Gems & Stones by Endorphina: chest Wild and expanding symbol

Gems & Stones is a five-reel, three-row slot with ten paylines. Endorphina publishes 96.05% RTP, high volatility and a €0.10–€45 stake range. A chest acts as both Scatter and Wild, while Free Games select one gem that can expand and pay on non-adjacent positions along enabled lines.

The official product page was checked on 8 October 2026. It documents the supplier model, not availability at a New Zealand operator, NZD limits or identical optional features in every account.

Published configuration

Field	Official value
Grid	5×3
Paylines	10
RTP	96.05%
Volatility	High
Supplier range	€0.10–€45
Feature trigger	3+ chest Scatters
Initial Free Games	10
Feature modifier	Random expanding symbol
Chest	Scatter and Wild

Ordinary combinations still follow the ten enabled lines. The feature relaxes adjacency for one chosen symbol, not for every picture on the grid. The live line map remains essential.

The chest’s two roles

Three or more chests trigger ten Free Games, and five chests pay 200 times base bet. The chest also acts as Wild. During Free Games it cannot substitute for the specially selected expanding symbol.

That exclusion prevents a chest from being counted as both the trigger and a missing gem in the same feature logic. Save the exact grid and server calculation whenever the dual role affects a line.

Random expanding gem

At the beginning of Free Games, the game randomly selects one special expanding symbol. After ordinary symbol payouts are evaluated, that gem may expand to cover all three positions on a reel where it landed. Expansion occurs only when enough copies exist to create a win.

Record the selected gem and the grid before and after expansion. A dramatic full-height gem does not itself prove an award: its final positions must satisfy the feature’s payline rule.

Non-adjacent payment

The special expanded symbol can pay across non-adjacent reels, but only on enabled paylines. This is narrower than an anywhere-pays mechanic. Mark the selected gem’s positions on each of the ten line paths and identify which path the server credited.

Ordinary symbols are paid before expansion. Keep those awards separate from additional expanded-symbol results so a base line is not counted twice. The feature can retrigger, so log counter changes as distinct events.

Gem paytable evidence

The Blue Diamond is the highest-paying regular symbol and pays 500 times base bet for five. Red Diamond pays 200x for five, and Yellow Diamond pays 75x. These are specific paytable entries, not a documented total-game cap.

Translate them into currency only after confirming base bet, line count and denomination. A displayed 500x does not mean 500 times the deposit or total session spend.

RTP and high volatility

The 96.05% RTP is a theoretical long-run reference for the documented build. It does not promise a session return or a frequency for chest triggers. High volatility signals uneven outcomes on the provider’s scale.

Capture the live RTP, game ID and version. If the deployed figure differs, retain both sources with scope and date. Never average two mathematical configurations.

Stake and currency checks

The supplier range is €0.10–€45. It does not confirm NZD endpoints or local real-money access. Operators may use different denomination steps and caps. Record the final total stake shown by the game.

With ten lines, establish whether a control represents coin value, line stake or total. Use a fixed monetary session limit and avoid raising stakes to chase the randomly selected symbol.

Bonus Pop and Risk Game

The official feature list includes Bonus Pop and a Risk Game. Bonus Pop availability can depend on casino and jurisdiction. If offered, capture price, confirmation, entry state and any separate RTP disclosure.

The Risk Game exposes an existing award to another outcome. Preserve the original win, amount risked, choice, result and final balance. Neither feature should be merged with the natural Free Games trigger rate.

Mobile and demo review

Endorphina states that Gems & Stones works on mobile and desktop. In portrait mode, verify that the selected gem, pre-expansion grid, final positions, line highlights and total stake remain visible.

The official demo is useful for learning the sequence but does not prove an operator offers the title. Demo credits, limits and feature frequency should not be presented as live account facts.

Worked expansion worksheet

For each Free Game, use four columns: stopped grid, ordinary line wins, expanded grid and extra gem awards. Name the selected gem at the top. Mark which reels expanded and which enabled line connects the qualifying final positions.

If the Blue Diamond is selected and appears on reels one, three and five, non-adjacency can matter—but only a valid line through those positions qualifies. Do not pay every visible Blue Diamond as one global cluster.

