Dwarven Gems Megaways

Provider Iron Dog are making a return with another one of their Megaways releases – this time taking a trip down to the mines to visit some dwarven characters sure to inject some excitement into this playing experience, with Dwarven Gems Megaways. Featuring a host of modifiers and bonus features, including Tumbles, Power Gems and Dwarven Bombs, this new release from Iron Dog Studios gives us plenty to talk about, and plenty to experience. With an RTP of 96.70% (at its highest – other versions are available), this highly volatile release boasts wins up to 20,000x bet in size.

dwarven Gems Megaways Base Game

Visually, things are quite dark, with low lighting, and clear symbols for an easy distinction between regular and premium symbols. Graphics are crisp and smart, with a dwarven character standing just to the left of the reels, available to assist in wins, should he be required. Audios are what we would expect from looking at this release – with an upbeat, deep backing track, alongside the sounds of rocks being hit and work chants ringing through.

Dwarven Gems Megaways Base Features

Taking place across 6 reels, between 2 and 8 symbols can land on each (including the additional top reel), for a combined total of up to 200,704 ways to win. Wins are formed by matching at least 3 symbols across adjacent, consecutive reels, beginning at the leftmost. Making up these wins are a host of symbols, including 10, J, Q, K and As paying between 0.4 and 0.6x bet for 6 of a kind, followed by lanterns and hammers, both of which pay up to 1.2x bet for 6 of a kind. Four dwarven miner characters complete the pay table, awarding between 2.5 and 5x bet, again for 6 of a kind, with the topmost symbol also paying 2 ways. Finally, Wilds can land on the main reels only and not the top, horizontal reels, and substitute all symbols except Scatters and special symbols, which we’ll get to in a moment.

dwarven Gems Megaways Tumbles

Helping to keep the action moving is a host of features beginning with Tumbles, wherein every symbol involved in a winning combination is exploded from the reels, allowing for new symbols to drop down into their place and form new wins. Tumbles continue until no new wins can be formed.

Next up is the Dwarven Bomb feature, which begins when a red dynamite symbol lands on the top, horizontal reel, with the dynamite symbol then acting as a Sticky Wild, substituting for all regular symbols. When not involved in a win, or after all wins are completed, the dynamite symbol will explode itself and one random symbol from each vertical reel, plus 2 extra random symbols, thus causing a tumble. The Dwarven Bomb Feature can only activate on the initial spin/tumble.

dwarven Bomb Feature

Dwarven Gems Megaways Bonus

Landing 4 Scatter symbols triggers free spins, wherein players will have the amount of spins they are awarded determined by a random chamber, with anywhere between 6-11 free spins awarded. During free spins, the multiplier begins at x1, and increments by +1 for every tumble.

Within free spins, the Dwarven Bomb feature continues to work the same was as the base game but also active is the Power Gem feature, which is only available on the top horizontal reel. Each time a Power Gem symbol appears, it will add 2-4 wilds to reels 2-4, and will also act as a wild itself. If 2 Power Gems appear in one spin, wilds can appear on reel 5 also. Power Gems will award +2 free spins for each one that appears.

Finally is the Last Lucky Spin feature. If you win on the final free spin, you will be awarded +1 free spins, and if the additional free spin involves a win, one more will be awarded. This continues until a final spin where no win is formed. Non-winning Dwarven Bombs will not award a Lucky Last Spin.

the Power Gem is Available During Free Spins

Players in appropriate regions will have access to the Feature Buy option, with various options to choose from:

• 45x bet: 7 free spins (normal)
• 150x bet: 9 free spins (normal)
• 300x bet: 11 free spins (normal)
• 400x bet: 15 free spins (high)
• 500x bet: 20 free spins (super)
• 200x bet: A random chamber is chosen, with between 6-11 spins on offer.

Buying 15 or 20 free spins also comes with Bonus Upgrader, which increases the frequency of Dwarven Bomb features and Power Gems.

First Impression

Dwarven Gems Megaways keeps things exciting with plenty of features to keep an otherwise tedious base game ticking over nicely. We all know that Megaways games can be some of the longest to bonus, and can feel a bit monotonous in between, but we also know these releases can produce some hefty wins within this same base game, so when we factor the Dwarven Bomb feature in, Dwarven Gems Megaways can still bring the excitement outside of the feature, with wins up to 20,000x bet on offer.

Considering free spins, the Power Gem and Dwarven Bomb go a long way towards elevating that regular excitement we get from the incrementing win multiplier, particularly when also adding extra free spins. When 2 Power Gems land, the potential for up to 8 wild symbols across reels 2-5 holds the prospect of huge wins if the win multiplier is high enough. The Lucky Last Spin is a nice feature, not unlike Quickspin’s Hammer of Vulcan Strike Again feature, although reversed, so rather than being guaranteed a win at the end, we instead have a chance for unlimited free spins, provided wins continue to land.

Feature Buy options are thorough, and do offer something to every player, depending on where they’d like to pitch the idea of ‘money back’. Of course, players outside of these regions will have no choice but to wait for the bonus to land organically, hoping for some Dwarven Bombs to pick the pace up along the way.

*The screenshots taken of games reviewed on this site are taken from Demo Play, as reviews are often written before games are released for real play.