Dragon Gems

Dragon Gems (Yellow Bat) Review

Yellow Bat takes you below the surface for a somewhat unique water world experience, not least since it’s combined with classic Asian temples and architecture. Not only that, a dragon is apparently lurking somewhere within this scenery as well, perhaps hiding within the temple in the background. Either way, you’re in for a classic 3x3 slot experience in Dragon Gems, but with a bolted-on 4th reel that delivers multiplier action.

As usual, you start by choosing your preferred bet level, which ranges from €0.20 to €40 per spin in Dragon Gems. This should satisfy both penny punters and more serious gamblers, and you win by landing 3 matching symbols across 1 to 5 paylines. The green, blue, and red gemstones serve as the high-value premium symbols, awarding 2.4x, 3x, and 4x your stake for 3 of a kind, respectively. The royal symbols pay between 0.4x to 2x your stake for the same.

Dragon Gems Slot - Reels Screen

The golden dragon Wild symbol not only substitutes for any given pay symbol to help complete wins, but it’s also the highest value symbol in Dragon Gems. Landing 3 wilds on a payline awards 5x your stake, which equals 25x your stake for a full screen of wilds. That may not sound like all that much, but don’t forget that the Dragon Gems slot also has a 4th multiplier reel that will boost your winnings. A boost is not guaranteed, though, as it contains x1 multiplier symbols, which do nothing.

Anyway, if you are lucky, the multiplier reel can boost your winnings by up to x15, but only the multiplier symbol on the center position of reel 4 counts. To increase your chances, you can turn on the Extra Bet (not UK) for 50% extra per spin. This removes the x1 multiplier symbol while increasing your chances of higher multipliers and pay symbols. Dragon Gems is a low volatility slot game, scoring 1 out of 5 on Yellow Bat’s scale, and it boasts an above-average RTP of 96.44%.

Dragon Gems Features

Below, we’ll walk you through the features of this game, and you can get first-hand experience with these mechanics by testing the Dragon Gems free play demo at the top of the page. Let’s check it all out first, and then you can see them in action right after, if you wish.

Multiplier Reel

The 4th reel on the far right is a dedicated Multiplier Reel, where multiplier symbols with values of x1, x2, x3, x5, x10, and x15 land randomly on each spin. However, only the multiplier symbol that lands in the gold-framed center position of reel 4 counts, and this multiplier will be applied to boost any wins on the current spin.

Dragon Gems Slot - Multiplier

Extra Bet (not UK)

The Extra Bet feature can be switched on if you live in an eligible region, and the price is 50% extra per spin. The benefit is that the x1 multiplier symbol is removed, guaranteeing a multiplier boost on each win. In addition, you are far more likely to land high-value pay symbols with this Extra Bet feature turned on.

Theme & Graphics

Dragon Gems takes you below the surface to an impressive underwater kingdom, complete with a majestic Asian temple surrounded by schools of fish. With beams of sunlight piercing through from above and bubbles rising amidst swaying purple corals, the classic Asian soundtrack creates an almost otherworldly atmosphere in this strange water world setting. The reels are adorned with gemstones of different colors, as well as multiplier symbols encircled by a golden serpent eating its own tail.

Dragon Gems Free Play

If you feel like getting started with this game already, you can check the free Dragon Gems demo at the top of this review page. We recommend that you also read our verdict of the game first, though, as this will give you an idea of our impression. Then you can see whether you agree with us or if you have a totally different feeling about it. Whatever you decide, the Dragon Gems free play version allows you to play as long as you want before deciding whether or not you wish to play for real money. If so, casinos await below the demo, all confirmed to carry this title.

Pros and Cons of Dragon Gems

Our Verdict

Dragon Gems delivers a somewhat unique underwater world, rarely seen in Asian-themed slots like this. I admittedly had to blink a few times to realize that the Chinese temple was indeed placed under the surface, but the schools of fish and bubbles soon made it clear that I was not hallucinating. Aside from the originality of the visuals, it cannot be denied that Yellow Bat has borrowed heavily from TaDa Gaming’s Fortune Gems series, to the degree that this is pretty much a copycat effort.

This is hardly unusual in this industry, whether the developers are located in the Far East or the West. The mobile-first layout appeals to players who enjoy on-the-go gaming, which is all the rage in Asia these days. Like the source of inspiration, Dragon Gems is all about the multiplier reel. Without a multiplier boost, the most you can win from a full screen is 25x your stake, which requires a full screen of wilds. This is not all that impressive, to be honest, so the x1 multiplier is a bit of a pain in the behind.

Luckily, there is the Extra Bet option, allowing eligible players to pay 50% extra per spin to remove that pesky x1 multiplier symbol from the mix. What sweetens the deal is the fact that you also tend to land higher multiplier symbols with this ante bet turned on, in addition to more higher-value symbols. In my experience, it’s almost like playing two different games, which makes Dragon Gems hard to recommend to those unfortunate players who live in regions where ante bets like this are not allowed.

That being said, Dragon Gems is not really my cup of tea either way, as I prefer more features and at least one bonus round of some kind. In this game, you simply chug along with mostly small to decent multiplier-boosted payouts keeping you afloat. There are no other features to break up the grind, no bonus round to look forward to, and the 375x max win is hardly a blip on anyone’s radar these days. If you enjoy classic 3-reelers with some multiplier action, Dragon Gems is as good as any, at least if it’s casual gaming you’re after.