Slotland is a company famous for its bold and innovative approach to online gambling. Instead of simply taking other developer’s software and games, the company decided to work on its own, which therefore resulted in original, unique gaming offering that will satisfy all tastes. And in line with this authentic practice, Slotland has just introduced us to a new release – “Jewels of the Ancients,” which presents a dark, medieval setting and lively colored reels.

“Jewels of the Ancients” is a five-reel, 19-payline slot with simple and straightforward graphics, which may seem too ordinary to punters who prefer hi-tech slots with cinematic effects. Still, despite its simplicity, the slot is actually quite appealing and inviting, especially if you like such medieval themes. It’s set in a beautifully ornamented castle, with statues of gargoyles, dragons, and people all over it, and bright, colorful symbols on the reels, including rings, red wine, magic potions and many others. In addition, there is a special bonus feature, which will certainly brighten your day if you manage to reach it.

What may be the main issue of this game is the range of betting amounts it offers. Namely, if you plan to deposit no more than $20-30, “Jewels of the Ancients” may not be the right choice. The problem is that its coin denominations start from $0.25 per line, which is rather high if you intend to play on all 19 lines (which makes sense, because the more the lines, the higher the chances of hitting a win). The maximum sum you can place per line is $4, so we could say that this slot is made for highrollers. This is also proved by the fact that you can strike a progressive jackpot only if you hit five "Diamond" symbols on a payline while betting at least a total of $20 per spin.

Special Feature:

“Jewels of the Ancients” has a bonus symbol, in shape of a Moon. If you get three of them anywhere on the reels, you’ll activate a special puzzle bonus round, in which you will be presented a grid of 15 fields. You should then click on the fields with an aim to reveal as many different bonus symbols as possible in 6 tries. If you reveal at least 3 different symbols you will take home some hefty prizes.

However, there’s another catch with this bonus game - all 6 bonus symbols can also be found on the slot machine itself, so whenever you get a gold bonus symbol during a regular game, the symbol on the slot machine will get highlighted. Thereby, once you get to the bonus rounds, the highlighted symbols will be revealed automatically, thus boosting your chances of a big win. Still, don’t get your hopes too high, because the slot doesn’t award the bonus symbols so lightly.

If someone asked me to recommend this slot, I’d hesitate for a single reason – the bet amounts it offers. Yet, if you like to experiment with new things and play on big stakes, “Jewels of the Ancients” may be just the thing for you, so go for it and enjoy all it has to offer.

- reviewed by Latest Casino Bonuses, last updated 2011-08-02