Diamond Dash Slots
It’s not often that we see a slot machine with a unique format, but Diamond Dash, from those clever folk at The Art of Games, has not just one, but two sets of reels. This in itself isn’t totally unheard of, however the way that you buy spins which then play out automatically is highly unusual. When you combine it with the four reel, 16-payline layout on each set, you can see why few, if any slots can directly compare. It’s a lot to take in at first glance and The Art of Games has provided free Diamond Dash video slots if you want to practice before playing with real cash. But read on and you’ll soon discover that it’s not too tricky.
The playing card suits and gemstone symbols that fill these reels are classic icons used in many games before. They are set against a dark blue background with metal-effect surroundings and there’s a subtle Art Deco style to it all. While having two sets of reels side by side looks strange, this is in effect, two separate games and you can choose to play the right side or left side set, or if you can’t make up your mind, play them both at the same time. This third option is the real reason punters will want to play the game, so it’s going to be a far more popular choice.
These unique reels have been crafted in the Dutch studios of The Art of Games. The company has a wide portfolio of online and mobile optimised games that have been taken up by many casinos around the world. Diamond Dash is something of a departure for them, as most of the Art of Games slots range is made up of themed games based on subjects as diverse as ancient Egypt and outer space.
Seeing Double Diamonds
While the diamond and clubs playing card symbols return four times the line stake when they cross all four reels on either set, the hearts are worth 12 times and spades 16 times. Higher prizes come from the valuable gems, ranging from 24x when the orange jewel appears across a line, and 32x for the purple stone. An emerald is valued at 64x the line stake and the blue diamond pays you 128x. But the top prizes are won when the white diamond cross a line, with a return of 200x.
What makes Diamond Dash so special however, is the way that you can play different reel sets and make your wagers on one or both. Before spinning any reels, you will need to purchase four, eight, 12, 16, or 20 turns. The total stakes for these are four, 16, 32, 64, and 128 coins respectively and to make it easier to see what you are buying, illuminated meters below each reels set state how many turns you have and how much is left of the bankroll.
As spins then play out, the number of turns will always go down, but hopefully the amount in the bank will vary as you win some and lose some. You can quit a session by clicking the Collect Total button, although if you are lucky enough to have accumulated 40,000 coins, it’s paid out automatically. It takes a minute or so to get used to this betting format, but it makes sense and with everything clearly displayed, you’ll know exactly where you stand at any time.
Other Control Options
The reels can be set to spin automatically for up to 50 times and the only other option punters are presented with is to turn the volume on or off. It’s a simple series of mechanical noises and jingles which fits perfectly with the classic nature of Diamond Dash.
There’s no special side games such as free spins to interrupt the run of play, and no wild or scatter symbols to distract from the simple pleasures of trying spin up reliable wins and collect steady prizes.
Similar Slot Machines
There’s little that compares directly with the Diamond Dash video slot, but if you like spinning multiple reel sets, then a select few games offer you the chance to collect multiple wins across multiple reels. Reel Magic, from Simbat, is a classic arcade-style game that’s designed to look like it’s in a real casino. There’s two sets of reels, one above the other, each filled with fruit symbols, BAR’s and 7’s. Base games play out on the single-payline lower set, where winnings can either be collected right away or transferred to the upper reels, where there’s 27 lines running across the game, so more chances to land winning combinations.
Moving away from traditional symbols, we have Dragon Sisters, by Push Gaming. This is a magic themed online slot where two sets of reels spin up swords, shields, crowns and the young ladies who rule over wild dragon symbols. The Dark Sister and Red Dragon appear only on the upper reels, while the Light Sister and Blue Dragon are on the lower set. If the Red Dragon appears, a full stack of wilds is placed on the equivalent reel of the bottom set, while the Blue Dragon places random wilds on the upper reels. The reels with extra wilds then spin for free and will keep going for as long as you land winning combinations with the sticky wilds locked in place.
Closing Thoughts on Diamond Dash
Slots like Diamond Dash are going to appeal to a certain type of gambler. Many players like to see their games featuring bonus rounds and modifier symbols, while slots based around specific themes have become more and more popular. Diamond Dash has a different approach, doing away with side games and sticking to the classic symbols that will be familiar to fruit machine players and those of us who have played in land-based casinos.
But we think everyone should take a few minutes to check out Diamond Dash. The option to play one or both sets of reels and the way that you buy turns before even setting them spinning is something that really sets this game apart from many others. Diamond Dash is independently certified for fair play and comes with the high returns that players expect, so if you want to spin these double reels, it’s available to play for real cash or for free at online and mobile casinos which carry slots from The Art of Games.
