Fruit Gemz Splitz: Slot Overview

Go full-on gem-fruit with software provider Boomerang in the online slot Fruit Gemz Splitz. Developed alongside several studios such as ReelPlay and Yggdrasil, Fruit Gemz Splitz blends a whole bunch of inspirations and mechanics into one. You’ve got Splitz, the Side Strike option, a coin-collect element, and a respins feature also referred to as Lightning Chase. Sometimes piling features together creates something exciting; other times it turns into an overstuffed mix that loses its punch. Time to see where Fruit Gemz Splitz lands.

Fruit Gemz Splitz doesn’t exactly start strong. It feels like Boomerang aimed for an AvatarUX CherryPop-style vibe, but it ends up looking even more garish than the competitor’s game. Crystallised fruit sit on a 5-reel grid in front of a, well, space-like backdrop? Something pink, purple, and fizzy-looking. The music tries to sell the cosmic theme, yet it’s so airy and low-energy it could put even a dedicated ambient listener to sleep. In short, the visuals push fruity excitement while the audio seems determined to calm you down.

Tap the hamburger icon at the bottom to bring up the bet menu, where stakes run from 25 p/c to $/€50 per spin. On the opposite side you’ll find the Side Strike button. Use it to place side bets on red or green overlay chips. It’s completely optional, so you can ignore it if you’d rather. Side Strike comes with a notably high RTP of 98%, while the base game RTP is 95.5%, although it can also appear in three lower configurations.

Classed as a medium volatile slot, play unfolds on a grid with 5 main reels showing 3 symbols each, plus an extra row of 3 symbols positioned above reels 2, 3, and 4. Wins pay when at least three identical symbols land on adjacent reels starting from the first reel. This layout delivers 576 ways to win, and that number can increase when symbols split, up to a maximum of 19,773. Any winning symbols are cleared via the cascade feature, with gaps filled by symbols dropping down on the main reels or sliding in from the right on the top row. If another win is created, a further cascade triggers, repeating until no additional win appears.

The paytable begins with hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades, which return 0.4x the bet for five of a kind. Next come watermelon, grapes, lemons, and cherries, paying 1-2x the bet for five of a kind. Finally, the game’s logo acts as a wild, substituting for any regular paying symbol. Wilds can land everywhere except the far-left reel.

Fruit Gemz Splitz: Slot Features

One more special symbol you’ll encounter in Fruit Gemz Splitz is the Splitz symbol itself. Splitz can appear on main reels 2, 3, or 4, and when they do, they transform into 2, 3, or 4 instances of the same symbol – which can be any symbol except the collect symbol.

Collect

Also worth noting are the Coins and the Collects. Coins land with values ranging from 1 to 888 times the stake, and if a Collect symbol lands at the same time on reel 1, all Coin values are instantly awarded.

Hold & Respin Feature

Whenever 6 or more Coins are visible, you receive 3 respins, and if additional Coins or Collects land, the respin counter is reset to 3. Coins lock into position, but if a Collect symbol appears, it collects all of the values and removes the Coins from the grid so new ones can drop in. Coin rewards can be 1-10x the total bet or the Mini, Major, or Mega bonus, paying 20x, 100x, or 888x the stake.

Fruit Gemz Splitz: Slot Verdict

If you’re the type who can’t resist correcting spelling and grammar online, then Fruit Gemz Splitz—with all those z’s—will probably irritate you straight away. Unfortunately, getting past the name doesn’t improve things much. As hinted earlier, Fruit Gemz Splitz first felt like a budget take on CherryPop, and it never really shakes that impression. The pace is lethargic, and it doesn’t add much to Boomerang’s Lightning Chase line-up, whether you’re judging by gameplay or presentation.

On paper, Fruit Gemz Splitz sounds fairly solid. There are Splitz to boost the ways count, Coin collects for fans of that style, and the Hold & Respins feature layered on top. In reality, though, it rarely feels like it gets going. With stronger production values, Fruit Gemz Splitz might have stood out more and avoided the sense that you’re playing something clunkier and older than it actually is. Earlier entries in the Lightning Chase series managed to look more current. Fruit Gemz Splitz tracks Rise of the Valkyrie Splitz quite closely, but it lacks the Spin 10 Splitz feature, the bold Valkyrie visuals, and it comes with a lower RTP. Beyond the Valkyrie title, the Lightning Chase range has also included games like Temple Frenzy Lightning Chase and Lady Merlin Lightning Chase. Out of this loosely connected bunch, Fruit Gemz Splitz is among the weakest—and that’s saying something.

It’s not entirely negative, though. If you need something to help you drift off, a few spins of Fruit Gemz Splitz might actually do the job. Aside from acting as a relaxation tool, it’s tough to find many reasons to choose Fruit Gemz Splitz when there are so many better alternatives just a click or two away.