Diamonds

The Serbia-based game design firm Fazi has been active for many years in the online gaming sector, but seems not yet to have found its footing. Diamonds, their latest offering, is a gem-centric slot that showcases both this designer’s strong suits, such as top payouts, and its shortcomings, which are many.

Theme

Precious stones are the theme of this slot, which is not terribly inspiring in its graphic design. Gaming symbols include pristine diamonds, which offer this slot’s top payout at 500x for five-of-a-kind), engagement-style rings, a bejeweled crown, and four gems in the style of the four playing card suits, as well as a velvet-cushioned crown, which acts as scatter. There is no wild symbol, and no music to support gameplay, though simple sound effects do accompany the spinning reels. A simple purple, out-of-focus background stands behind the reels, leaving this slot well short of any kind of visual sophistication.

Betting Options, Functions, and Features

Fazi has a reputation for recycled, somewhat lazy design, and that seems to be the case here, as all of this game’s finer points seem exactly the same as those found in other forgettable titles from this developer. There are only 10 adjustable paylines, with bet per line adjustable from 0.01–4.00, yielding an overall per-spin betting range of 0.10–40.00 times the betting currency. Three adjacent gaming symbols pay regardless of position, as does the red crown scatter symbol. Autoplay is available for up to 1000 spins at a time, with optional limits for single wins or bankroll swings in either direction beyond a player’s chosen limits. Game rules, paytable information, and hand history are available on separate screens. In a major flaw, the design team has neglected to provide RTP information, leaving potential players guessing as to what kinds of odds they’ll receive.

Usually, Fazi’s poor overall design is partially redeemed by a high-paying bonus symbol, but that is not the case here. There are no free spins of any kind, though the red velvet crowns do pay when three or more hit in any position on the reels, regardless of position on a payline, up to 50 times the bet size. A gamble feature, at least, is included. Following any win, players can simply select the “2X” symbol to engage the double-or-nothing feature. Players attempt to select the next card’s color, red or black – a correct choice doubles the win size, and allows players to try their luck a second time, up to five times in a row. An incorrect choice reduces the win size to zero. Finally, two progressive jackpots are available. The platinum jackpot can be won on any spin, while the much larger diamond jackpot is far, far more likely to hit when playing with higher bet levels, and only after a certain amount of wagering has taken place.

Our Take

Diamonds is a straightforward slot with lots of bling, and top payouts that will certainly attract some attention. There are major flaws in this game, though, and with all the online slots available in today’s market, it’s difficult to imagine any player choosing to spend much of their time on this slot.