Discovering Details of Lion Gems
This pokie is part of Playson’s Hold and Win game series, distinguishing itself with a design inspired by the African Savannah. This slot stands out in the series with its 5×4 grid and 30 fixed paylines, offering a larger area for symbols on each spin, which in turn boosts the likelihood of forming winning combinations.
About the Pokie
The game showcases symbols of majestic lions, zebras, and elephants, closely reflecting the diverse wildlife found in real-life savannah regions.
The pokie’s backdrop is that of a sunset over the savannah. The game’s reels have a border that looks like wood and a blue background, which goes well with the African theme. They appear in front of a beautiful view of the savannah, showing trees that are common in Africa and zebras eating the grass.
Far away, there are big mountains, and the glow from the setting sun makes the whole scene look even more beautiful and real.
Rules at a glance
| Provider | Playson | Paylines | 30 |
| Released | 2022 | RTP | 95.55% |
| Reels | 5 | Max Win | x3,000 |
| Rows | 4 | Volatility | Med-High |
Gameplay
In Lion Gems, players will find 9 symbols to match for rewards. These are categorized into 4 lower-value and 5 higher-value symbols. The lower-value symbols are the card ranks from A to J, with a full match of five rewarding up to 1.6 times the bet. The higher-value symbols are represented by animals such as flamingos, boars, zebras, leopards, and rhinos, the latter offering 8 times the bet for five in a row.
The increased number of paylines means more potential winning combinations are available.
Special symbols in the game include Lion Wilds, Tree Scatters, and Diamond Bonuses. Lion Wilds can substitute for other symbols to aid in winning, with five paying out 8x the bet. The game accommodates a wide range of betting preferences, with spins starting at $0.20 and going up to $100.
Like most online pokies in this series, this has a low RTP of 95.55%. With a return rate like this, the house has a better edge against the players. Additionally, it has a volatility of medium to high and a hit frequency of 16%.
Bonuses for Australian Players
Features
There are different features that can enhance gameplay and potential for significant rewards, including:
Wild Symbol
Following the theme of this game, the Lion serves as the wild symbol. It can substitute for all other characters (except the scatter and bonus symbols) to aid in forming winning combinations.
Bonus Game (Hold and Win Feature)
Activating this feature requires landing 6 or more Diamond bonus symbols. It starts with 3 respins, and each new symbol appearance resets the respin tally to 3. During this feature, all symbols are Sticky, remaining in place, with Diamond Bonus symbols offering values from 1x to 16x the bet.
Scatter Symbol
These symbols are represented by African sunset images. Landing three or more scatter symbols triggers the free spins feature, enhancing opportunities to win without additional bets.
Verdict
According to Stakers’s analysis, Lion Gems: Hold and Win closely resembles its counterparts in the series without introducing groundbreaking changes in theme or concept. This pokie can be easily played via mobile casinos. Nonetheless, the addition of more paylines is a positive aspect.
Pros
- Great graphics and design
- Expanded grid size and a higher number of paylines
- Variety of features
Cons
- The game’s volatility might result in less frequent wins
- Similar theme to other games in the series
