Gem Blast

Gem Blast Slot Machine Review

It’s time for some space-age gem hunting in Cayetano Gaming’s Gem Blast video slot. It’s here that blasting combinations of gems in this futuristic game awards real cash prizes and unlocks a whole host of features. This gem-themed slot game boasts an impressively large real cash prize potential, with a top jackpot of 777 times your bet. Candy Crush-style gameplay features cascading reels with a jackpot meter for consecutive wins. Exciting special features create big winning combinations to boost your winnings – and the more you play, the better your rank.

Fans of Cayetano Slots will recognize elements from games like the sweet Candy Factory. However, there are additional features and a fresh, new look to this slot that is sure to attract many online players. Bulgarian developer Cayetano Gaming is owned by Paddy Power and offers games that are exclusive to Paddy Power casinos. Bets range from as little as 0.10 to a massive 1,000.00 per spin. The variance is generally medium, but the higher prizes are challenging to trigger. It’s also useful to know that Gem Blast’s RTP of 94.35% is fairly typical for a Cayetano slot.

Everyone loves a gem-themed slot, and the inspiration for Gem Blast is certainly a nod to NetEnt’s hugely popular Starburst. Can the Cayetano version do enough to stand out in a market so dominated by that top-ranked game? We set out to test the theory and explore everything that the free Gem Blast slot has to offer online players. Let’s take a closer look at the structure of its gameplay and paytable.

Colossal Reels of 7×7

The huge 7×7 grid of the Gem Blast reels is set on a space-age background. The background features sparks of light and gems floating out of a vortex, giving the impression of infinite galaxies flying by. The gems on the reels are all brightly colored, but everything else is washed in a shade of green that changes as you progress through the game.

The gameplay features Candy Crush-style action that is becoming increasingly popular among slot developers. As you would expect from an all-ways structure, prizes are won by collecting groups of linked symbols. These win lines then explode and are replaced by cascades of new symbols from above.

In the free Gem Blast slot, a winning combination must consist of five or more vertically or horizontally connected symbols. There are ten different gems of increasing value, although the payout structure is quite low, as we often see in Cayetano slots.

If you get the more typical blocks of five to fourteen low paying symbols, you can expect prizes ranging from 0.5x to 15x your bet. You need to get twelve or more of the high paying symbols to start seeing prizes that go over 50 times your bet. 15 sparkling diamond solitaires will reward you with a healthy 500x your bet, but these are rare gems to come across. Fortunately, the Gem Blast video slot is packed with features that promise some real cash-boosting action and game-enhancing rewards.

Cash-Boosting Action From Bonus Features

There are no bonus side games or free spins here, but three special features add variety and fun to the gameplay. They can each occur randomly after any spin and will really help to boost the real cash prizes.

The Bomb or Beam features can be triggered as symbols on the reels. Alternatively, and more entertainingly, the Bonus Generator is like an electronic laser on the side of the reels. It will randomly activate and laser the reels to award up to three Bomb or Beam symbols. The Bomb explodes to create a 3×3 winning combination wherever it lands on the reels. The Beam projects lasers vertically and horizontally to create two lines of up to seven symbols each. The prizes for both feature wins are also doubled.

A golden box on the jackpot meter displays a mysterious multiplier that can be triggered at random to boost any win. Multipliers range from 7 times your win to an impressive 77 times your win. Players will also have noticed the jackpot meter to the left of the reels, which fills up with consecutive wins. It’s easy to assume that this meter is triggering multipliers for consecutive winning combinations, as we see in so many other online slots. However, this isn’t the case.

We feel this is a confusing design issue. Players are used to seeing a multiplier meter next to the reels, in addition to the mystery multiplier button that sits on top of that meter. However, the two are completely independent. The meter refers to the jackpot, and you’ll need to hit 77 gems in a row to win the top prize of 777 times your bet. It’s an exciting number that will really entice players, but it’s very difficult to achieve. The meter is a constant visual reminder of this challenge, which can make you feel defeated.

What might improve your mood is the status upgrade you get for playing the slot machine for a long time. At a certain point, the background turns blue and announces that you are now an Advanced Blaster. Later on, you become an Experienced Blaster, with a purple background. However, this seems more like a game scenario enhancement than a feature. The fact that your newly acquired status doesn’t unlock additional features seems like a missed opportunity on the part of the developer.

Ultimately, as is often the case with Cayetano Slots, we find that Gem Blast has a very challenging gameplay while missing a few opportunities. There are too many symbols, which makes it difficult to make winning combos. Most of the prizes are very low and unlikely to help improve your bank balance. Dedicated fans will know and appreciate the challenges of a Cayetano slot, but we think it’s the missed tricks that will really disappoint.

Play at Paddy Power Casino

Players won’t have to worry about which online casino is the best place to play this space-themed slot. The free Gem Blast slot is available exclusively at Paddy Power’s online casino, where you have access to a free play version and a mobile optimized version. The site wisely recommends that whatever device you use, make sure your software is up to date.

More Cascading Reels and Multiplier Slots

A game like Play’n GO’s treat-filled Sweet Alchemy is a prime example of how to get the consecutive wins bonus feature just right. It’s another Candy Crush-style slot, but one that delivers on all the feature’s promises. Watch the witch at work as she creates potions that will boost your real cash wins and add to the action of the game. It’s a great game, but prepare to get a toothache, because it’s also a real saccharine overload.

NetEnt’s shiny new release, Asgardian Stones, is another game with cascading reels and a consecutive win multiplier meter. This one has 20 fixed paylines rather than block combinations, but it’s a great example of a multiplier meter that can be rewarding in combination with other features.

Know Your Gem Blast Gameplay

There’s a lot of promise in the Gem Blast video slot, but we also noticed some big missed opportunities. That said, it looks and sounds great. It also has an immersive feel, with status upgrades that feel more like a video game than online gambling. Its top jackpot prizes and potential multipliers really tantalize players with impressive numbers.

This is Cayetano territory, though, and fans will know they have to work hard to be well rewarded. We think the design of the jackpot meter can be confusing, and we wish it could show its generous side more often. Even taking volatility into account, it’s a deterrent to have a visual reminder of how hard it is to get 77 consecutive winning gems.

You, however, have an advantage. You’ve read our expert review, and now you know what to expect when you first spin the reels. Certainly, if you’re a fan of gem-themed slots, this is a great new release to sink your teeth into. If you like higher volatility games and have the patience to play long term, these gems could prove to be a real blast.