Gem Crush Slot
NetEnt brings the Gem Crush slot to a hidden forest setting, with this December 2023 release filled with mysterious ancient rock stacks and a variety of dynamic bonuses. Unlike many of the online slots in the UK today, this title ditches the standard paylines in favour of a cluster pays engine and a larger playgrid setup; however, these elements are only a few of its nuances. Mega symbols, multipliers, and cascading reels are some extra features that may trigger in the Gem Crush slot, helping to make its blueprint even more distinctive.
Gem Crush Game Background
One of the most noticeable changes to the Gem Crush slot is the giant playgrid that sits in the centre of the screen, with this 6-reel layout producing 8 rows of random symbols during gameplay. As we have already mentioned, paylines have not been included in this title, but a cluster pays engine replaces them, which could form combinations if 5+ matching icons land adjacent to one another. Fixed to the top of the golden frame is the vine-backed Gem Crush slot logo, and underneath this giant playtable are all of the main gameplay buttons, some of which also have metallic trims.
Various different-sized boulders stacked on top of one another create a rugged frame for the playtable, with many of these blocks having ancient runes inscribed into them that have been reclaimed by moss and vines. A waterfall can be seen streaming down behind this layout, while the rest of the backdrop in the Gem Crush slot displays a hidden forest setting.
The night sky, trees, and a layer of fog create an atmospheric aesthetic for this release, seeing the visual concept differ quite a lot from similarly named titles such as Gems Inferno Megaways and Aztec Gems Deluxe.
Gem Crush Slot Symbols
When factoring in the title of the Gem Crush slot, it should not be surprising that the entire paytable is made up of different gemstones, each of which is a different shiny colour. The lower-valued four are some smaller jewels, while the higher-valued four are still encrusted with rock, helping them differ visually from the rest of the icons already mentioned.
Lower Value Symbols:
Small Blue Gemstone
Small Green Gemstone
Small Purple Gemstone
Small Yellow Gemstone
Medium Value Symbols:
Large Blue Rock Gemstone
Large Green Rock Gemstone
Higher Value Symbols:
Large Purple Rock Gemstone
Large Yellow Rock Gemstone
When it comes to bonus symbols, there are just two out-and-out ones in the Gem Crush slot. These are the shimmering crystal scatter and the wild, which is represented by a large ‘W’ in golden writing. However, certain symbols may appear with multi-coloured glows behind them at random, but more on this detail shortly.
Gem Crush Bonus Features
Before breaking down how any of the bonus symbols work in the Gem Crush slot, it is worth mentioning the cascading reels system included in this release that is similar to the ones seen in Megaways slots. If any cluster of 5+ matching symbols randomly lands, the gemstones involved explode and disappear from the 6x8 playtable, followed by a new set of symbols that fall from overhead to fill out the setup once again.
Arguably the most straightforward bonus symbol in the Gem Crush slot is the golden ‘W’ wild, which behaves the same as the ones seen in most titles today, including jackpot slots. If these land on the playtable, they can substitute in place of all other base gemstone symbols, assuming their value and potentially contributing to a cluster if they appear in a position to do so.
On any spin, a random symbol may appear with multicoloured glows behind it. Following this, all instances of that same symbol on the playtable are upgraded to a higher-valued gemstone.
If 3 or more of the shimmering crystal scatters appear simultaneously, this can trigger the Gem Crush free spins round. This introduces several new modifiers that may trigger at random, with these being as follows:
A persistent multiplier that increases by +1 every other spin.
A persistent multiplier that could increase by +1 with every cascade.
Wilds that can appear 2x2 in size.
Symbol upgrades that remain throughout the duration of the feature.
Gem Crush Mobile Play
When taking into consideration its late 2023 release date, it should not come as a shock that the Gem Crush slot is optimised for multiple device types, just like the other UK casino games NetEnt have produced. As this forest-themed release is supported by HTML5 software, this allows both the gem-infused visuals and the dynamic gameplay blueprint to retain the same level of quality across smartphones, computers, and tablets.
Play Gem Crush at BOYLE Casino
Overall, the Gem Crush slot manages to impress across the board, fusing shiny jewelled visuals and a mystical setting with some changing reel mechanics, multiplier features, and a symbol swap element, all of which are unique in their own right.
If you like the creative design approach taken in this Gem Crush slot, NetEnt are also behind popular titles such as Dead or Alive and Rome the Golden Age.
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