Diamonds Up: Slot Overview

Anyone who enjoys classic fruit-machine action has an almost endless universe of titles to pick from, and that list keeps expanding year after year. Fruit themes have been part of slots since the earliest days, and Evolution-owned Red Tiger is adding yet another entry to the well-established style. It’s far from their first attempt, and this one is called Diamonds Up, where Diamond Wild symbols help push a progression mechanic that upgrades the lower-paying symbols on the reels.

Diamonds Up sits in very familiar territory: traditional slot icons, simple and somewhat generic scenery, and a light, no-frills soundtrack. The presentation is so standard that players who aren’t into old-school fruit may pass it by without a second look. Still, there’s reason to keep an open mind. The 1/30 counter above the symbol ladder adds a touch of curiosity, and behind the plain exterior Diamonds Up hides a notably large win potential.

The game uses 25 paylines across a 5 reels by 3 rows layout, with wins assessed from the leftmost reel. On paper, the payout ceiling is unexpectedly high, which may be why the stake range is limited to 10 c to $/€4 per spin in this medium-high volatility slot. The default RTP is 95.69%, nudging up slightly to 95.7% when purchasing free spins.

The symbol set is as traditional as it gets: cherries, plums, oranges, grapes, watermelons, Bars, horseshoes, bells, and sevens. Landing 5 of the fruit pays 2x the bet, while 5 of the four highest-value symbols returns 4 to 40 times the bet. Diamond Wild symbols can appear on reels 2, 3, and 4, and they substitute for all standard paying symbols.

Diamonds Up: Slot Features

In Diamonds Up, Diamond Wilds act as the progression trigger that advances the symbol upgrade ladder, improving the lowest-value symbols on the reels.

Symbol Upgrade Ladder

Gameplay in Diamonds Up is organised into cycles running from 1 to 30, tracked by a counter next to the reels. Hitting Diamond Wild symbols during a cycle advances the symbol upgrade ladder. This ladder shows symbols from the lowest-paying at the bottom up to the highest-paying at the top. Every level contains 3 steps, and each step is completed by landing a wild. Once a level is filled, it upgrades all currently lower-paying symbols into the symbol for the level just completed. Upgrading continues until the 30-spin cycle ends, at which point the ladder resets. The ladder resets when 30 spins are complete.

Free Spins

During the base game, landing 3, 4, or 5 scatter symbols grants 9, 12, or 20 free spins, respectively. Scatter payouts are 5x, 20x, or 100x for 3, 4, or 5 scatters, respectively. The symbol upgrade mechanic remains active in free spins, and any Diamond Wild landed will move the upgrade ladder forward just as it does in the base game. Free spins can be retriggered using the same scatter requirements as the initial trigger. When the free spins round ends, the upgrade ladder position achieved carries over into the base game, and the spin cycle resumes from the point it was at before free spins began.

Feature Buy

Diamonds Up includes a broader feature buy menu than is typical for a Red Tiger slot. Players can purchase free spins (triggered by 3+ scatters) with the second level already filled for 20x the bet, the third level filled for 120x the bet, the fourth level filled for 200x the bet, or the fifth level filled for 800x the bet. After the bonus round finishes, the previously saved base game state is reinstated.

Diamonds Up: Slot Verdict

With fruit slots everywhere, separating the standouts from the noise isn’t easy. Diamonds Up isn’t exactly a hidden masterpiece, but it ended up being more enjoyable than it first appeared. The 20,000x max win is a genuine, eye-catching surprise, and the gameplay around it is fairly engaging for this type of release. Spin-cycle mechanics pop up now and then—NetEnt released one not too long ago with Babylon Riches, for instance—and Diamonds Up brings a few ideas that many similar games don’t.

For one thing, you don’t often see cycles of 30 spins; it’s more common to find something closer to 10. With a bit of luck, 30 spins gives enough time for meaningful upgrades, helping higher-paying symbols replace the lower-value ones. In testing, reaching the upper ladder levels could be entertaining, as it was possible to land near-full screens—or even full screens—of matching symbol wins. A full screen of seven symbols pays 1,000x, which helps illustrate how a 20,000x result could be within reach.

Diamonds Up doesn’t quite do enough to be the next must-play release, but for the right player, its strong max win and distinctive approach could be exactly the fruit-filled session they’re after.