The Lost Gems Slot
Slots based around ancient Egypt are very common, so it’s only natural that online casino games developer GamingSoft should have at least one game filled with pyramids, scarab beetles and ankhs in their range. So, we are happy to bring you a review of The Lost Gems, which has all these and more presented over 3 reels and instead of paylines, there are 27 different ways to win, plus bonus features that you wouldn’t normally find on a 3-reeler, such as wild wins, free spins and a progressive jackpot round.
Everything about The Lost Gems video slot is in a cartoon style, from the pictures of pyramids that sit behind the reels, to the buxom Queen Cleopatra whose smiling image greets players as the game loads up, and who will trigger the jackpot feature when she stops in the right places.
It’s all playable from 100 coins, or even via free The Lost Gems video slot games, although with a high return to player percentage and an independent certification of fair play from iTech Labs, you can play safe in the knowledge that on average, most of each bet will be returned to you, and of course, there’s a good chance of claiming some big wins along the way.
Playing for Lost Gems
There are only 5 standard symbols that are going to turn up in this game, ranging in value from the green ankh that’s worth 60 coins when it appears on all 3 reels across any of the 27 ways to win, through the golden scarab beetle jewels, the equally golden pyramid, the single BAR and finally, the top wins in the base game come from the double BAR icon, that’s worth 200 coins.
But there are lots of bonus symbols that mix things up a little. The dog-headed god Anubis is depicted as a fearsome creature surrounded by blue flames, but players have little to worry about as he turns up in a super-sized symbol which is double height and therefore makes it easier for it to fill all 3 spots across the reels. There’s some super-sized wins of 800 coins to collect when this happens.
An image of the Sphinx next to a couple of pyramids acts as a wild symbol, so anyone who has 2 of a symbol type across the reels and needs a third to complete the combination will find that this icon is able to substitute for others and they will still get paid out for a win. There’s no value to lines of wilds on their own however, and the bonus and jackpot symbols can’t be replaced by it.
Free Spins Bonus Feature
A winged number 7 symbol might not make much sense, but it looks nice and triggers a free spins round whenever it turns up anywhere on all 3 reels at once. It makes a bit more sense when you realise that 7 bonus spins are awarded, during which the scene changes to night time, just for a bit of an added effect.
Although there’s the standard mix of symbols and therefore no greater win ratio, this is a low-volatility slot machine that tends to pay out frequently, so a few wins should be had before the spins are done.
Hi-Lo Multiplier Game
The sands of the desert wash over the reels, revealing a stone tablet with a series of numbers on it. The aim of this fun bonus round is to look at the highlighted number to the left of this tablet and decide if the next number to be spun up will be higher or lower. A correct pick moves you further up the multiplier table, but once a wrong guess is made, the round ends and any accumulated multipliers are paid out. With a maximum of 150x the triggering stake to win, it’s an excellent feature that’s fairly easy to progress through if the numbers are closer to 1 or 9, but gets tricky when 4, 5, or 6 are highlighted.
Grab a Jackpot with Cleopatra
The Queen of the Nile herself is the key to a progressive jackpot feature when she lands on all 3 reels at once, and anyone who triggers this round will claim a percentage of either the Mini, Minor, Major, or Grand prizes. The beautiful Cleopatra stands beside a wheel of fortune, upon which there are 12 segments, 3 for each jackpot level. She spins the wheel and once the same jackpot has stopped against a pointer 3 times, that prize is awarded.
Gamblers who are at the maximum bet will claim 100% of any jackpot and the amount goes steadily down until those on the minimum stakes get just 10% of a prize, which is a feature common across the GamingSoft online slots range.
The Verdict
While Egyptian-themed casino slot machines are common, The Lost Gems video slot has enough unique features to make it stand out, although maybe it’s not quite at the top of the pyramid.
Free spins and wild substitutions are popular bonuses, but we really like the Hi-Lo type round, which takes a little bit of skill and judgement to progress through, although even a wrong pick at the first attempt will still lead to a consolation prize.
