the round. For example, I’d often have a 20x, 12x, and 11x multiplier during a single round. I also liked the way they were applied to the jackpots and the stockings. That can be very lucrative. For example, at one point I landed a Minor jackpot with a 12x multiplier, which was worth $240. In another bonus game, one of my big stocking values was doubled, which was a really nice payout. |
Jackpots | There are four fixed jackpots: Mini (10x your bet), Minor (20x), Major (50x), and Grand (1,000x). You can trigger the Mini, Minor, and Major symbols at random during the bonus rounds. They can alternatively emerge from one of the mystery present symbols at the end of the bonus round. The Grand jackpot will only be triggered if you fill all 25 cells with symbols of any type. |
I triggered the Mini, Minor, and Major jackpots frequently during the bonus rounds. Landing the Minor or Major jackpots with multipliers attached proved to be particularly lucrative. However, I didn’t manage to hit the Grand jackpot, although I came close several times. Of course, you wouldn't expect to hit the Grand jackpot often. |
Extra bonus game/Super bonus game | You’ll trigger the “Extra Bonus Game” if any bonus, sticky bonus, or jackpot symbol appears on the middle row during the base game. Alternatively, you can buy your way into this bonus round for 100x your bet. This round offers more multipliers than the standard bonus round. You can also buy a "Super Bonus Game," which costs 300x your bet but offers bigger multipliers and more frequent multipliers. |
I found the “Extra Bonus Game” to be more varied and entertaining than the standard bonus round. It came with far more multipliers, which can lead to significantly larger wins. While it was more expensive, I ultimately felt that the extra outlay was justified. |
Buy bonus features | Players can dive straight into the bonus game by paying 50x their bet size. Alternatively, you can pay 100x to trigger the “Extra Bonus Game.” Finally, paying 300x triggers the “Super Bonus Game.” |
I often struggled to recoup the cost of activating the bonus features. However, I landed a few big wins, which ultimately left me with a modest profit. This is a highly volatile game, so activating the bonus buy features is risky, but I preferred to dive straight into the “Extra Bonus Game” and the “Super Bonus Game,” rather than trying to trigger them naturally. |
Balancing Risk and Reward: 4/5
25 Cookies Hit the Bonus is a highly volatile slot, so it will primarily appeal to players that have a high risk tolerance. If you play the base game, you need to be prepared for prolonged losing streaks while you wait to trigger the bonus round.
Meanwhile, if you activate a buy bonus feature, the results can fluctuate significantly. I often failed to win more than the fee I paid to activate the feature, but a few big wins ultimately dragged me back into profit.
This game won’t appeal to players that like grinding out small, regular wins. It’s aimed at players that are prepared to endure barren spells while chasing large payouts.
The Good and Bad of 25 Cookies Hit the Bonus
I enjoyed playing this online slot, at least once I abandoned the base game. However, I still identified some potential drawbacks, which I’ve highlighted below.
- The bonus rounds are exciting, with lots of features and multipliers.
- There are three buy bonus options, which allow you to dive straight into the bonus rounds.
- You can win up to 10,000x your bet on 25 Cookies Hit the Bonus, and there are four fixed jackpots.
- This online slot could prove popular during the holidays, as it features festive graphics and sounds.
- The base game can grow tedious, as you’re simply waiting to trigger the bonus round.
- This online slot has a 95.7% RTP rate, which is below average.
- The high level of volatility will make this online slot unsuitable for certain players.
- 25 Cookies Hit the Bonus may not be quite so appealing during the summer months, and the graphics are a little kitsch.
Final Thoughts on 25 Cookies Hit the Bonus
25 Cookies Hit the Bonus is an innovative online slot that offers some terrific bonus features. I didn’t enjoy the base game, but I liked the bonus rounds. The “Super Bonus Game” was particularly exciting, as I often triggered large multipliers and several fixed jackpots.
I will probably return to this online slot during the holidays. It’s perfect for anyone that wants to get in the festive spirit. However, in the future, I’ll avoid the base game and activate the “Extra Bonus Game” or the “Super Bonus Game” right away.
If Playson releases a sequel, I’d love to see a slightly higher RTP rate. It would be nice to receive some sort of reward during the base game too, as it’s not much fun watching your balance go down continuously while waiting to trigger the bonus round.