Tropicool 4 is the latest slot in ELK Studios‘ popular Tropicool series. Released in February 4th 2025, this new casino slot continues the narrative of its quirky avian protagonists, Tony Toucano and Fiona Flamingo, alongside the laid-back Elmo the Sloth, in a peculiar frozen water park setting. It comes with 6 bonus features, 25,000x max win, and a medium-high volatility gameplay. Keep reading this detailed Tropicool 4 review to find out more.
Tropicool 4 is a 6 columns and 6 rows slot with dropping symbols, a 3 row feature Cool Reel and 46,656 ways to win. This structure is complemented by the Avalanche feature, allowing new symbols to cascade down. Wins begin with the first leftmost column and only pay from left to right on consecutive columns.
Stakes range from a minimum bet of € 0.20, to a maximum bet of € 100, accommodating both casual players and high rollers. ELK Studios has set the default RTP at 94%. This is below the 96% average in UK online slots. Another RTP version you may find is 87%. So, check the paytable to see which version you are playing with.
Tropicool 4 has medium-high volatility. This means that while wins might not occur on every spin, the potential for significant payouts exists when they do. The maximum win potential of the game is a substantial 25,000 times the player’s bet.
The hit frequency is 24.1%, implying that approximately one in four spins will result in a winning combination. Furthermore, the probability of hitting the maximum win is stated as 1 in 20,623,424 spins, highlighting its rarity.
Visually, Tropicool 4 is appealing, featuring a frozen water park aesthetic complete with icicles, snow-covered surfaces, and symbols encased in blocks of ice. The game maintains the high-quality artwork and spectacular animations that are characteristic of ELK Studios’ releases. The soundtrack is a groovy dance track, providing an upbeat and engaging auditory backdrop to the gameplay.
If you want more Tropicool action, check out Tropicool 2, the second game in the series.
Symbols on reels include fruits in different colors, including purple, green, yellow, and pink offering the lowest payouts. High value symbols are pieces of other fruits, like an apple, a lime, a pineapple, a dragon fruit, and a strawberry. Here is the paytbale:
Pink fruit: 3, 4, 5, or 6 = 0.25, 0.15, 0.10, and 0.05 x the stake respectively.
Yellow fruit: 3, 4, 5, or 6 = 0.25, 0.15, 0.10, and 0.05 x the stake respectively.
Green fruit: 3, 4, 5, or 6 = 0.25, 0.15, 0.10, and 0.05 r x the stake respectively.
Purple fruit: 3, 4, 5, or 6 = 0.25, 0.15, 0.10, and 0.05 x the stake respectively.
Strawberry: 3, 4, 5, or 6 = 1.00, 1.25, 1.50, or 2.00 x stake
Dragon Fruit: 3, 4, 5, or 6 = 0.40, 0.50, 0.75, or 1.00 x stake
Pineapple: 3, 4, 5, or 6 = 0.30, 0.40, 0.60, or 0.80 x stake
Lime: 3, 4, 5, or 6 = 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, or 0.60 x stake
Plum: 3, 4, 5, or 6 = 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, or 0.30 x stake
Tropicool 4 comes with several special symbols including the wilds that replace regular symbols and Bonus Symbols that trigger the Bonus game. Others we will explain below.
Tropicool 4 uses the Avalanche feature, where upon achieving a winning combination of three or more matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, those symbols explode and vanish.
The remaining symbols then drop down to fill the empty spaces, and new symbols cascade from above to potentially form new winning combinations. This process continues as long as new wins are created, offering the possibility of multiple consecutive wins from a single initial spin.
Positioned above the main 6×6 grid is the Cool Reel, a 6×3 area that plays a crucial role in introducing special feature symbols into the game. With each new spin and subsequent avalanche, the Cool Reel refreshes, sliding in either blank spaces or various special feature symbols from the right.
When a cascade occurs on the main grid, creating empty spaces, the symbols directly above those spaces in the Cool Reel will drop down onto the main reels, activating their respective features.
The Cool Reel in Tropicool 4 is populated with lots of feature symbols. Let’s look at them below:
Mystery Symbols: Upon dropping onto the main grid, these symbols remain inactive until no more wins occur from the current avalanche sequence. At that point, all instances of the Mystery symbol on the grid will reveal the same random paying symbol, potentially creating new winning combinations.
Row Swap Symbols: When activated, a Row Swap symbol will select one type of paying symbol currently present on the same row (excluding Wilds, feature symbols, Scatters, and character symbols) and replace all other paying symbols on that row with the chosen symbol. An exception to this is when the Flamingo is chosen, in which case all symbols in the row become Wilds. Two different Row Swap symbols landing on the same position will transform it into a Wild. Character symbols (Elmo, Toucan, Flamingo) and Scatter symbols revert to their original form after a Row Swap.
Grid Flip Symbols: Activated at the end of a cascading sequence, the Grid Flip symbol will horizontally flip the entire main game grid before transforming into a Wild symbol, potentially leading to unexpected new winning combinations.
Multiplier Symbols: These symbols carry a numerical value (typically 1x, 2x, or 3x) and, upon activation, will add that value to the current global win multiplier for the ongoing spin. This multiplier applies to all subsequent winning combinations formed during the same avalanche sequence.
Wild Symbols: Functioning as standard Wilds, these symbols can substitute for any regular paying symbol to help complete or extend winning combinations. An all-Wild win has the same value as the highest paying regular symbol.
