Review of Da Vinci Diamonds Slot by IGT
Da Vinci Diamonds is perhaps one of the most innovative video slots on the web developed by the software provider IGT. The game has a familiar and classic theme but it doesn’t have the typical features found in most slots. Instead of spinning reels, the game has thumbing reels where the empty places of winning symbols are replaced by new ones. Symbols will continue to fall until there are no more winning combinations and all positions are filled with symbols. I am a big fan of this feature which is the highlight of the slot; therefore, I highly recommend that you try it out.
In this review of the video slot Da Vinci Diamonds you will read more about the game’s theme, highest and lowest paying symbols, paytable, special features and slot mechanics. I will review the slot into detail so that you know what to expect when playing it. I will also compare the game with similar slots and give you a few suggestions to play.
Game Overview
We have all heard about the Renaissance scholar Leonardo Da Vinci. He was one of the most popular artists of all time having created several masterpieces in his lifetime. However, what some of you might not know is that Da Vinci had a penchant for worthy items. From here, IGT software provider came up with Da Vinci Diamonds, a 5 reel, 20 payline non-progressive slot with a cool thumbing wins feature. The game also comes with free spins and other special features and has an RTP of 94.94%. With a bet range of between 20p and £500 per spin, the slot is suitable for all players with various budgets.
| Software: | IGT | Progressive jackpot: | No | Bet Range: | 20p – £500 |
| Lines: | 5 | RTP: | 94.94% | Graphics: | 7/8 |
| Reels: | 20 | Autoplay: | Yes | Animation: | 7/8 |
| Free Spins: | Yes | Quick spin: | Yes | Sounds: | 8/8 |
| Bonus Rounds: | No | Mobile: | Yes | Overall Score: | 8.0 |
The slot is based on the beauty of the Renaissance period. These were times of innovation and creativity. Moreover, during this period, Leonardo Da Vinci painted the renowned Mona Lisa which still intrigues many people from all over the world. This painting had also inspired IGT to create the Da Vinci Diamonds slot. And on the tumbling reels, the painting is presented in all its beauty. The graphics of the slot are satisfying and everything is nicely displayed which I very much like. The symbols also have nice animations and the sound suits the theme.
Icons, Payouts and RTP
On the reels, players can see several masterpieces from famous Italian artists on display as well as a number of precious gems. I give this slot thumbs up for not using the typical playing card symbols which are found in most slot machines. It’s nice refreshment. If you click on the paytable, you will notice that the lowest paying icons are the three gems, namely the red, green and yellow gem. The max you can win from them is 100 coins. Furthermore, from the three paintings, Mona Lisa, of course, is the highest paying and five Mona Lisa icons give you 1,000 coins.
However, the highest paying of all icons is the game’s logo which can win you up to 5,000 coins. This is not a bad amount by any means. One of the big draws in the slot is, of course, the big wins in the base game and special features. The slot has a Return to Player percentage of 94.94%, so you need to loosen your pockets to hit that big jackpot amount. Nevertheless, compared to the RTP of some other online slots, Da Vinci Diamonds is still good. Also, the frequent wins you will hit will be of low towards medium size.
Thumbing Reels Feature and Free Spins Bonus
As previously mentioned, the highlight of the Da Vinci Diamonds slot is the thumbing reels feature where icons fall from the top. There are no spinning reels. When you hit a winning combination, the winning icons disappear and make room from new symbols. This can lead to many wins if lucky. There are several other slots that use this feature and I’m going to mention them further in this article. Furthermore, in this game, you will see many gems but the symbol to look out for is the Bonus icon as three of them on the first three reels trigger the free spins bonus.
Once this bonus is triggered, you will get six initial free spins, but you can earn more free games. For example, three Bonus symbols will earn you 2, 3 or 4 extra free spins, four Bonus icons will give you 4, 6, 8 or 10 free games, while bonus symbols will reward you with 6, 8, 10, 12 or 15 extra free spins. The max you can win is up to 300 free games, but don’t expect to get that many. I managed to trigger about 70 free spins. The thumbing reels feature is still in play during the bonus. Also, all scatter pays are multiplied by your total bet.
Da Vinci Diamonds on Smartphones and Tablets
It didn’t take long for the slot to go mobile. Right after it was introduced in land-based casinos by IGT, the game soon moved online and after a few years, slot fans were able to play it on their mobile devices as well. Da Vinci Diamonds Mobile is compatible with the majority of smartphones and tablets, especially those that are running on Android and iOS. On mobile, the slot machine is exactly the same. It has the same theme and symbols as well as paytable and special features. I noticed that the graphics and audio work and look even better on the go compared to the online version. However, the graphics and the thumbing reels feature look a bit outdated on my iPad. Nevertheless, if you want a reliable mobile slot game with a typical free spins feature, Da Vinci Diamonds is not a bad choice.
Different Versions of the Same Slot
It was just a matter of time before we saw other online slots inspired by the Da Vinci Diamonds. The reason for this is the big popularity of the original 20 payline version. Therefore, on the market, we now have Da Vinci Diamonds Dual Play and Double Da Vinci Diamonds – two popular versions of the original. Both slots have the same theme and almost the same symbols including the innovative thumbing reels feature, but they have other distinct features as well. For example, there are versions of this video slot that have 40 paylines instead of 20.
The difference in the number of paylines is not the only one. For example, Da Vinci Diamonds Dual Play has two sets of thumbing reels and it’s a high variance slot. Moreover, in the free spins bonus of this version, you get 20 extra paylines. However, this slot also gives a max jackpot of 5,000 coins and has the same bonus round with six initial free spins as the original. On the other hand, Double Da Vinci Diamonds comes with split symbols and has a free games bonus round where you get between 6 and 16 free spins. Also, the Mona Lisa symbol appears only on reels 1 and 4 and it’s the highest paying.
Summary
Da Vinci Diamonds from IGT is a true classic slot machine. It has good graphics and sound and the gaming experience is fun and entertaining. I very much enjoyed the thumbing reels feature which is exceptional. The slot doesn’t have flashy gimmicks or some crazy mechanics; instead, it keeps things simple. The retriggering free spins bonus round is a great feature although it’s not as frequent as I thought it would be. Still, the wins are worth the wait. All in all, the slot has some interesting aspects and that gives it enough flavour to make worth playing for hours.
Similarity to Other Games
Da Vinci Diamonds has a fun gameplay, superb theme, good graphics and excellent features. The thumbing reels are definitely the highlight. If you want to play other slots with this similar feature, check out Gonzo’s Quest from NetEnt. In this slot, this feature is called avalanche reels. On the other hand, if you like simple and easy-to-understand slots like this one, you should also check out Wolf Run which is a 40 payline IGT slot with basically the same RTP as Da Vinci Diamonds. However, if you like to play more graphically advanced slots with lots of features and themed around popular movies, I recommend Playtech’s slot King Kong.
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