Book of Gems Megaways Slot Review

From March 31, 2021, Book of Gems Megaways will be playable in several online casinos. This Megaways variant was developed by Skywind and it is for their debut in the field of games with this game mechanism. By now we are used to Skywind that they only pick up these things a little later, but that allows them to learn from other game providers before they start. In this review you will find out that Book of Gems Megaways is certainly not a standard variant in all respects. Just because of the reduced playing field of 5 reels, for example. You can read this and much more in this review!

RTP en Variance

The RTP, or return to player, for this game will be 95%. This means that the casino returns this percentage of all bets back to the players. The volatility or variance is high. A high volatility means that you win less frequently, but large amounts.

The Design

The game looks good and neat, with a sandy area in the background and a number of pyramids showing in a red glow. In the middle of your screen you will find the playing field, consisting of 5 reels for a change. Directly above you see the number of Megaways participating that turn. On the left you will find the menu and the so-called ‘Buy in' feature, while on the other side you will find the ‘spin' button and autoplay button. At the bottom of the screen you will find a strip with the value on your balance, the amount you win, and the bet choice.

How does Book of Gems Megaways work?

As you have figured out by now, there are only 5 reels and 2 to 5 symbols can appear on them. This means that a maximum of 3125 Megaways can participate in a turn. Megaways are simply ways to win. You win by forming combinations on these win lines with the same symbols, of which you need at least 3. Combinations of bets always start on reel 1 and only right adjacent reels can participate. This means that at least the same symbol must fall on the first 3 reels to win the prizes. When you make a combination with 4 or even 5 symbols, the payout will also be higher. Game features and the bonus round can help you win the big prizes. Before you start playing, choose a bet between 0.40 and 100 euros.

The Symbols & Payouts

As usual, we divide the symbols into different categories, namely the basic, premium, wild, and scatter symbols (last two are the same). Below is an overview with extra info per category:

You will immediately recognize the basic symbols by the card symbols, and in this game 5 different ones participate. The 10, J, and Q pay out for a combination with 5 of the same 30 coins (this is not in euros) and the K and A 40 coins.
This is followed by the premium symbols, which pay out relatively more money for combinations. From lowest to highest, there are a Ring, a Scarab, a Pyramid, and a person with the Indiana Jones hat. A combination of 5 yields between 70 and 200 coins.
The wild symbol can appear on reels 2, 3, and 4 and looks like a book. This symbol can replace all the above symbols, making it easier to form combinations with the wild! Incidentally, the wild symbol is also the bonus symbol. When you spin a wild on reels 2, 3 and 4 in 1 turn, you unlock the bonus round.

Book of Gems Megaways Bonus Round

You can unlock the bonus round by spinning a wild symbol on the middle three reels. For this you receive 10 free spins and you immediately clear the bonus round. Before you start playing, the book first determines a special symbol that can appear during the bonus round as an ‘expanded symbol'. The moment you form a combination with this special symbol, the entire reels will be filled with it. In addition, it does not matter whether these are from roll 1 or on adjacent rolls. This allows you to grab gigantic combinations and prizes.

Buy in Feature

You may know this feature as a ‘Buy' feature or ‘Buy a Bonus' feature, with which you can immediately buy the bonus round. You skip the basic game, but for this you pay 70x your bet. Then you play the bonus round as if you had just paid your normal bet (in terms of payouts, etc.). So you only have a profit when you exceed that 70x your normal bet, and it is therefore no guarantee of success. However, 70x your bet is quite advantageous for this feature, compared to other games.

Max win & Rating

The maximum win from Book of Gems Megaways is set at 12,500x your stake. With a max bet of 100 euros, this means a maximum profit of 1,250,000 euros, which is a huge amount of course. The score we assign to this game is 3/5 stars.

Conclusion

Book of Gems Megaways has some pros and cons, so we ended up with 3/5 stars. Advantages are the unique playing field (most standard design has 6 reels with 2-7 symbols), the cheap ‘Buy in' feature, originality regarding the wild symbol that also functions as a bonus symbol, and the high maximum win. In addition, the game looks and works fine. The disadvantages, however, are mainly formed by the fact that there are few features in the game, even none at all in the basic game. The focus is therefore really on reaching the bonus round.