Master Gems

Dig for a wealth of opportunities in Fat Panda’s latest instalment, Master Gems. Put your mining skills to the test as we swing our pickaxes into hard rocks and reveal hidden treasure worth up to 5,000x your bet. 

Having a strong partnership with Pragmatic Play gives Fat Panda a head start within the iGaming industry. Fat Panda is a relatively new software developer, known for its quirky mobile-first format and simple game mechanics. 

After getting off to a somewhat terrible start in Emotiwins, Fat Panda soon found its calling through Fortune of Aztec – a generic, Aztec-themed slot with a gigantic max win potential of 100,000x your bet. 

With this in mind, we’re hopeful of what’s to come in each of its new releases, with Master Gems taking to the spotlight next. Design-wise, this game offers high-quality graphics, relaxed sound effects, and an impressive mining aesthetic. 

Given the mobile-friendly format, desktop players are not subjected to the same view as mobile players, which enables graphics and aesthetics to pop on the smaller screen. Our only other interaction with this format is via PGsoft titles, which also provide a cinematic experience for mobile devices. 

With a fixed RTP of 96.46%, this medium volatility release from Fat Panda can produce wins up to 5,000x your bet. Without further ado, let’s find out if we can unearth magical Gems worth a small fortune!

Master Gems Base Game

Master Gems Base Features

Master Gems is the latest medium volatility release from Fat Panda, consisting of 5 reels, 1 row, and 1 fixed pay line (yes, you read that correctly). Wins occur when 3-5 matching symbols appear anywhere on the reels, as long as they are adjacent to each other. 

Paytable symbols consist of 7 Coloured Gems, each awarding a fixed payout between 0.1x and 10x your bet, where applicable. Furthermore, Wild symbols appear on reel 3, substituting for all paytable symbols. 

Wins Occur When 3+ Symbols Appear Anywhere on Adjacent Reels

Minecart Feature

Each time a Wild symbol participates in a winning combination, the all-important Minecart Feature triggers. Please note that the graphic representation of the cart is for entertainment purposes only. 

Once active, the minecart will spin through an array of Multipliers between x2 and x100. Whichever value it lands on will multiply the total win amount, resetting for the next spin. 

The Minecart Feature Awards a Multiplier Between x2 and x100 to the Total Win

First Impression

We’ll admit, we lost faith in Fat Panda after its first few releases, which failed to meet the high standards of experienced players. However, the release of Fortune of Aztec took us by surprise via its attractive features and substantial 100,000x max win potential. 

After being more than impressed with this instalment, Fat Panda set the bar high for future releases. Unfortunately, our excitement was soon short-lived once we stumbled upon Master Gems. 

We usually abide by the ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ analogy, but feel free to judge hard in this instance. The backdrop clearly reveals the chosen theme in this case, but it’s not the most detailed we’ve encountered, nor is the reel frame, which gives absolutely nothing away.

The game focuses on a single Minecart Feature, which is guaranteed to trigger each time a Wild symbol contributes towards a win. This feature awards a Multiplier between x2 and x100, which applies to the triggering win. 

Multipliers make a great addition to any game, but 9 times out of 10, they’re paired with additional features that give the game substance and character. In a game like this, it’s not overly efficient on its own, especially given the lack of a Free Spins mode. 

Surprisingly, the maths model for Master Gems is pretty solid. On a good day, the game is capable of delivering up to 5,000x your bet. This, combined with a high volatility score and RTP of 96.46% makes Master Gems look like your average, go-to slot.

All in all, Master Gems failed to live up to our expectations (in more ways than one), but the simple and limited gameplay may attract new and less-experienced players. 

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