Gem Trio

Gem Trio Review

Gem Trio is an upcoming slot game powered by the iGaming leader Pragmatic Play that is scheduled for release at the end of July. It’s a classic-looking machine with lots of 7s and BARs on the reels, and a rich selection of wild symbols. There are also multipliers, jackpots, and free spins enhanced with up to 3 fantastic modifiers.

Already excited, well, buckle up as Gem Trio will lead us to space where a surprising abundance of precious stones is flying around. In fact, gems seem to be a strong passion for Pragmatic Play as we have already seen Gem Fire Fortune in June, and we are about to enjoy Master Gems in July. But these 3 are totally different from one another!

Gem Trio welcomes the space explorers with a basic 3x3 grid and 9 lines, paying from left to right. It’s more like a chrome spinner with little diamonds or light bulbs on it and no row line, but only reels separated from one another. Quickpsin and Turbo Spin are as always part of the set, along with Autoplay and several Bonus Buys.

Gem Trio also features a Symbols Collection mechanic in the format we all know very well. Some studios have named it Power Combo, while others, Area Link, Amazing Link, and many others. Basically, look for the green, red, and blue gems as they will land occasionally on the reels and will be collected in the respective pots above the reels.

Gem Trio Slot - Game Screen

Gem Trio is loaded with 3 different wild symbols that can combine and substitute for all other symbols except Gems. Their frequent appearance during the base game and free spins boosts the Hit Frequency rate of the slot up to 27.85% or 1 in 3.59 spins on average. Wilds also pay substantial amounts of cash if lined up!

3X Wild pays a massive 250x for 3 on a line, while Ruby Wild and Emerald Wild award 125x and 50x the bet. Furthermore, a combination of any wild symbols pays a decent 15x! Triple Seven, Double Seven, and SIngle Seven pay 7x, 4x, and 2.50x, respectively, while Any Seven awards 1x the bet. Finally, Double BAR, Single BAR, and Any BAR pay 1x, 0.50x, and 0.30x the stake.

Pragmatic Play loves to engage as many players as possible, regardless of their risk preference. A wide betting range is available here as well, with multiple stake levels taking place from €0.10 to €250 per spin. The Trio Gems RTP ranges and the highest rate is 96.50%. The slot is characterized by high levels of volatility, so the alternative variants with rates 95.49% and 94.50% are better to be avoided. The Trio Gems max win is magnificent for a 3-reeler - 20,000x the bet.

Gem Trio Features

Gem Trio is not the slot with the biggest feature pack in Pragmatic Play’s repertoire, but after all, it’s a vintage machine. The number of extras exceeds my expectations and might be up to the taste of more than just fans of classic gambling. The good news is that the provider has added instant triggers in the form of Bonus Buy panels.

Wild Symbols

As I already mentioned, the variety of wilds is a huge benefit, given the fact that retro slots rarely have even one substitute symbol. But besides the hefty cash prizes from 15x to 250x the bet, another modifier is available. The 3X Wild applies an x3 win multiplier when it is part of a winning combination. The Any Wild combo is an exception of the rule.

Gem Symbols

Gem symbols - Emeralds, Diamonds, and Rubies also land on the reels relatively frequently. They will be collected in the pots above the grid, but keep in mind that the animation effects are for aesthetic purposes only. On any collection, the Free Spins bonus can be randomly triggered with the modifiers associated with the Gem symbols involved in the trigger. Free Spins can be played with 1, 2, or 3 active features.

Free Spins Bonus

Free Spins starts with 10 rounds and depending on the active modifiers, more can be won. Emeralds activate the Extra feature, while Diamonds and Rubies are responsible for the Jackpots and Double modifiers. Check out what each of the features does below and what jackpot prizes are part of the Trio Gems online slot:

Emerald Extra - each Emerald Gem that hits the reels during the bonus minigame will award +1 or +2 extra free spins to the remaining balance. Diamond Jackpots - each Diamond Gem that lands will reveal a jackpot name: Grand, Major, Minor, or Mini. They will be collected in the pots on the right, and when 4 of the same kind are collected, the respective money prize will be won. Ruby Double - Free Spins is played on two 3x3 matrices with 10 free rounds for each. Grids play on their own, and if the Emerald Extra modifier is on, the extra free spins will be added on the respective grid only.

• Grand Jackpot - 10,000x the bet
• Major Jackpot - 300x the bet
• Minor Jackpot - 50x the bet
• Mini Jackpot - 20x the bet

Buy Free Spins

Gems Trio is packed with 3 Bonus Buy features that allow you to purchase the Free Spins minigame. For a price of 50x the bet, you can activate the bonus with 1 active modifier, randomly selected. If you pay 100x, you will have 2 active modifiers, and if you wish all 3 to be at hand, the price will be 200x. The slot’s RTP doesn't change significantly, and it is from 96.49% to 96.51% across the available picks.

Theme & Graphics

The cosmic abyss is the background of Gem Trio, reminding me of the Starburst atmosphere. Stars and lights are to be spotted in the distance, and a massive 3-reeler is in focus. The Retro theme is enhanced with the type of symbols on the grid, mainly BARs, Sevens, gems, and wilds encrusted with gemstones. But despite the outdated design, Gem Trio is no basic game!

The quality of graphics, artwork, and animation effects ranks the title up to date. The audio is rather generic, but that was expected, more or less. Gem Trio has the shine and glamour that can’t be caught in older slot releases like Break da Bank or Reel Gems. Pragmatic Play has used the latest HTML5 technology to build a slot compatible with mobile devices.

Pros And Cons Of Gem Trio Slot

Our Verdict

In general, Gem Trio stands well given Pragmatic Play’s concept and the target audience. Gamblers who prefer retro-themed action are hardly impressed by spectacular visuals and complex features that may trigger or may not. These enthusiasts are looking for hefty prizes, even less frequent, and one or two features.

Perhaps that is the reason why the provider has added a total of 4 purely wild winning combinations and only one wild feature. I also appreciate the idea of adding Any payout combinations across regular symbols. In terms of technical performance, the slot has a solid 96.50% RTP that feels great regardless of the high volatility.

The max win is probably a record for a 3x3 slot machine, but keep in mind that the win probability of those 20,000x is 1 in over 27.2 million spins. The bonus triggering frequency, however, compensates fairly - 1 in 93.94 spins on average. That makes the expensive Bonus Buy options less attractive, but they can still be handy.

Pragmatic Play doesn't have much experience with old-fashioned slots, but I managed to find several that might be worth a spin. Diamonds are Forever was introduced back in 2011 and has only 3 paylines. Aztec Gems is one of the hot Pragmatic Play slots with an intriguing win multiplier and several sequels. Super Joker was released in 2019 and offers a powerful wild and a Respin Until You Win feature. All these are great, but if you truly cherish 777 slots, I highly recommend taking Gem Trio for a ride!