Gems and the City Slots
Perhaps a pun on the female-centric nature of the popular TV show Sex and the City, Gems and the City is a bright and sparkly video slots game prominently featuring colorful lettering and attractive women as its theme. This game from CTXM/GamesOS Software was clearly designed to appeal to a younger female demographic, and its appearance is not unlike other games that are geared towards a similar group.
In spite of its appearance, CTXM/GamesOS Software isn’t known for creating games that target the female demographic, so this game certainly represents new ground. Given that such is the case, does Gems and the City have all the credentials to be a free slots game that commands an audience?
Laden With Luxury
Gold, pink, and red are the colours featured, and prominently so might I add. The colourful vector graphics certainly give the eyes a lot to look at, but some people may find the bright, garish colours to be a little over-stimulating. The sound effects are more on the “girly” side, but if you don’t want to hear them then you always have the option of turning them off. The symbols consist of colourful, bejeweled letters and numbers, diamond rings, and Barbie-like women layered in front of a colorful golden background. In fact, the game almost looks like something you’d find on a phone app.
The options in the game are cleanly and plainly presented on the bottom in a typical CTXM/GamesOS layout, and further options can be explored via the sub-menu on the left side of the game. It is clear from the outset that Gems and the City tries to blend modern day flash with traditional slots values, and in many ways that combination works.
Rolling In The Deep
Functionally wise, the menu is the same basic layout featured in many of other CTXM/GamesOS offerings. You have an auto-spinner button that lets you roll 5 or 10 times per click, a choice to choose the denomination of coin you bet with (ranging from 0.05 to 5), an option to change the number of pay lines in play (up to 30), and the option to automatically spin with the maximum possible bet. The maximum wager you can make in any single spin is a hefty $150, which means high-rollers certainly have plenty to get stuck into.
Gems and the City offers a fairly robust set of gameplay features, as you will find scatter symbols, wild symbols, free spins, and even a bonus round available. The scatter symbols actually give you free spins (up to 15) rather than trigger the bonus around as they do in many other CTXM/GamesOS games. Instead, the diamond symbol triggers the bonus game. Bear in mind that the wild symbol does not count as a scatter or bonus symbol when located.
Bonuses Fitting Of Mr. Big
While there is neither progressive jackpot nor a score multiplier in-play within this game, Gems and the City doesn’t lack for the opportunity to make some real bankroll. The game’s maximum payout is 30,000 coins, which is huge when compared to many other video slots games, and gives you a major incentive to click “max bet” when you want to spin. Free spins can be triggered fairly easily since they do not have to be lined up.
The game’s signature bonus game is triggered when you get at least three diamond symbols on an active pay line. Once triggered, you are taken to a screen where you are given one chance to pick from a selection of three boxes. Each box contains a jewel of variable value, and when the game is finished the value of the jewels is multiplied by your base bet. This gives you quite an incentive to bet big when rolling the reels, as you can reach a five-figure sum with the right amount of spins. Putting it simply, if major prizes and supplementary bonuses are your thing, then Gems and the City will almost certainly get you in the mood.
Step Into The City
Gems and the City stands as another one of CTXM/GamesOS Software’s well-designed video slots games, even if every aspect of the game’s design veers well into stereotypically “girly” territory. But while the game’s design will no doubt be off-putting to many male players, that should not be a reason to avoid playing it, as the characteristically fun gameplay and potentially lucrative winnings make this game worth a spin, try it in free play and see.
Is it a female centric title? Without doubt, but there is no denying the sheer degree of entertainment that Gems and the City is able to deliver and its compatibility with everything from mobile devices to smartphones and Blackberrys.
