Stellar Stones

Set in deep space, with shimmering galaxies in the background, Booming Games has set the radiant gems of Stellar Stones in orbit. Five bejeweled reels offer players a double-or-nothing gamble feature, free spins, an innovative two-way pay feature, where an abundance of wild symbols transforms paylines so that they pay both from right to left and from left to right, doubling players’ chances.

Theme

With the Milky Way a distant sight on the horizon, this slot’s visual design gives an impression of deep space without any of the stress of intergalactic travel. Gaming symbols on the borderless reels include the ruby heart wild symbol, which offers a top-paying 150x for five-of-a-kind, emerald squares, the shimmering diamond scatter, orange orbs, a violet rhombi, green triangles, and blue ovals, as well as playing card values rendered in gem tones. An upbeat, electronic soundtrack reminiscent of Daft Punk keeps up the out-of-this-world feeling. In a nice touch, the gamble feature depicts one asteroid smashing into another, to reveal which gem is waiting inside.

Betting Options andFunctions

The engineers of the world’s space travel program are among the best and brightest minds on Earth at present; unfortunately, their legendary attention to detail is not shared by the Booming Games design team on this slot. There are 15 adjustable paylines, with bet per line variable from 0.03–3.00. This yields an overall per-spin betting range of 0.03–45.00 times the betting currency. Auto-spin up to 100 spins, quick spin, detailed payable and game rule information, as well as sound options are all available on pop-up screens. Unfortunately, information regarding the overall theoretical return to player ratio is not available, a major oversight on the part of the design team.

Features

The smashing of astroids provides the basis for this game’s double-or-nothing gamble feature, which is available after any win. Players who correctly predict the next color to appear will see their win size doubled, and presented with the opportunity to risk it all again. This feature can be played up to ten times in a row, or up until winnings exceed 10,000.00 times the betting currency.

Two-way pay, which is activated whenever three or more wild symbols appear anywhere on the reels. For the next ten spins, all paylines will pay both from right to left and from left to right, essentially doubling the 15 adjustable paylines into a maximum of 30. The feature can be retriggered anytime there are three or more wilds on the reels, adding another ten free spins to the feature total.

Finally, three or more of the diamond scatter symbol awards ten free spins. There are no substantive differences between base play and this bonus feature, but free spins are always welcome.

Our Take

Stellar Stones may not be Booming Games’ most outstanding effort, but it is still an exceedingly well-built slot with a simple, inviting premise. The lack of RTP information is a major flaw, but most of this designer’s titles offer players at least the industry standard, so it’s quite possible that this slot will provide players with solid odds. However, with only the gamble feature to vary the otherwise monotonous game pace, many players will likely want to spend their time on reels closer to their own planet.