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There are plenty of Christmas slots that celebrate the cozy side of the season. But what about a game for the naughty list? Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango from Ruby Play invites you to spend the yuletide with a couple of sexy jewel thieves.
Did I get paid on their big score? I’ll walk you through it.
Game details
- Developer: Ruby Pla
- Volatility: Mediu
- RTP: 96.33% (it varies
- Max Win: 8,124x
- Layout: 5 reels, 50 payline
- Release Date: Oct. 8, 2024
- Where Can You Play: Sweepnext and other top sweepstakes casinos
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My basic experience playing Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango
Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango is exactly what the name suggests. It is Ruby Play’s festive take on their already established Diamond Explosion formula. Going into it, I knew what kind of mechanics I was dealing with, because if you have played any Diamond Explosion game before, you already understand the foundation. That familiarity works both for and against this slot.
During my session, I naturally triggered the Diamond Explosion Hold and Win bonus. The start of that bonus was actually really promising. The first two spins landed diamonds and built the board in a way that made it feel like something big could happen. Unfortunately, that momentum died quickly. The last three spins failed to land a single diamond, and just like that, the bonus wrapped up in a very underwhelming way. It is the kind of ending Diamond Explosion bonuses are known for when they decide to go cold.
After that, I decided to buy the Free Spins bonus. That feature gives you a full reel of diamonds that also act as wilds. On paper, that is exactly what you want. The entire appeal of that bonus is that it is supposed to make it easier to re-trigger the Diamond Explosion bonus. More diamonds should mean more chances to get paid.
In theory, it should have been great. In reality, only one of my eight spins gave me extra diamonds outside of the guaranteed reel. That single spin was not enough to push me into the Diamond Explosion Hold and Win again. The rest of the spins were essentially dead. I ended up getting about 25 SC back on a 100 SC bonus buy, which is never a fun outcome.
Even with that result, I am not shocked or offended by it. This game behaves exactly like other Diamond Explosion slots. When it hits, it can be great. When it doesn’t, it can feel brutal. The mechanics are familiar, predictable in structure, but wildly unpredictable in execution.
Key takeaways from Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango
Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango plays exactly how you would expect if you have experience with this series. The diamond Hold and Win bonus can look incredible at the start and then completely collapse if the diamonds stop dropping. The Free Spins bonus has a great concept, but it fully relies on RNG cooperating.
The buy bonus did not work out for me at all, but that does not mean the feature itself is broken. It means the volatility is doing exactly what it is designed to do. Ruby Play did not reinvent the Diamond Explosion formula here. They wrapped it in a Christmas theme and let the math do what it does.
If you enjoy this style of slot and understand the swings, there is nothing surprising here. If you do not like sessions that can fall apart quickly, this one will test your patience.
Sensory experience of Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango
The overall style of Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango feels much more like a Christmas heist than a traditional holiday slot. Instead of cozy or playful vibes, everything leans toward tension and urgency. The visuals suggest a high-stakes diamond grab taking place during the holidays, with sharp colors, glowing jewels, and an atmosphere that feels more criminal than cheerful.
The diamonds themselves are the stars of the show. They shine, flash, and lock into place with deliberate animations that give weight to every landing. When the Hold and Win activates, the entire presentation shifts into a pressure-filled moment that fits the heist theme perfectly. It feels like you are trying to pull off a last-second score before everything shuts down.
The music matches that tone extremely well. It is not light or festive. It is intense, fast-paced, and almost suspenseful, especially during bonuses. The soundtrack feels like it belongs in a movie scene where the clock is ticking, and that energy carries through the entire session. Even when the diamonds stop landing, the music keeps the tension high, sometimes more than the payouts justify.
The sound effects are classic Ruby Play. Clean, familiar, and functional, without standing out too much on their own. But combined with the intense music and sharp visual style, the sensory experience feels cohesive. This game is not trying to make you feel cozy. It is trying to make you feel like you are in the middle of a risky holiday diamond robbery.
Gameplay highlights and lowlights
The best moment of my session was the start of the natural Diamond Explosion bonus. The first two spins felt strong, and for a moment, it looked like the bonus was going to turn into something special. That early buildup is exactly why players love this mechanic when it works.
The concept behind the Free Spins bonus is also a highlight. Having a full reel of diamonds that double as wilds is a great idea. It gives the player hope and creates the feeling that another Diamond Explosion is right around the corner.
The familiarity of the Diamond Explosion system is also a plus for fans of the series. You know what you are signing up for, and when everything aligns, the game can absolutely deliver.