Locked Wild Symbols: These Wild symbols, once they land on the main grid, will remain in their position for a specific number of winning combinations in which they participate. The number of wins a Locked Wild remains active for is indicated on the symbol itself, often up to three. They substitute for regular paying symbols and can contribute to multiple wins before being removed.
Tropicool 4 introduces three distinct character symbols, each with a walking feature that triggers respins and provides additional benefits:
Flamingo Wild: This symbol appears as a 1×2 or 1×3 Wild symbol and, when no more wins occur after an avalanche sequence, it will move one reel to the right, increasing in height up to a maximum of 6 symbols. With each step to the right, it awards a free respin, continuing until the Flamingo Wild leaves the rightmost reel. As a Wild, it substitutes for regular paying symbols to form winning combinations.
Toucan Multiplier: Appearing as a 1×3 symbol, the Toucan Multiplier also moves one reel to the right when no more wins occur, awarding a free respin with each step. However, instead of growing in size, the Toucan Multiplier increases the global win multiplier by +1 with each move to the right, potentially leading to significant increases in payout for subsequent wins. This continues until the Toucan Multiplier exits the grid.
Elmo Drop: Elmo the Sloth appears as an inactive 1×1 symbol on the reels. If space allows (i.e., if there are no paying symbols directly above it), Elmo can expand to become a 1×2 or 1×3 symbol. Once activated and expanded, Elmo will remove all paying symbols from the rows it covers, triggering a new avalanche sequence. This can create opportunities for new feature symbols to drop from the Cool Reel and for new winning combinations to form.
Both regular paying symbols and most special feature symbols (with the exceptions of Elmo, the Birds, Grid Flip, and Multiplier symbols) can appear as enlarged 2×2 or 3×3 symbols on the reels. When these Big Symbols originate from the Cool Reel and drop onto the main grid, they will crush any regular paying symbols beneath them until they reach the bottom of the grid.
If a Big Symbol cannot fully drop to the bottom row (due to other symbols or the grid edge), it will split into its 1×1 versions to fill the remaining empty cells below it.
The Bonus Game or the Free Drops, is triggered by landing three or more Bonus symbols or a Scatter symbol anywhere on the main grid at the end of a spin. The number of free drops awarded depends on the number of triggering symbols:
3 Bonus Symbols: Award 6 or 10 free spins.
4 Bonus Symbols: Award 9 or 15 free spins.
5 Bonus Symbols: Award 12 or 20 free spins.
6 Bonus Symbols: Award 15 or 25 free spins.
During the Free Drops Bonus feature, the Cool Reel includes an additional symbol: the Extra Drop symbol. Landing an Extra Drop symbol on the Cool Reel during the free drops will award an additional 1, 2, or 3 free spins to the current tally.
Furthermore, the global win multiplier achieved in the base game persists throughout the Bonus Game. Notably, any Locked Wild symbols that are present on the grid at the start of the Bonus Game, or that land during it, will remain in their positions between the free drops until their win counter depletes.
Tropicool 4 video slot also features a Super Bonus Game, accessible through the X-iter feature for a cost of 500x the bet. This enhanced bonus round guarantees that an Elmo Drop symbol will appear on the reels during each free drop.
ELK Studios incorporates its signature X-iter feature into Tropicool 4, allowing players (outside the UK market) to directly purchase access to various game modes for a predetermined cost. This feature provides a shortcut to experience different aspects of the game without having to trigger them through regular gameplay:
X-iter 1 (5x bet): Guarantees a winning spin.
X-iter 2 (25x bet): Awards one spin with 3 Locked Wilds on the main grid.
X-iter 3 (3x bet): Bonus Hunt, triples the chance of triggering the regular Bonus Game.
X-iter 4 (50x bet): One spin with both Bird symbols (Flamingo Wild and Toucan Multiplier) guaranteed.
X-iter 5 (100x bet): Grants entry to the regular Bonus Game (Free Drops) with a 1x starting multiplier.
X-iter 6 : Grants entry to the Free Drops Bonus feature with a 5x starting multiplier.
X-iter 7 (500x bet): Grants entry to the Super Bonus Game with a guaranteed Elmo symbol on each free drop.
The Tropicool 4 slot is built with HTML5 technology, ensuring smooth performance across devices like desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets without extra plugins or downloads. For the best experience on desktop browsers, use a resolution of 1600×900 or scaling with a 16:9 ratio.
Tropicool 4 is a visually appealing and feature-rich slot game that successfully builds upon the established Tropicool series with its icy tropical theme. The combination of the Avalanche feature, the innovative Cool Reel with its diverse array of modifiers, and the engaging character features creates a dynamic gameplay experience.
The potential for a maximum win of 25,000x the bet is undoubtedly a significant draw for many players. However, the game’s lower-than-average RTP of 94.00% and the feeling that some features are recycled from previous instalments might be points of concern for certain players.
When compared to similarly themed slots, Tropicool 4 holds its own in terms of feature complexity, but Hotel Yeti-Way (Play’n GO) offers a much higher max win of 30,000x the bet.
If you want more Tropical action, check out Hawaiian Bliss, Skywind Group’s Tiki Secret, Pragmatic Play’s Strawberry Cocktail, and Tiki Bee Bar.
Please remember to always gamble responsibly, this is a real money gambling site.