Stepping Diamonds

Stepping Diamonds: Slot Overview

As if the world wasn't already inundated with fruit slots, local jackpots, and hold 'n wins, here comes an online slot that combines all three things in one handy spot. The game is Stepping Diamonds, and it has given veteran studio Play'n GO a chance to show the gambling community what it can do with these well-worn tropes. What it has done is, for the most part, pretty standard classic slot/hold 'n win fare, but things like the Step 'N Reel might give connoisseurs of fruity gambling something they might not have sampled before.

Stepping Diamonds' sensorial experience is pretty predictable - big, bold symbols, bright colouration, funky as fudge music. About as predictable as a zillion other fruit slots out there. Maybe slightly less, perhaps, as the chrome and the blue patterned background Play' GO has worked in provides a sort of futuristic 80s/90s slant on the show. Maybe not.

The gaming area in Stepping Diamonds is a 5x3 reelset with 20 paylines. Wagers of 10 c to $/€50 may be placed, and the slot is medium volatile (rated 6 out of 10). As per usual, a range of RTP configurations have been created, so if the highest return value is what you want, then that would be the 96.2% model.

In Stepping Diamonds, winning combinations of 3 to 5-of-a-kind may land. All staples of the slot scene, the pay symbols include cherries, lemons, oranges, plums, horseshoes, bells, BARs, and 7s. Winning combinations made of 5 identical pay symbols award 4 to 50 times a player's stake. Wild stars pop up on all reels, substituting any regular pay symbol and possessing the same value as the top 7 pay symbol.

Stepping Diamonds: Slot Features

Stepping Diamonds lands special Diamond symbols as well as regular Diamond symbols, which are linked to features such as a Step 'N Win, a Lock 'N Spin round and are accompanied by Cash pot Diamonds.

Step 'N Win

On each spin, the steps reel above the main reels stops on a number from 1 to 5. Landing a special Diamond symbol triggers the Step 'N Win feature. When triggered, all Diamond symbols in view increase their value by the number of times indicated on the Step 'N Win reel, then they pay out the final values. Only one special Diamond symbol may land on a spin, so multiple Step 'N Wins are not possible.

Lock 'N Spin

Landing Diamond symbols in any position lights up the diamond trail, and when at least 6 of them hit, the Lock 'N Spin feature is activated. Collecting more Diamond symbols triggers the Lock 'N Spin with bigger reel sets: 6 Diamond symbols activate the feature on a 5x3 grid, 7 Diamond symbols activate a 5x4 grid, and 8 Diamond symbols activate a 5x5 grid. A total of 3 respins are awarded where new landed symbols lock to the reels and reset the spin count. The Step 'N Win can trigger during the Lock 'N Spin feature. If the grid manages to be filled with symbols, the Step 'N Win awards a full 5 steps. All Diamond values in view step 5 times, increasing all values on each step.

Cash Pot Diamonds

Cash pot Diamonds can land on any respin in the Lock 'N Spin feature, and they can also be upgraded. Cash pot Diamonds are only available in the Lock 'N Spin and cannot step in during the Step 'N Win feature.

• The Mini cash pot Diamond starts at 20x and increases by 2x up to 90x.
• The Minor cash pot Diamond starts at 50x and increases by 5x up to 200x.
• The Major cash pot Diamond starts at 100x and increases by 10x up to 350x.
• The Grand cash pot Diamond starts at 500x and increases by 50x up to 1,500x.

Stepping Diamonds: Slot Verdict

Stepping Diamonds failed to impress when it first hit the screen, and this reaction had stayed fairly much constant by the time the session ended. Given the commonality of the components Play'n GO injected into the game (local jackpots, a simple hold 'n win, fruit), it would have been tough for Stepping Diamonds to make a major impression. But the Step 'N Reel adds a measure of variety to what is, for the most part, standard gaming. Not dazzling variety, but variety. Stepping up didn't seem to drastically increase Diamond symbol values, though Cash pot Diamonds can be upgraded as well. That might put a twinkle in the eye of players drawn to local jackpot slots. But those jackpots aren't particularly enticing, even when upgraded to their maximum capacity. The impression was that even at full whack, cash pot Diamonds do not supply a king's ransom-level riches.

As such, the thrills in Stepping Diamonds were not overly thrilling. The game is likely made with a specific type of gambler in mind, though, and fair enough, fruity Vegasy fans might appreciate what Play'n GO has created. The max win suits Stepping Diamonds fine at 4,000x the bet, so hopefully, a few upgraded cash pot Diamonds start falling players' way if they've got their eyes set on achieving the top prize. Also hopefully, they're fortified with a considerable amount of luck and patience because the maximum exposure has a probability of less than 1 in a billion of occurring. And that's that. Stepping Diamonds is an easy-to-forget fruit slot with minor innovations which might help it pass the time but nothing that stands out and demands to be seen.