IGT’s Bejeweled slot machines are likely the first slots game based on a Web-based video game. When Bejeweled fever swept the country twenty years ago, it didn’t take long for a game designer to realize that the tile-matching game is a perfect fit for slot machine play.
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Like the game its based on, the Bejeweled slot machine is available in a few different versions. Also like the hugely-popular Web-based game, Bejeweled slots are available in a free-play format. You can play most versions of IGT’s Bejeweled slots for free either to get familiar with the games or to train yourself to play in a brick and mortar format.
This post covers all the basics of IGT’s Bejeweled slots, from symbols and bonus rounds to instructions on how to play for free online.
Table of Contents
Bejeweled Facts
Bejeweled is a tile-matching puzzle game designed for play on Web browsers. It came out in 2001, developed by a small company called PopCap. Its original version was a Java game, a simple application that ran only on Web browsers, and its original name was Diamond Mine.
The purpose of the game Bejeweled is simple – swap adjacent gems of the same color to create a row or line of 3 or more gems, which then disappear, clearing the board. The ultimate goal is to totally clear a board while scoring as many points as possible.
In the game, the jewels come in seven colors – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and white. Special effects produce bonus points. Chain reactions, in which clearing one row or line ends up creating more lines that then clear to create more clearing lines, are the most valuable play in the game, rewarding huge amounts of bonus points.
One of the first browser games to go viral, Bejeweled would eventually be downloaded more than 150 million times, and spawn a mini-library of sequels, including Bejeweled Twist, Bejeweled Blitz, and Bejeweled Stars. The game is such a big part of the story of online gaming, it was inducted into the Computer Video Game Hall of Fame in 2020.
IGT’s Bejeweled Slot – the Basics
Bejeweled is a 5 reel slot with 9 pay lines. Its symbol layout and pay table are simple – besides a scatter symbol, there’s nothing fancy about the game. There’s no wild symbol and no bonus round in the traditional sense.
Denominations available are $0.50, $1, $2, $5, or $10, and you can bet anywhere from 1 to 45 credits per spin. That gives a total betting range between $0.50 and $450 per spin.
This is a straightforward (almost classic-style) video slot where the goal is to hit the top jackpot. The game’s top prize is $5,000,000, won by lining up five crown symbols while betting $10 per credit. The second-tier jackpot, won by lining up 5 gold bar or stack of cash symbols on an active line, is nothing to sneeze at, either. It’s worth $500,000 at a $10 per credit bet.
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This is a high variance slot. That means you can go a long time without winning much, but those wins tend to be worth a lot of credits. Before writing this post, I played a few rounds on a free play trainer version online, and I once went eleven spins without a win, before hitting a big 4,500 credit payout. When you play Bejeweled, that’s how your session is likely to go.
IGT posts that Bejeweled has a 95% RTP, but you can’t necessarily trust that information, since each casino hosting the game can tweak the rules a tiny bit to adjust that figure in either direction to suit their needs.
Bejeweled Slot Machine Symbols
The symbol layout for IGT’s Bejeweled slot machine is notable for what it doesn’t have -a wild symbol.
- Crown Symbol
This is the game’s top-tier payout symbol. It pays out 500,000 credits when you line up five on an active pay line. - Gold Bars Symbol
One of two second-tier payout symbols. Pays out 50,000 credits when you line up five on an active pay line. - Stacks of Cash Symbol
The other second-tier payout symbol. Pays out 50,000 credits when you line up five on an active pay line. - Ruby & Sapphire Jewels Symbol
The game’s fourth-tier payout symbol. Pays out 20,000 credits when you line up five on an active pay line. - Emerald & Amethyst Symbol
The game’s fifth-tier and least valuable payout symbol. Pays out 15,000 credits when you line up five on an active pay line. - Scatter Symbol
The Euro symbol (€) acts as the game’s scatter symbol, which pay at any position anywhere on the screen. Scatter wins are added to base game wins. This is also the game’s third-tier payout symbol, handing out 35,000 credits when you line up five on an active pay line.
Bejeweled Slot Machine Gamble Feature
On certain wins, you’ll be offered the option of claiming your prize or gambling. If you choose to gamble your winnings, the screen will change to a playing card table, a stack of cards, and five empty spaces. Each of those spaces represents a chance to double your payout.
The gamble you’re playing is simple – pick the color of the next card drawn, red or black. That means you’ve got a 50% chance to double your money up to five times in a row. After each round, you can choose to play again, or claim your prize and head back to the base game.
Picking five times in a row successfully may seem like a longshot, but it’s not that unrealistic mathematically. You have about a 1 in 32 chance of picking red or black correctly five times in a row.
Bejeweled 3D
The most recent variation of the game released by IGT is Bejeweled 3D, with a large cascading 4×5 board, a four-tiered wide area progressive system, and digital 3D visual effects that make the game even more eye-catching.
The base game plays very similar to the base Bejeweled game, but adds several bonus games:
Key Collect Bonus
Players choose one of three keys to reveal a random credit prize.
Castle Bonus
Players pick a castle door from the bejeweled castle on the screen, which opens to reveal a random credit prize.
Ice Wheel Bonus
This is a spin and collect bonus game with a couple of differences. Based on the triggering combination, players may have the option of freezing one, two, or all three spinning wheels. The combination of the three wheels leads to a random credit prize, a number of free spins, and a win multiplier during those spins.
Free Games Bonus
A set of treasure chests appear on the screen. Players pick from one to three chests depending on the triggering combo – these chests reveal free spins, bonus retriggers, or instant credit prizes.
How to Play IGT’s Bejeweled Slot Machine for Free
Thanks to the fact that IGT’s Bejeweled series is getting on in years, you can easily find free-play versions online. A quick Google search will take you to dozens of different options for playing IGT’s Bejeweled slot machine for free.
People like to do this to train themselves on the game before they play for real money, or just for entertainment purposes. Most of these free play games give you a limited number of free credits. The rest of the game looks and plays exactly like the real thing, except for the fact that your bets aren’t based on real money.
Conclusion
Bejeweled was created to cash in on the browser game that was enjoying a huge rush of popularity at the time. You can find IGT’s Bejeweled at online casinos and traditional brick and mortar casinos all over the world.
If you want to try your hand at Bejeweled slots for pretend money before you play for real, you can easily do so. Playing a free-play version of the game will get you used to its high volatility. You’ll also get used to the gambling option, and the pay table.
