Forge of Gems slot machine: features
The setting is a steampunk-style factory, where among high-temperature furnaces, boiling metals and puffs of steam, it will be possible to forge precious gems at will. The reels maintain a style faithful to the setting, making extensive use of square lines and cold colors. The proposed soundtrack doesn't include classic slot jingles, but aims more at recreating atmosphere, reproducing background noises that evoke the sounds of a forge, such as the clanking of iron and the simmering of cauldrons.
To win at Forge of Gems, you need to align three or more symbols of the same type on consecutive reels. Additionally, winning combinations disappear after collecting the win and make room for symbols above, according to a cascading system. There are many paylines, 36,288 in total, and this is because the game grid can undergo modifications during play. The extra reel, positioned above the grid, has precisely this function, which will be explained later.
The protagonists of the slot are indeed the precious stones that scroll on the reels as paying symbols. There's the sapphire that pays 1x, the topaz that pays 0.8x, the emerald that pays 0.6x, and finally the rose quartz that pays 0.5x. Following are minor figures with lower payouts, namely the poker royals from Ace to 10, with payouts of 0.4x and 0.3x.
The minimum possible bet is €0.10, while the maximum reaches €100. The range, as you can see, is wide enough to satisfy a very varied user base, and the maximum calculated win is an impressive 20,000x the base bet.
Bonus features of the Forge of Gems slot
Forge Reel: the upper reel mentioned earlier has a special role within this slot. It doesn't scroll vertically like the others, but from right to left, and hosts different symbols, each with a particular function. Here you'll find the Vertical and Horizontal Wild, which transform all symbols in the reels where they land into Wilds, as well as the Vertical and Horizontal Split, which divide all symbols in the reel where they land into two. Finally, there's also an empty symbol. These symbols activate their function only when they fall from the upper reel to the game screen, that is, when a win occurs in their correspondence and the cascading feature is activated.
Wild: the diamond, the ultimate precious stone, is the wild of this slot. It has the highest payout, 3x, and substitutes any other symbol to create a combination.
Multiplier: the slot features a win multiplier that increases by x1 with each cascade, and only resets when no more winning combinations occur in a single spin.
Scatter: the scatter is a pink gem set in a gold mounting. It can land on the reels 3, 4, or 5 times, and depending on the number of times it appears, it guarantees a special function called Gem Box.
Gem Box: the Gem Box activated by 3 scatters gives up to 10 free spins with a 20x multiplier, the one activated by 4 scatters offers up to 15 free spins with a 30x multiplier, and finally the one activated by 5 scatters guarantees up to 20 free spins with a 40x multiplier.
Pros and cons of the Forge of Gems slot
The uniqueness of Forge of Gems is that it reinvents the precious stones theme with an original setting. Often, gem-themed slots propose backgrounds of mines or gold rushes, while this one draws inspiration from steampunk tradition, with meticulous graphics and engaging animations. The special features guarantee dynamic and lively gameplay, differentiating Forge of Gems from other megaways slots, as the use of the upper reel as the sole grid modifier allows for maintaining a clean and functional layout. Highly recommended.
Slots similar to Play'nGO's Forge of Gems
There are many gem-themed online slots, however only a few manage to stand out for their game dynamics and original setting. Some of these are certainly Goblins and Gemstones by Kalamba Games, Prism of Gems by Play'nGO and Gems Bonanza by Pragmatic Play.