Casino Bonuses
| Provider | Pragmatic Play |
| Reels | 8 |
| Rows | 8 |
| Paylines | Cluster Pays |
| Bonus Rounds | 1 |
| Bet Range | 0.20 - 100 |
| Volatility | High |
| Max Win | 10,000x |
| Bonus Buy | Yes |
| RTP | 96.51% |
| Our Rating | 8.5 |
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Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Demo & Review
Game Overview
It’s believed that ancient civilisations not only held secrets to the universe but also had untold treasures and even cities made out of gold. Some people have even dedicated their lives to solving these mysteries and finding sacred locations around the globe, but having all failed miserably, the myths still live on. Adding to the legend further, game provider Pragmatic Play is set to take us on an adventure in their slot title Gems Bonanza, which features the cluster pays engine, an excellent RTP of 96.51%, and a maximum win of 10,000x bet.
I hope you like a game with lots of features because they come thick and fast in this slot! To start with, we have cascading reels that remove winning symbols from the grid and replace them with new ones for more chances to win. An impressive five modifiers can also be triggered in the base game when a win activates specially coloured orbs placed in random positions on the playfield. Hit enough consecutive wins with the aid of these modifiers and fill the free spins meter to trigger the main bonus, where big multipliers can be applied to your wins. Lastly, for those that can access it, there is a bonus buy option if you want to skip the regular play.
Will you finally uncover the lost treasures and secrets of the past? There’s only one way to find out. Get straight into the action and try out our free demo slot of Gems Bonanza below.
Gems Bonanza Theme, Stakes, Pays & Symbols
From stunning architecture to astrology and education, the ancients that once walked this earth held knowledge that we are still unaware of today. Some believe that an alien race visited our planet and shared secrets and technology with our ancestors, but I’m a firm believer that many civilisations have lived on this planet throughout millions of years, and some of them just took a different path to what humankind has taken today. Whatever you believe, one thing is for certain, it’s fascinating stuff and makes for a great online slot theme too. If you want to skip back in time a few centuries or more, then check out Treasures of Aztec, and Aztec Blaze, both of which will give you a further taste of what life was like in the past. On to today’s review though, and we’re set to see what approach Pragmatic Play has taken to this genre with Gems Bonanza. So, let’s get into the game.
The perfect place to begin is the paytable, and things start very well indeed, with the red gem being the highest value symbol and paying 1,000x bet for clusters of 25 or more. Next is the purple gem worth 500x, followed by the green gem at 300x and the turquoise gem at 150x. Completing the paytable are three so-called lower value symbols, which are the green, pink, and blue gems, that will pay 100x, 75x, and 50x respectively, if 25 or more land as part of a winning cluster. Wow, that’s some pretty impressive payouts Pragmatic! The Wild Gem is the last symbol to keep a lookout for, which can only appear after specific modifiers are active. When it is in view, this will substitute for all other regular symbols.
The betting range on Gems Bonanza offers plenty of options for those who want to play the game for real money. Stake sizes start at just €0.20 a spin, with the maximum bet reaching €100, which is surely enough for even the highest of rollers among you.
Gems Bonanza Slot Base Game & Modifiers
Classified as a cluster pays or grid slot, Gems Bonanza is played over an 8×8 reel format, which creates 64 positions on every spin for the coloured gems of the paytable to appear on. Match a minimum of five of these adjacently anywhere within that playfield, and the corresponding win will be credited to your balance.
Cascading Reels
A huge part of this game is the cascading reels engine, which you’ll see activate when you form a winning cluster of symbols on the reels. The symbols from that win will first explode and be removed from the grid before new symbols fall from above to fill any spaces left behind. Several cascades can occur from just one spin in the base game, ending only when you fail to make a new winning connection.
Special Spin Modifiers
While playing in the base game, it is possible to unlock five modifiers that can help you in your quest for bigger wins and in triggering the free spin bonus feature. When you hit a winning cascade behind random gems, there can be coloured marks that correspond with the Aztec stone situated on the right-hand side of the reels.
Once the sequence of cascades is over, then any coloured marks that you have collected will activate. We have explained their corresponding modifier below.
- Blue Mark: This will trigger the NUCLEAR modifier. After all the cascades have taken place, Nuclear will clear the entire grid and drop all new symbols down to give you a fresh chance of creating a winning combo.
- Pink Mark: Unlocks the WILD GEM. When all cascades have finished, all instances of one randomly chosen symbol will turn to the wild symbol.
- Brown Mark: Awards the SQUARES modifier. Once all cascades are completed, random 2×2 blocks of the same symbol will be added to random positions on the grid.
- Red Mark: Activates COLOSSAL SYMBOL. When all tumbles are completed, a random block of 3×3, 4×4 or 5×5 will be added to a random position on the reels.
- Green Mark: Unlocks the LUCKY WILDS. When all cascades have been completed, between 5 – 15 wilds are added to random positions within the grid.
Gems Bonanza Slot Bonus Features
The free spins Feature is triggered on Gems Bonanza by collecting points and filling the Aztec meter that surrounds the Aztec stone to the right of the reels. A point is awarded for each symbol that is a part of a winning cluster, and in total, you will need to achieve 114 points to enter the bonus round. This must all be done in one series of cascades, with any points accrued through the modifiers you are awarded in that initial spin also adding to the total.
Gold Fever Progressive Feature Free Spins
The Gold Fever feature begins on level 1 and has a starting multiplier of x2. You will then be awarded each of the five modifiers to try and gain more points to reach and unlock the next level. We have highlighted below how many points you will need to collect and the reward for getting to the next level.
- Level 2: Collect 116 winning symbols. Level 2 plays with a x4 multiplier.
- Level 3: Collect 120 winning symbols. Level 3 plays with a x6 multiplier.
- Level 4: Collect 125 winning symbols. Level 4 plays with a x8 multiplier.
- Level 5: Collect 132 winning symbols. Level 5 plays with a x10 multiplier.
Players should note that you will be awarded all five modifiers on each level. They will run in the order of Nuclear, Wild Gem, Squares, Colossal Symbol and Lucky Wilds.
Bonus Buy
If you are playing in a jurisdiction where the bonus buy option is available, you can immediately access the free spins round for a cost of 100x the bet. If you choose to buy the bonus, then the number of symbols required to upgrade the levels alters slightly, as explained below.
- Level 2: Collect 116 Winning Symbols. Level 2 plays with a x4 multiplier.
- Level 3: Collect 121 Winning Symbols. Level 3 plays with a x6 multiplier.
- Level 4: Collect 129 Winning Symbols. Level 4 plays with a x8 multiplier.
- Level 5: Collect 138 Winning Symbols. Level 5 plays with a x10 multiplier.
Pros
- There are lots of modifiers that can be triggered in the base game.
- Multiple levels to unlock in the free spins that can increase the size of your win multiplier.
Cons
- It can be a difficult slot game to trigger the free spins on.
Final Thoughts
The Gems Bonanza slot can seem quite a complex game when you first look at it, but once you've had a few spins, you will soon realise that it's easy to follow and understand. In some ways, it reminds me of the grid slot Reactoonz, but I think that is due to the number of base game modifiers that can eventually lead to a bonus trigger.As for the main feature, I bought several bonuses in testing and sometimes struggled to get past level 2. Ultimately, in this slot, you will need to progress to level 3 or more to see the full potential of this game. Overall, I found the game fun to play, and it's an excellent addition to the grid slot niche, so make sure you take our Gems Bonanza free play version for a good few spins to see what it has to offer.
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