Comparison with similar mechanics

Other Endorphina titles use random expanding symbols, but this page is scoped only to Gems & Stones. Its own chest paytable, stake range and selected gem values must be checked independently. Similar visual rules do not prove identical mathematics.

Internal links may help users compare terminology, yet each deployed game requires its own help screen. This prevents one title’s exclusions or paytable values from leaking into another review.

Common mistakes

One error is allowing the chest Wild to replace the selected expanding gem. The source explicitly excludes that substitution. Another is treating non-adjacent as anywhere-pays without an enabled line.

A third mistake is assuming every occurrence of the selected gem expands. Expansion is tied to having enough symbols for a win. Finally, the 500x Blue Diamond award is not a confirmed overall maximum.

Evidence pack

Save UTC time, operator, title, game ID, version, RTP, currency, total stake, balances and parent round. Add chest count, selected gem, counters, retriggers, stopped and expanded grids, line calculations, feature total and wallet credit.

Retain originals privately and redact account data before sharing. Label each child spin so support can reproduce the exact sequence.

Retrigger accounting

When new chests appear during Free Games, capture the grid before the counter updates. Record how many spins are added and whether the selected expanding gem remains unchanged. The official overview confirms that Free Games can be won again, but the deployed help should establish the exact award for each retrigger.

Build a counter equation: initial ten spins, plus all additional spins, minus completed spins, equals the number remaining. If the on-screen counter does not match, check whether it updates before or after the current spin. Only then raise a settlement question using the parent and child round identifiers.

Symbol-selection evidence

The random selection occurs at the start of the feature. Save the announcement rather than identifying the gem later from the first expansion, because a selected symbol may not expand on every spin. Record colour and shape together; blue, red and yellow stones can be difficult to distinguish under bright effects or colour-vision limitations.

If no expansion appears for several spins, that does not prove the selection was inactive. The source says expansion is conditional on enough selected symbols being present for a win. Use the original grids to test that condition and ask support for the selected-symbol event if the announcement was missed.

Questions for support

Ask which RTP build is active, how ordinary and expanded wins are separated, and whether chest-Wild substitution is disabled specifically for the selected gem. Request both evaluated grid states for a dispute.

If Bonus Pop appears, ask about its price and return disclosure. If the title cannot be accessed, request the operator’s territory rule rather than relying on the global supplier catalogue.

Ask the reply to name the selected gem, the reels on which it was recognised and the enabled line used for payment. A generic statement that expansion worked cannot resolve a disputed non-adjacent result. Request the ordinary payout subtotal and the expansion subtotal separately, together with the final child-round credit. Those fields allow the saved pre- and post-expansion grids to be checked without relying on animation timing.

Short answers

What triggers Free Games? Three or more chest Scatters.

How many spins are initially awarded? Ten.

Is the chest also Wild? Yes, but it cannot replace the selected expanding symbol during the feature.

Can the chosen gem pay non-adjacently? Yes, on enabled paylines.

Can Free Games retrigger? Yes.

Does €45 prove the NZ maximum? No; it is supplier metadata in euros.

Final assessment

Gems & Stones needs a two-state reading: ordinary line evaluation first, selected-gem expansion second. The chest’s Scatter-Wild role and its exclusion from selected-gem substitution are the key boundaries.

Record both grids and the enabled line. With that evidence, the feature’s apparent complexity becomes a traceable sequence instead of a visual guess.

Official and related sources

• Gems & Stones official product page
• Endorphina catalogue guide
• Responsible gambling guide
• Corrections policy

How to verify the version you can actually open

A provider page proves that a title exists and describes the supplier's intended rules. It does not prove that a casino accepts players in New Zealand, that the title is enabled for a particular account, or that the highest published RTP is the version in the lobby. Treat availability, operator eligibility and product configuration as three separate checks.

Start with identity, then configuration

Open the game only through the authenticated casino lobby. The information or help panel should identify Endorphina, the exact title and the active mathematical return. Compare the reel or grid layout, paylines or cluster rules, named features and symbol behaviour with the official product material. Similar artwork or a matching title is not enough when the help file is missing or inconsistent.

