Book of Gems Megaways: Slot Overview

Another developer to jump on the Megaways bandwagon is Isle of Man-based provider Skywind Group. Active since 2012, the studio has put out a sizeable catalogue of slots, although it often feels like they prefer following popular formulas rather than creating them. Book of Gems Megaways fits that pattern neatly. It’s the team’s first attempt at using Big Time Gaming’s Megaways engine under licence, and they’ve paired it with one of the safest possible concepts – the familiar ‘book of’ setup with all the usual perks. Expanding pay anywhere symbols in free spins remain the main attraction, and adapting that mechanic to a Megaways grid isn’t entirely straightforward. Overall, Skywind handles it well, giving players another solid title to spin up.

For context, the first studio to combine Megaways with Ra was Blueprint Gaming with Legacy of Ra Megaways in early 2019. A notable difference in Skywind’s version is the smaller layout: 5 reels with 2 to 5 symbols per reel. The reel heights change every spin, allowing up to 3,125 ways to win. That’s far below the maximum Megaways can deliver, but still a big step up from the 10 paylines typical of classic book slots. As Blueprint did, Skywind also skips any kind of reaction feature. The first developer to successfully blend cascades into a ‘book of’ maths model could be onto something special.

When Book of Gems Megaways opens, the scene is instantly recognisable. Pyramids sit on the skyline beneath a blazing yellow sky, with plenty of sand in the foreground and a fairly standard Arabic-style soundtrack. There’s even a quick, sharp sound that resembles ‘Ra!’ when two scatters appear. Much like the gameplay, Book of Gems Megaways blends a mix of traditional and modern touches in both visuals and audio.

Anyone trying to make their bankroll last may not love the 50 p/c minimum stake, while bigger spenders will appreciate the option to bet up to $/€250 per spin. The RTP compares reasonably well with early Ra-style games, though it doesn’t look as strong next to newer releases, landing at 95%. Volatility is high (5/5), and so is the game’s potential.

It wouldn’t feel like a true ‘book of’ slot without an explorer in an Indiana Jones-style hat, and here he resembles a younger, clean-cut Tom Hardy. He’s the top-paying symbol, worth 4x the bet for five of a kind, with pyramids, scarabs, rings, and A-10 royals below him. Standard wins require at least three matching symbols, landing on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel.

Book of Gems Megaways: Slot Features

The key mechanic in Book of Gems Megaways is, unsurprisingly, the book symbol, which acts as both wild and scatter. It can land on reels 2, 3 and 4, substituting for other symbols to complete winning combinations. As a scatter, landing 3 in view awards 10 free spins and a win of two times the total bet.

Before free spins begin, the book of gems opens to choose one special symbol that can become expanding during the bonus. When special symbols form a win, they expand to cover all positions on their reel and pay anywhere, meaning they don’t have to be adjacent or begin from reel one.

One extra you don’t see too often in this type of slot is a bonus buy option. That said, Blueprint’s Legacy of Ra Megaways includes one as well. In Book of Gems Megaways, the price is a fairly attractive 70x the total bet. Once selected, free spins are guaranteed to trigger on the next spin.

Book of Gems Megaways: Slot Verdict

Skywind’s first Megaways release definitely takes the cautious route, but that’s hardly surprising. Many studios use BTG’s engine in a more straightforward way before attempting anything more ambitious. The reel and row setup is smaller than the usual Megaways format, yet it suits the ‘book of’ style nicely. The visuals also lean old-school, balanced somewhat by the Megaways-driven grid.

The standout element in Book of Gems Megaways may be its buy in feature. ‘Book of’ slots are all about expanding pay-anywhere symbols in free spins and the hunt for full-screen premium hits. Here, if you’re not interested in grinding the base game, you can simply pay the 70x and jump straight in. In practice, it can work out cheaper too, because when scatters land on the middle three reels, they pay for any wins they help create. That means it’s possible to enter the bonus already ahead. It’s also a nice change to see a studio resisting the push toward ever more expensive bonus buys, with San Quentin’s 2,000x option being an obvious comparison.

As for maximum win, there was no official number available at the time of writing, although Book of Gems Megaways can generate some sizeable results. Megaways help strengthen what would otherwise be modest single-line payouts, and a full screen of the Tom Hardy symbol would return 12,500x the bet. It’s not quite Book of Shadows levels, but it still places Book of Gems Megaways toward the upper end of potential for ‘book of’ slots.

Book of Gems is a respectable Megaways debut from Skywind Group. Even though the studio has chosen a proven formula, they’ve still delivered enough to make it worth a look—especially thanks to the sensibly priced buy feature for players who can’t get enough of expanding symbol gameplay.