Aztec Diamonds was released in 2018 as a product of cooperation between GamesLab and NextGen. The ancient Aztec civilisation has been the main inspiration for many a software developer, especially in the domain of video slots. Aztec tribes had rich culture and tradition and their architecture and religious beliefs have always been, and still are, a source of fascination among both scientists and regular people. In Aztec Diamonds, the player is transported to Aztec territories after a volcano eruption, which is sort of a new approach considering that most software creators focus on depicting temples and scenery when they tackle the same theme.
For some reason, going in the middle of a lava-ridden area seems to be a good idea when in search of diamonds. The diamond symbol is indeed one of the most valuable ones in the game, as it acts as the Bonus symbol and a trigger for the Jackpot Diamond bonus feature. The scatter is the image of the volcano erupting, and an Aztec idol statue is the Wild which lands only on reels 2, 3, and 4. The rest of the paytable contains a variety of Aztec symbols in the form of a bird, snake, fish, and headdress and playing card symbols from 9 to Ace.
Aztec Diamonds video slot is played across 5 columns, 3 rows and 30 paying lines. Winnings on different lines are added and scattered wins are added to line wins. The Spin button is green and quite large so you can’t miss it, the Autoplay is just below and settings and info are offered in the left lower corner of the screen.
The slot comes with a Free Spin feature triggered by 3 or more volcano Scatter icons anywhere after a reels rotation. The reward includes 2, 5 or 100 times your stake (for 3, 4 or 5 Scatters) and 6 free spins. A minimum of 3 volcanoes landing during the feature will add 3 more gratis spins. Triggering the Jackpot Diamond bonus is a bit more difficult. One needs to collect as much as 6 diamonds on any one spin to activate this feature.
If diamonds appear on all four corner positions during this feature, the reels will expand to a 6x3 grid. If this happens one more time, the grid will expand to a final layout of 8 reels and 4 rows. This is a re-spins feature with three initial re-spins with diamonds stuck in place. More re-spins can be won. During re-spins, the player has a chance to scoop one of the four jackpot prizes:
• Mini jackpot - worth 10x the stake
• Minor jackpot - worth 30x the stake
• Major jackpot - worth 100x the stake
• Grand jackpot - worth 250x the stake
Players who wish to make their bets according to statistics should know that the volatility is medium and the long-term return rate is 96.07% (96.12% at some casinos). Steady as you go – after all, everywhere around you is molten hot lava!