By Playn GO
RTP 96.50%
Min bet $0.20
Max bet $100
Max Win bet x 5000
Popularity Low
Min bet $0.20
Max bet $100
Max Win bet x 5000
Gamble Feature Paylines from both sides, Stacked wilds, Random wilds, Freespins, Scatter symbols
Layout 5x5
Devices Desktop, Mobile
Configurable Winlines No
Volatility Medium
Progressive Jackpot No
Mermaids aren’t known for beckoning sailors to an imminent shipwreck, so we are safe to go underwater and play Mermaid’s Diamond by Play’n GO.
This part of the sea bottom may not be a luxurious neighbourhood of Atlantis, but the reel set is a precious diamond-shaped structure of five reels and between three and five rows. Whenever I come across a game that has this kind of a layout, I am thinking a ‘ways to win’ adventure.
True to form, Mermaid’s Diamond has 720 ways to win, which makes spinning the reels just a tad more exciting compared to the standard reel set of 3×5. Players who are eager to explore this underwater world may soon enough find that payouts can post both left to right and right to left, which is always a big plus.
In terms of features, Play’n GO has instilled the game with enough features to keep the reel set engaged nearly at all times. I also like it that the extra features are not filler and can have a meaningful impact on the winning outcomes.
And all of this is towards a maximum payout potential of 5,000x your bet that can emerge from one extraordinarily incredible single bet.
Mermaids are mythical creatures whose only deadly power is to seduce wayward adventurers. I am one of those in this case and I am happy to have come across a game that is simple and visually engaging at the same time.
All of the symbols on the paytable are stuff that you may find at the sea bottom – except for the diamonds – unless they’re part of a sunken ship’s treasure. Even though most of the symbols are not animated, the game treats them to a powerful underwater electrical current that makes the winning outcome known.
I think the background could have fit a broader ecosystem than the few wiggling polyps that you can see on both sides of the reel set. Schools of fish pass by from time to time, which is a nice touch, but the main focus are, of course, the events that are taking place on the diamond-shaped playing field.
As I said, the number of extra features is sufficient for a fully-engaging game and even though there is a free spins bonus, it is the wild symbol that takes the centerstage in this game. And the reason for that is that the wild is the mermaid, which can appear on a single position or fully stacked on the reel.
The result of an intervention like the above is a divine free spins bonus that can lead to some divine outcomes thanks to its ability to host the mermaid wild on one or more full reels.
When the game triggers the free spins bonus, players get to choose one of five treasure chests which may yield up to 25 free spins. These can grow in number if you get three, four or five scatter symbols on any spin.
If you aren’t so sure about the game, there is only one way to safely sample the extra features: play with the smallest bet of 20p per spin. Players who want to scuba dive down to the sea bed and meet the mermaid’s wilds are welcome to pick from the range of bets that end with $100 per spin.
The paytable structure appears quite flimsy, which is to say that you need to see at least four symbols of the same kind that belong to the two most valuable symbols in order to make more than the bet.
All of the symbols, except the red gem and the diamond, pay between 0.25x and 0.75x for four matching symbols and between 0.10x and 0.30x your bet for three of a kind. So, yes, needless to say, everything about Mermaid’s Diamond depends on the frequency of the extra features.
Bonus type: No Deposit, Low Wagering, Free Play, Sign Up, Free Money, Welcome Bonus, Registration
Min Deposit: No Deposit
Bonus type: Coupon, Code, Welcome Bonus, Registration, Sign Up, Deposit Bonus, First Deposit Bonus
Min Deposit: $10
Wagering: 60x
I think that Play’n GO has succeeded in striking a fine balance between the paytable and the extra features. The latter are common and the wild symbol tends to appear more often than not during the bonus game, which improves the odds for getting a decent win.
The theoretical RTP is 96.00%, which is considered average and there is not much to be excited about here, in view of the paytable. On the other hand, the variance is medium, which I think is a way better model than high variance, again, in view of the paytable for this particular game.
As for my final verdict, I am stuck in the middle about Mermaid’s Diamond. The graphics are decent but not enticing enough to have me coming back to the game and the paytable is really just pennies to your bet. So I would have to say I can’t fully recommend the game just to any player, in fact I’d say Play’n GO has games that are a lot better than this.
