Galactic Gems rules and blocker-driven respins

Galactic Gems is PG Soft catalogue ID 86. The checked English game-information document is version 1.0 r887, updated 8 July 2025. It uses a five-reel, five-row field whose available win routes expand from 45 to 3,125 ways as twelve fixed blockers are removed.

The rules state 96.74% RTP, medium volatility and an advertised maximum of 50,000×. Main-game wins award respins and destroy blockers; clearing all twelve opens a bonus mode with a multiplier and extra-life system. The source does not establish access through a New Zealand operator.

Verified specification

Field	PG Soft r887 reference	Practical check
Catalogue identity	ID 86	Exact record
Layout	5 reels × 5 rows	Fixed full field
Evaluation	45–3,125 ways	Blocker-dependent routes
RTP	96.74%	Reference configuration
Volatility	Medium	Supplier classification
Overall hit rate	22.70%	Long-run model statistic
Main-game progress	12 fixed blockers	Winners remove blockers
Bonus start	All blockers destroyed	1 life · 1× multiplier
Life gain	15 winning symbols collected	+1 extra life
Maximum win	50,000×	Advertised cap

The return model assigns 54.53 percentage points to the main game and 42.21 to the Bonus Respin Feature. Their hit rates are 20.47% and 2.23%. These statistics identify the tested configuration rather than forecasting a personal session.

Why the ways range changes

The board is always five reels by five rows, but twelve positions begin blocked. With fewer open positions, the game starts at 45 ways. Removing blockers exposes more symbol locations until the full arrangement can evaluate 3,125 ways.

A higher ways count means more possible left-to-right combinations can be evaluated; it does not guarantee that a winning symbol lands on them. When checking the board, count which fixed positions are still blocked and read the displayed ways value rather than calculating from visual gaps alone.

The blockers belong to specific positions. They are not ordinary symbols that fall or move after every result. Progress is tied to their removal, so a screenshot should include the entire grid rather than only the winning route.

Main-game wins produce respins

Any main-game spin with one or more winning combinations awards a respin. Before that next respin begins, each winning symbol destroys one blocker. The board therefore opens in response to the number of symbols that participated in the win.

Do not confuse “each winning symbol” with “each winning way”. A single symbol can contribute to several ways, but the rule describes symbols as the destruction unit. Count the distinct winning positions highlighted by the game before comparing how many blockers disappear.

A respin without a win ends the current main-game sequence. It does not use the extra-life rule, which is reserved for the Bonus Respin Feature after all blockers have gone.

Clearing the twelve blockers

The bonus begins only when all twelve fixed blockers are destroyed. Eleven removed positions are visible progress, not an award and not proof that the final blocker must disappear soon.

Because winning symbols remove blockers before the next respin, one sufficiently large result can clear several remaining positions at once. Record the blocker count before the win, the number of distinct winning symbols and the count on the next board.

Once the twelfth blocker disappears, the Bonus Respin Feature starts with one extra life and a 1× multiplier. These are initial state values, not prizes paid separately.

Bonus respin multiplier

Every bonus respin that contains one or more winning combinations awards another bonus respin and raises the multiplier by one. All wins on that respin are multiplied by the current displayed value.

The ordering matters. Record the multiplier shown before settlement, the base win and the value prepared for the following respin. Do not apply the newly increased multiplier backwards to the result that earned it unless the live animation and Help wording explicitly show that order.

The bonus continues through wins because each win awards another respin. Its duration therefore depends on the result sequence rather than a fixed number of starting spins.

Extra lives prevent one empty result

If a bonus respin has no win and at least one extra life remains, one life is consumed and another bonus respin is awarded. The failed spin does not increase the multiplier because the increase requires a winning combination.

Collecting 15 winning symbols adds one extra life. Again, count distinct winning symbol positions, not ways. Keep a running total only within the bonus state shown by the client, and observe whether the counter resets after a life is awarded.

