Stepping Diamonds is a casino slot game developed by Play'n GO, offering a blend of classic and modern slot elements. The game features a 5×3 reel layout with 20 paylines, medium volatility, and a maximum win potential of 4000x the bet. With an RTP of 96.20% (at its highest setting), Stepping Diamonds aims to provide a balanced gaming experience for players seeking both nostalgia and contemporary slot mechanics.
Stepping Diamonds embraces a classic casino theme, featuring traditional fruit symbols alongside more valuable icons like horseshoes, bells, and sevens. The game's visual design incorporates a blue-patterned backdrop, creating a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of physical casino floors.
The base game of Stepping Diamonds operates on a standard 5×3 grid with 20 fixed paylines. Players can adjust their bets from a minimum of 0.1 to a maximum of 50 per spin. Winning combinations are formed by landing three or more matching symbols on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel.
A key mechanic in Stepping Diamonds is the Step Counter, which spins above the reels alongside each spin. This counter displays a number between 1 and 5, directly influencing the value of Diamond symbols that appear on the reels.
The paytable includes lower-value fruit symbols (cherries, lemons, oranges, plums) and higher-value symbols (horseshoes, golden bells, BAR, and 7s). The game also features a Wild symbol, represented by a star with “Wild” text, which substitutes for all symbols except Diamonds and offers its own payouts for combinations.
Bonus Features
Stepping Diamonds incorporates several bonus features that enhance gameplay and winning potential:
- Step N' Win: This feature activates when a Diamond symbol lands on the reels. The Step Meter above the game grid determines the value increase for all visible Diamond symbols. The meter stops on a number from 1 to 5, and Diamond symbols increase their value by the corresponding amount. Diamond symbols start with multiplier values of 0.5x and can increase up to 35x.
- Lock N' Spin: Triggered by landing 6 or more Diamond symbols anywhere on the reels, this feature awards 3 respins. The number of triggering symbols determines the game grid size:
- 6 symbols: 5×3 grid
- 7 symbols: 5×4 grid
- 8 symbols: 5×5 grid
During Lock N' Spin, only blanks and Diamond symbols appear. New Diamond symbols lock in place and reset the respin counter to 3. The Step N' Win feature remains active during this bonus, potentially upgrading Diamond symbols' values.
- Jackpot Diamonds: During the Lock N' Spin feature, special Jackpot Diamonds can appear, offering the following prizes:
- Mini Jackpot: Starts at 20x, increases by 2x up to 90x
- Minor Jackpot: Starts at 50x, increases by 5x up to 200x
- Major Jackpot: Starts at 100x, increases by 10x up to 350x
- Grand Jackpot: Starts at 500x, increases by 50x up to 1500x
If the reels fill completely with Diamond symbols during Lock N' Spin, the Step N' Win awards the maximum 5 steps to all visible Diamond symbols.
Unique Aspect
A particularly interesting feature of Stepping Diamonds is the synergy between the Step N' Win and Lock N' Spin mechanics. This combination allows for potentially substantial value increases during the bonus round, as each Diamond symbol can be upgraded multiple times based on the Step Meter. This creates a dynamic where even lower-value Diamonds have the potential to become significant win multipliers, adding an extra layer of excitement to the bonus feature.