Gem Crush Slot Game Details
Software Provider : NetEnt
RTP : 96.1
Volatility : Medium
Type of Casino Game : Slots
Reels : 6
Paylines : Cluster Pays
Minimum Bet : 0.20
maximum bet : 20
maximum payout : : 4,361x
wild : YES
scatter : YES
Bonus Game : YES
Free Spins : YES
Multiplier : YES
INTRODUCTION
NetEnt’s Gem Crush slot is envisioned as a relaxing experience with moderate volatility and a lot of little details to keep your attention. Housed in a large 6×8 grid, it offers non-traditional gameplay in which the goal is to group matching symbols into clusters. We’ll get to that later.
For now, let’s talk about the game’s visuals. The colossal pillars crafted from rocks enclose the reels of Gem Crush. On either side, water descends in cascades, while distant rocks and trees complete the picturesque scene. The tranquil music is accompanied by the delightful chirping of birds and other natural sounds, as green leaves gracefully descend towards the earth. You get the picture – though lacking a concrete theme, Gem Crush nevertheless impresses with a chill atmosphere.
There’s more to it than meets the eye, though, as the laid-back atmosphere hides a feature-heavy offer. Our Gem Crush slot review can tell you what it’s all about.
HOW TO PLAY GEM CRUSH SLOT
Cluster Pay is a unique feature in this game, as it deviates from the conventional payline system. Instead of relying on specific lines, you can win by landing 5 or more symbols of the same kind in a group. Gem Crush utilizes a spacious 6×8 grid, enabling you to hit numerous symbols simultaneously. A ‘cluster’ of symbols means that the matching symbols all have to be connected to each other for you to win. Only symbols connected vertically or horizontally count – diagonals don’t count in this case.
Beyond that, anyone familiar with online slots will feel right at home. Just use the buttons to set your stake, bearing in mind that wagers are limited to between $0.10 and $20. You can then just hit spin, sit back, and enjoy the show.
However, another crucial feature of NetEnt Gem Crush is symbol cascades. Basically, each winning symbol is eliminated from the game, making way for fresh symbols to fall from the top of the board and take their place. These newly arrived symbols have the potential to create further winning combinations. This (hopefully) results in strings of multiple winning combinations after a single spin. For a more comprehensive understanding of this feature, we recommend referring to our comprehensive guide on cascade features in slots.
Special Features
Multipliers sometimes randomly activate and can be seen next to the reels. When this happens, all payouts during the spin are multiplied by the displayed amount, ranging from 2x to 5x.
Additionally, Wilds appear in the game and work as they usually do. They can substitute any other regular symbol in the game. Basically, if a Wild is connected to 4+ matching symbols, you get a payout. You can read more about wilds in slots here.
Another special type of symbol in the Gem Crush slot game is the Rainbow symbol, This symbol randomly selects one type of regular symbol currently present on the board. All instances of that symbol are transformed into another random type of higher-paying symbol. No more than 4 rainbow symbols can hit during one round.
Gem Crush Free Spins
AS expected, Scatter symbols are also present. They can win anywhere on the grid without being connected to a cluster. Additionally, if you hit 3 of them in one spin, you win 10 free spins.
Gem Crush slot free spins have additional features that are active during the free spin round.
- For starters, the reel multipliers don’t reset after every spin. Instead, they stick around and affect every win while you still have free spins.
- Wilds in free spins appear bigger, as 2×2 symbols, and at least one is guaranteed to hit in every spin.
- Rainbow symbol transformations last until the end of the bonus round. However, they’re still limited to 4 transformations for the whole round.
- Some spins may randomly hit as an “x-strike”. This further increases the reel multiplier by +1.
You can also use the Feature Buy button to activate free spins at any time for 70x the stake.
Casino Bloke Best tips for Gem Crush Slot
- 1The reel multiplier increases by 1x on every second spin during Free Spins
- 2Gem Crush is eligible for NetEnt’s progressive jackpot promotions, meaning you have a small chance at winning a huge progressive pot
PAYOUTS & RTP
Unsurprisingly, payouts in Gem Crush by NetEnt are determined by two main factors – the size of your stake, and the value and number of symbols in a winning cluster. The former is quite obvious – all payouts essentially multiply your stake.
As for the symbols, there are 8 of them. The low pay symbols are blue, green, purple, and yellow gems, while the high pays are basically the same but appear as bigger, framed versions. More importantly, the more gems of the same kind you hit in a single cluster, the more you stand to win. However, the payout scale group wins depending on how many there are. For example, hitting 12 and 14 symbols of the same kind pays the same. However, hitting 15 upgrades the payout to the next tier, resulting in bigger winnings.
The most you can win with a regular cluster is for 30 symbols in a group. It’s highly unlikely to hit, of course, but can be done with the help of Rainbow Gems.
All in all, the Gem Crush slot game has 96.1% RTP, which is quite solid. As far as we can tell, hitting the Feature Buy does not affect the average RTP.
what we like
- Cluster Pays
- Interesting base game features like the Rainbow Gems
- Cascading symbols
- Feature Buy
what we don’t like
- Low base payouts for smaller clusters
GEM CRUSH BY NETENT – CASINO BLOKE’S VERDICT
In our experience with Gem Crush, the game is a mixed bag in many ways. The cluster pays are fun, sure, but the slot itself repeatedly failed to produce exciting results. It seems that the inherently volatile nature of symbol cascades and cluster pays does not mesh well with a slot game that is purposefully not that volatile. Perhaps it has something to do with the 4,361x max win. Sure, it’s a relatively high figure, but it trails far behind most games like these.
‘Games like these’ is a relative term, of course. The fact is that a lot of online slots with cluster pays, scatter pays, and similar interesting ideas have been coming out for years. It’s no longer enough for a game to merely have one of these to be interesting – you need to stand out in other ways. NetEnt seems to stand out in rather bland, unexciting ways, though.
If you’re a huge fan of Cluster PAy slots but want a relaxing, not-too-volatile experience, this hits the mark. However, there are better alternatives out there for cluster pays, even among NetEnt’s portfolio.
Gem Crush Slot total score:
83%
Game developed by:
Release year:2023
Available on:Desktop, Mobile