The biggest lowlight was how quickly both bonuses stalled. The natural Hold and Win died once the diamonds stopped showing up. The Free Spins bonus looked promising but provided almost no additional diamonds beyond the guaranteed reel. Without those extra diamonds, the bonus loses its entire purpose.
Buying the Free Spins for 100 SC and walking away with about 25 SC is never fun. It did not feel like the game gave me many chances within those eight spins to recover or build momentum.
If you are already familiar with Diamond Explosion games, none of this is surprising, but it is still frustrating when it happens. This slot lives and dies by diamond frequency, and in my session, the diamonds simply did not cooperate.
Bonus features of Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango
Feature/Bonus Description Impact on Gameplay
🎁 Wild Substitutes for all other symbols except Prize and Scatter symbols. Wilds can form parts of winning combos along active paylines, increasing your likelihood of winning.
🎁 Scatter/Free Games Pays anywhere on the reels. 3 Scatters unlock 8 Free Games, 4 Scatters unlock 8 Free Games and 5x total bet, and 5 Scatters unlock 8 Free Games and 20x total bet. One reel is chosen where every symbol is both a Prize and a Wild. Landing 3 or more Scatter symbols during the Free Games unlocks yet more Free Games. By paying anywhere on the reels, Scatters increase the likelihood of forming winning combos. Moreover, unlocking Free Games saves you credits all while creating more opportunities to win, while multipliers boost your winnings.
🎁 Prize Landing 6 or more Prize symbols during the base game triggers Explosion Free Games. Landing 6 or more Prize symbols or Prize + Wild symbols during Free Games also triggers Explosion Free Games. Explosion Free Games create more opportunities to play and win for free, and the multipliers accumulated during those rounds boost your winnings.
🎁 Explosion Free Games Explosion Free Games unlock five free rounds, whereby all Prize symbols remain locked in place throughout the rounds. Adjacent prize symbols are combined to form larger symbols covering multiple positions on the grid. In the end, the Prize symbols are awarded prizes depending on their size, which are then collected as winnings. Larger Prize symbols also offer the opportunity to unlock the Jackpots. Explosion Free Games let you play some more without using more credits, and the sticky symbols can be very rewarding in the end.
🎁 Jackpot Pick Deluxe Wild symbols can trigger Jackpot Pick Deluxe during the base game or Free Games. You must pick three matching jackpot symbols to unlock that jackpot level. There are four levels with different multipliers: Mini = 10x, Minor = 15x, Major = 50x, and Grand = 800x. Jackpots may also come with multipliers ranging from x2 to x10, which multiply the value of that jackpot. Jackpots boost your wins by up to 800x or even more when they come with multipliers.
🎁 Bonus Buy Unlock Free Games bonus feature at a cost of 100x the current stake amount. Spend a considerable amount of coins but get to experience the highly potentially rewarding aspects of free games, including frequent Explosion Free Games.
Volatility and risk
This game sits firmly in the medium to medium-high volatility range. The Diamond Explosion mechanic is inherently swingy. When diamonds land consistently, the bonuses can feel incredible. When they do not, bonuses can end abruptly with very little payout.
The risk is obvious, especially with bonus buys. You are paying for potential, not results. In my session, the results did not justify the cost, but I have seen enough Diamond Explosion games to know that does not mean the upside is not there.
This is not a slot for players who want slow, steady returns. It is built for moments of excitement, whether they come or not.
Pros and cons of Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango
- 🎁 Familiar Diamond Explosion mechanics
- 🎁 Festive and polished Christmas visuals
- 🎁 Natural Hold and Win can feel great when it builds
- 🎁 Free Spins concept has strong potential
- 🎁 Easy to understand if you know the series
- 👎 Bonus momentum can disappear quickly
- 👎 Free Spins heavily depend on extra diamonds landing
- 👎 Bonus Buy is very risky
- 👎 Can feel disappointing when RNG does not cooperate
Final thoughts on Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango
Diamond Explosion Christmas Tango is exactly what it claims to be. It is a festive reskin of a proven Ruby Play formula. If you like Diamond Explosion games, you will feel right at home. If you do not, this one is unlikely to change your mind.
The session I had was mixed at best. The natural Hold and Win teased something big before falling flat. The Free Spins bonus buy looked great on paper but delivered very little. Still, because I know how this system works, I cannot write the game off entirely. I have seen Diamond Explosion titles go absolutely wild when the diamonds decide to show up.
This is a game that can be great on the right day. It just was not my day.