When the supplier publishes several RTP values, report all of them as configurations. Do not assume the highest option is deployed. RTP is a theoretical long-run measure across a very large number of rounds; it is not a refund rate for one player and cannot predict the next result. Volatility is different: it describes how unevenly results are distributed on the provider's scale.

Read stake controls as money, not interface decoration

Provider sheets often quote a reference range in euros. That range does not establish New Zealand-dollar support or the limits in a specific account. Before a paid round, identify the total amount that will leave the balance. If the interface separates denomination, coins and lines, verify the combined total. If Extra Bet is active, calculate its full cost before pressing spin.

Feature-buy prices are multiples of the current bet, not promised returns. A 100x purchase at a $1 stake costs $100; at a $2 stake it costs $200. Availability can vary by market and some mathematical configurations may not support the control. If the live help does not explain the price, delivered feature and active RTP, leave the option unused.

Keep simulation figures in their proper scope

A game sheet may publish a maximum result observed in a large simulation. That is not automatically the contractual maximum payout and never describes a likely session. Preserve the provider's wording, sample size and configuration. Check the live rules for a binding cap and the operator terms for any separate payout limit. Do not turn an extreme result into a promotional headline.

Audit a disputed round

If an animation freezes or a connection drops, do not repeat the wager immediately. Reopen the game through the authenticated lobby and inspect round history. Record the time, total stake, balance movement and round identifier. The result can be settled by the gaming system even when the device never displays the final animation. Send evidence through verified operator support; never disclose a password, recovery phrase or one-time code.

Read the paytable as a calculation document

The paytable should explain what creates a win, which symbols substitute, where special symbols can land and how multiple awards combine. For line games, confirm direction and active paylines. For cluster games, confirm adjacency, minimum group size and the order of collection. For respins, identify what remains locked, what resets the counter and what ends the feature. A graphic effect can illustrate those rules but cannot replace them.

Separate addition from multiplication. Several prize values may be added before a multiplier applies, while reel-specific multipliers can sometimes multiply together only when each reel participates in the same win. Reconstruct one low-stake result from game history. If the arithmetic cannot be matched to the help file, stop and ask the operator rather than guessing.

Do not confuse hit frequency with a profitable round

Provider sheets can publish hit frequency or category probabilities. A hit simply means a round returned a qualifying amount; it can be smaller than the stake. “Big”, “Mega” or “Epic” thresholds are provider reporting categories, not promises. They are useful for comparing mathematical versions only when definitions and samples are the same.

Random outcomes do not become due after a long gap. A feature that appeared repeatedly in a demo or marketing clip has no obligation to repeat in a funded session. Previous rounds do not create a debt from the next random result.

Confirm market and device behaviour independently

A title can exist in the supplier catalogue while an operator disables it for a territory, currency, device or bonus. Language localisation is not evidence of legal availability. Confirm the operator's identity, accepted countries and current lobby separately from the provider review.

On mobile, verify that balance, total bet, feature state and help remain visible without overlap. On desktop, check that browser zoom does not hide a purchase control or change the apparent denomination. Mathematical configuration should not change merely because the screen changes; if the help shows another RTP, treat it as a different deployment and record it.

Keep a compact evidence record

For any fact used in a review, save the title, provider, official URL, document date when available, access date and exact territorial scope. For a live session, add the operator domain, Game ID, RTP, currency and a non-sensitive screenshot of the help panel. This makes later corrections possible when a supplier updates a sheet or an operator changes configuration.

Missing information should remain missing. Do not estimate an RTP from results, convert a euro reference range into an operator's NZD limit, or treat another casino's configuration as evidence. A transparent “not confirmed” is more useful than a precise-looking number without the correct source.

Use limits that survive the feature design

Collection meters, expanding grids, sticky symbols and near misses can make a session feel unfinished. Unless the rules explicitly preserve progress, the visible state has no value after the round or feature ends. Set a money limit and time limit before launch, count feature buys immediately, and stop at the limit even when a meter appears close to an upgrade.

No random game is an income plan. Do not borrow, use essential funds or raise the stake to recover a loss. If play stops feeling recreational, use timeout, deposit-limit or self-exclusion tools and consult the site's responsible gambling guide.