Like most Scandinavian slots developers, Play 'N Go places great emphasis on how their titles look - Wizard of Gems maintains their usual high standards. Set in an enchanted forest, the reels contain a selection of brightly coloured gemstone symbols (which look a little like the orange and strawberry creams in a box of Dairy Milk or Quality Street). There's no playing card filler cluttering up the reels here. Look out too for the book of spells which is the wild. It substitutes for all other symbols apart from the scatter.
You'll notice an animated wizard at the side of the reels - he can weave a little magic every time there's a winning combination on the reels. When that happens, a wave of his wand will make the successful symbols disappear to be replaced by the symbols above.
This creates a second payout chance without costing you a thing. For every successful cascade, a multiplier will increase. It starts at 1x before going up to 2x, 3x then 5x. Needless to say, if you get on a roll with the cascades, the multiplier can soon get the cashier tab spinning.
Wizard of Gems also comes with a Free Spins feature which is triggered when you land a trio of star symbols anywhere on the reels. Once active, you'll be awarded an initial 10 free spins with at least 1 and up to 9 extra wilds added to the reels to boost your winning chances. You can re-trigger more bonus games if the stars hit during the feature, with a maximum of 50 free spins available.
Play 'N Go hasn't re-invented the wheel in creating Wizard of Gems - free spins and cascading reels are common enough in the slots world. That's not to say that this slot isn't without its charms - it's very well designed and the gameplay offers plenty of action.
The variance is in the middle and this jewels and sorcery hybrid could prove to be a little gem. If you like cascading reels, Net Entertainment’s Gonzo’s Quest is worth looking at. If its wizards you’re after, WMS Gaming’s Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers is the best out there.