Hot Gems
Launched back in 2012 by games developer Playtech, the Hot Gems video slot is a classic looking gem matching game that can be a bit reminiscent of games like Bejewelled. However, here you are a miner who seems to have struck it rich by landing himself a huge find of gems as his pick axe breaks through the walls of the mine.
Hot Gems by Playtech is a 5-reel, 3-row and 25 pay line video slot that has collapsing reels which is a feature similar to mobile gem matching games. Once a match is made the gems or other symbols explode and new symbols fall into place. The game also has wild substitution symbols, scatter symbols and a free spin bonus round that includes multipliers up to x5. The Hot Gems video slot has a top prize at the maximum bet per line of £125,000.
How to play Hot Gems Video Slot
When you first launch the Hot Gems video slot you are treated to quite a lengthy intro which is an animation of the miner searching and finding his huge haul of gemstones. They burst through the wall of the mine and carry him all the way out like riding a tidal wave. A splash screen will then highlight the main features of the game before loading the main game reels.
The game as you will see uses big, bold and bright symbols all with a bit of a cartoonish look to them. The backdrop is the mine itself and the buttons look a bit like something you would find in the Flinstones show. All this adds to a fun looking game. The lower value symbols are made up of various coloured gems and then you have a mine cart, a pick axe, a lantern and the miner himself holding a gem. The wild symbol is literally a rock with the word ‘wild’ on it. The scatter symbol is the Hot Gems game logo and the free spins bonus feature is activated by the ‘Free Spins’ symbol.
Before playing the Hot Gems Slot you should set your cost per spin. You can do this using the ‘Line Bet” option toward the bottom of the game screen. There are four options which are 20p, £1, £5 or £25. Adjusting this allows you to set the cost per spin to either £5, £25, £125 or £625. We always recommend that you set the cost per spin to a value you are comfortable with.
To start playing the Hot Gems Online Slot you just need to select the large oblong shape button on the right-hand side of the bottom part of the game screen that says ‘Spin’. You will also see an ‘Auto Play’ button. Clicking the AutoPlay feature allows you to have the game spin the reels automatically. You can set the number of spins to 10, 25, 50 or 99 spins.
As you play the game you will see that the reels do not spin and instead they simply fall into place. A matching win on an active pay line will see you receive a cash award and then the matching symbols will explode. The empty space is then filled with new symbols that fall into place. If this creates a further win then the same procedure will take place. This continues until no further win is achieved.
The wild symbol helps to create a win more often with all wins being paid from left to right. This is apart from the scatter symbol which can pay on any line. Your main aim is to activate the free spins bonus round which is where the biggest cash wins can be achieved. You will need the ‘Free Spins’ symbol to land on reels 1, 3 and 5 to activate this feature. You will then get 15 free spins where on each win on a single spin you will receive a cash multiplier up to x5. As soon as a new spin is started the multiplier resets to x1. Once the bonus feature ends you are returned to the base game.
Hot Gems Video Slot Tips
On the bottom left of the game screen, you will see an ‘info’ button. Selecting this will allow you to view a series of 4 screens that give information about the game including the main features as discussed above. You can also view the coin payout levels for the number of matching symbols on a pay line along with a grid view of how the wins are generated. These screens help familiarise you with the game and what you need to do to get the best wins possible.
If you are new to playing the Hot Gems video slot, then you should initially try out the game in Freeplay or demo mode at one of our recommended online casinos. This means you can spin the reels as many times as you like for fun without having to spend your own cash. You will see how the gameplay works and then if you want to play for real you can switch to real cash play at any time. If you would like to play Hot Gems for free then you can at Paddy Power Casino.
Is Hot Gems the right video slot for you?
The Hot Gems video slot has a theoretical RTP (return to player) of 95.99% giving a house edge of 4.01%. This RTP is lower than many other online slots that we have reviewed and we certainly felt the difference during our test of the game. We tested the slot over 100 spins at a £5 cost per spin and found it to be a medium to high variance game.
Although we never went more than 3 spins without a win and at times these were decent sized prizes, at a minimum cost per spin of £5 (the lowest you can have), these cash awards soon disappeared. The game is probably more suitable for high rollers who are prepared to pay the minimum bet level and wait for the big cash arriving in the free spins bonus round when activated. However, you could also use a free casino bonus to give the Hot Gems a try at this high betting level without using your own hard earned cash.