When a no-win respin occurs with no extra life available, the continuation condition has ended. An almost-complete 15-symbol collection does not protect the round unless the life has actually been credited.

Worked bonus sequence

The feature opens at 1× with one life. The first bonus respin wins with six contributing symbols: the award uses the current multiplier, another respin is granted and the multiplier advances by one. A second win contributes nine symbols, bringing the collection to 15 and earning an extra life.

If the next respin loses, one available life is consumed and play continues, but the multiplier does not rise. A later win again awards a respin and advances the value. Logging multiplier, symbol collection and lives in separate columns keeps these three systems from being conflated.

The precise display order in the live client should decide whether a threshold animation resolves before or after the multiplier animation. Preserve the full result rather than reconstructing it from the ending balance alone.

Maximum, simulation and reference stakes

The advertised maximum is 50,000× the bet. The rules table reports 2,658× as maximum exposure observed in one billion simulated spins. The first is a ceiling; the second is a particular simulation result. Neither is a likely target.

PG Soft lists bet sizes 0.01, 0.05 and 0.4 across ten levels, with a default EUR range of €0.25–€100. Those are reference settings, not NZD limits. A player should verify actual currency, total stake and operator limits in the loaded client.

Mobile and history evidence

The supplier lists iOS, Android, HTML5, macOS and Windows, with a 1080×2340 portrait reference. On mobile, all 25 cells, remaining blockers, ways counter, multiplier and life counter must remain readable. If an animation covers the board, wait for the settled state before capturing evidence.

After an interruption, open game history before another spin. Match round ID, stake, blocker count, destroyed positions, winning-symbol collection, lives used, multiplier stages and final settlement. A resumed animation may omit earlier removals.

Demo and New Zealand boundary

PG Soft may make a preview available in its catalogue. The sponsored routes on this article are not labelled as a Galactic Gems demo. The supplier PDF documents r887 globally but does not prove New Zealand availability.

Check authenticated lobby access and territorial terms. If the live Help file presents another RTP, revision or ways description, save it as a separate dated deployment rather than merging the figures.

Player-fit assessment

Galactic Gems may appeal to readers who like visible board progression and a bonus with three trackable state variables. It may be less suitable for someone who wants a fixed-payline layout or a feature with a guaranteed number of rounds.

Set spending and time limits before play. Remaining blockers and accumulated winning symbols can make progress feel banked, but they do not guarantee the next spin will win or complete the bonus.

Evidence checklist

1. Match catalogue ID 86 and version 1.0 r887.
2. Record 96.74% from the loaded Help screen.
3. Capture all twelve fixed blocker positions.
4. Count distinct winning symbols, not ways.
5. Record ways before and after blocker removal.
6. Separate multiplier, life and symbol counters.
7. Note whether a respin came from a win or a spent life.
8. Save stake, round ID and final settlement.

Reconstructing a blocker sequence

Start with a sketch of the twelve fixed blocked positions. After every winning main-game result, shade the distinct winning cells and cross out the same number of blockers removed by the client. Once the bonus begins, stop using that diagram and open a new ledger for multiplier, lives and collected winning symbols. This change of record mirrors the change of rules. It prevents a main-game blocker removal from being counted toward the bonus life threshold, or a bonus win from being described as opening more ways after the full field is already available. If history supplies only the settled outcome, label missing intermediate states as unavailable instead of reconstructing them as facts.

FAQ

What RTP is documented?

Version r887 states 96.74%.

How many ways are used?

The grid ranges from 45 to 3,125 ways as blockers are removed.

What triggers the bonus?

Destroying all twelve fixed blockers.

How does the multiplier increase?

Each winning bonus respin raises it by one for the next stage.

How is an extra life earned?

Collecting 15 winning symbols adds one life.

Is New Zealand access confirmed?

No. Operator-specific evidence is required.

Sources

• PG Soft, Galactic Gems Game Information, version 1.0 r887, updated 8 July 2025.
• PG Soft official catalogue record for game ID 86, checked 9 October 2026.

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 PG Soft, 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.