Gem Trio

Gem Trio: Slot Overview

The past is a powerful thing, and despite not being able to change what's been done, the past can be relived to a certain extent through things like pictures, memories, or creative endeavours. And whilst progress might be an arrow leading to an uncertain future, there are people who prefer or at least still enjoy the golden age of movies, pixelated video games, and a less sophisticated era of online gambling. Players in this camp might be excited by software provider Pragmatic Play's release, Gem Trio, a slot that looks to the past for inspiration and lets users pretend they've wound back time a few years or so.

Gems, classic symbols, and the cosmos give Gem Trio its personality, such as it is. It's like a slot that robbed an old, neglected clothing bin and looks more than a decade behind the current fashion trends. Not that there is anything whatsoever wrong about thrift shopping or not trying to be trendy in real life. Just trying to find a polite way to describe Gem Trio's blast from the past appearance with its payline numbered set of reels and Break da Bank era looks. No doubt, given Pragmatic Play's expertise, the studio has made Gem Trio look old school on purpose, which, while fine and dandy for retro-minded gamblers, also looks a tad archaic.

Gem Trio is played on a 3x3, 9-payline gaming grid where only 3 OAK winning combinations are possible. Features are largely reserved for the free spins bonus round, but a handful of wild symbols give the base game a certain amount of flair. Gamblers may stake a minimum of 10 c to a maximum of $/€250 per spin in this highly volatile slot, and when doing so, a theoretical RTP of 96.5% is produced at the highest return level - two lower RTPs have also been created.

Only variations of Bars and 7s have been used as the pay symbols. They are split amongst single Bars, double Bars, single 7s, double 7s, and triple 7s. Payouts range from 0.3x when landing combinations of any Bars up to 7x when hitting a line of three matching triple 7s.

Gem Trio: Slot Features

On the features side, Gem Trio serves up a trio of wild symbols, a trio of Gem symbols and associated free spins modifiers, and lastly, a trio of feature buys.

Wild Symbols

Three types of wild symbols may land in the base game or free spins - green wilds, red wilds and 3x wilds. All wilds substitute for any symbols except Gems. A winning line of green, red, or 3x wilds pays 50x, 125x, or 250x, respectively, while a combination of any three wilds pays 15x the bet. When the 3x wild is part of any non-wild winning combination, the win is multiplied by x3.

Gem Symbols

Three types of Gem symbols appear on the reels. When the Emerald, Diamond, and Ruby Gems hit, they are collected above the grid. When this happens, they can randomly trigger the free spins feature with the emerald, diamond, or ruby modifier activated randomly. The collection occurs at the end of the spin, and if free spins are triggered, one, two, or three of the applicable modifiers are randomly triggered.

Free Spins

When triggered, 10 free spins are awarded with at least one Gem modifier activated related to the Gem collection. Possible modifiers are:

• Emerald modifier - every Emerald Gem that hits awards +1 or +2 additional free spins.
• Diamond modifier - makes it possible to win the 20x Mini, 50x Minor, 300x Major, or the 10,000x Grand bonus prizes. Each landed Diamond Gem displays a bonus prize, which is collected. When 4 of any bonus prize has been collected, that reward is granted.
• Ruby modifier - the free spins feature is played on two 3x3 grids, with 10 free spins for each. Any additional free spins awarded by the Emerald modifier apply to the grid it landed on.

Feature Buy

Sticking to the rule of three, Gem Trio has a trio of bonus buys. They are 50x to trigger free spins with one modifier active, 100x for free spins with two modifiers active, or 200x for free spins with all three modifiers active.

Gem Trio: Slot Verdict

Given software provider Pragmatic Play's ambition and reach, it's no surprise the studio releases a wide variety of online slots in an attempt to match with as many gambler palettes as possible. As such, it appears that the studio had reached 'retro 3x3 slot' on its to-do list, and consequently, Gem Trio was born. It's a game with a focus on gamblers wedded to the past, who would rather see stuff they've seen before, rather than be transported somewhere new, weird, and exhilaratingly uncomfortable. There was little to nothing about Gem Trio that was new, weird, or uncomfortable. The triple reel set lands only 7s or Bars pay symbols, and the base game delivers no features outside of some wild action. Best be hoping those Gems are hitting to open the game's best bits.

Even then, Gem Trio's best bits were underwhelming for the most part. It's got big potential, massive for a 3-reel slot, really, but interestingly, its jackpots are not accessible at all times but are stashed in a vault that can only be breached when free spins trigger with the Diamond modifier. Find yourself outside of this scenario, then winning potential is more limited, and nothing guarantees a Diamond modifier free spin trigger except the 200x buy. It doesn't help that the other two modifiers are a little so-so - a double grid, okay, it might come in handy; extra free spins might, too, but still.

To sum up, Gem Trio's is like a retro-designed wannabe Power Combo slot with unexciting features and a big win cap. But aside from impressive winning potential in a 3x3 slot, Gem Trio might be hard to like by anyone not super excited by bland, archaic genericism, where jackpots spend much of the time locked behind a firewall.