Reel Gems

Reel Gems is a decent new slot that hit MicroGaming casinos this month (November 2010). This 5-reel slot features 243 ways to win, wild symbols on reels 2 and 4, free spins, and a brand new Respin Feature. This feature is new to MicroGaming slots and can be found on this game and Retro Reels, another new slot released this month.

Free spins are triggered when three or more scatters land on the reels during a single spin. You are awarded 15 free spins with all wins being tripled. The respin option is unavailable during free spins, even after the last spin. Free spins can be retriggered.

I have mixed feelings about the respin feature. I have found it to be both very handy, and very dangerous. It’s really only worth it when you can hit the symbol you are looking for in the first respin, but if you are going for 5 of a high paying symbol it can be very costly for that one respin. For instance, if you are betting $2.50 a spin and have the opportunity to respin one reel to line up 5 of the highest paying symbol, it will cost upwards of $75 for one respin. If you hit it on the first spin you win $400, but if not you’ve spent a huge amount for nothing and the odds are no better on the second respin should you choose to go for it.

One way it can be very good, is when you can line up more than one symbol 5 times, or get 5 of a kind of the same symbol more than once. The Q symbol is close to the wild symbol on the reels, so if you can get a wild and a Q on both reels 2 and 4, it can be worth it to respin the other reels to spin in Q symbols. After you line them all up for a decent win you can still respin a single reel, and with the Q being a lower paying symbol it shows up more often. Just be careful you don’t get too greedy and end up losing big, spinning all 5 reels costs a lot less and can still result in a 5 of a kind with a much better return.

Try this new slot now at any of these trusted MicroGaming online casinos.