Introduction to Shimmering Woods
Shimmering Woods is a casino slot from Play'n GO, set in a magical forest filled with precious gems casually scattered in the colourful shrubbery. While we usually expect these gleaming stones to be a part of some mining setting, this time they're out in the open natural spaces, dotting the relaxing woodland landscape. How they appeared there is quite a conundrum. It might be magic, they might have been lost during a transport going through the forest, or this could just be a dream. However, the max win of 25,000x the bet that they can generate is anything but imagination, and you can achieve it by relying on the game's powerful multipliers, splitting symbols, and free spins.
Head in and find the right path to the riches, or try the demo mode at the top of this page to plan the way ahead without any risk.
Theme, Gameplay & Payouts
Shimmering Woods is a video slot from Play’n GO with 5 reels, 3-6 rows, and up to 7,776 ways to win. The game offers a wide range of bet options, allowing you to choose your stake from as little as a Min.bet of 0.10 up to a Max.bet of 100. The math profile operates on a default RTP of 96.20%, which is in line with the industry average, although several lower variants have also been released to the operators, including 94.20%, 91.20%, 87.20%, and 84.20%. Therefore, make sure to verify your version before playing. The balance between frequent low-value wins and rarer big hits should feel relatively even because of medium volatility, while the maximum prize achievable within a single spin is 25,000x the bet.
Shimmering Woods welcome us with a serene atmosphere of an enchanted forest, where time flows slowly, and the weather is always pleasant. The picturesque clearing that forms the background behind the reels shows a natural view painted in soft green and brown colours, with occasional glittering clusters of diamonds protruding from the ground. A calm, orchestral soundtrack flows effortlessly, permeating the setting with peaceful vibes. It's a genuinely enjoyable spot, where you can spin the reels on any modern device thanks to the game's fully optimised, responsive design. Jump in anytime on any desktop, smartphone, or tablet!
The paytable carries two groups of symbols, which award payouts whenever you match at least 3 of them on adjoining reels, starting from the leftmost one. The low-paying icons come in the form of wooden tiles with playing card icons, 10, J, Q, K, and A, awarding from 0.3x to 0.4x the bet for matching 5 on a winning way. Gemstones like a ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, and a diamond represent the high-paying symbols. Those bring payouts from 1x to 3x the bet when you hit them on a way spanning all 5 reels. In addition, there are Wilds represented by a round diamond and Scatters appearing as a multicoloured gemstone.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot Shimmering Woods?
You can win up to 25,000x the bet.
What features are available in the slot Shimmering Woods?
The features are Cascading, Win Multiplier, Splitting Symbols, and Free Spins.
Cascading
Every scored combination begins a cascading sequence, during which winning symbols are cleared from the grid to make room for new icons dropping from the top. This can potentially lead to more wins within the same round. Cascading continues until no more successful combinations can be created.
Win Multiplier
The Win Multiplier starts from x1 at the beginning of every base game spin. It increases by 1 with every consecutive cascade triggered within the same game round.
Splitting Symbols
One symbol from the pool of all regular symbols is selected on each spin and displayed in a box above the grid. All instances of that symbol will split into two upon landing in view.
Free Spins
Landing 3 Scatters on reels 1, 3, and 5 leads to Free Spins. However, before the round begins, there's a chance that the Shimmer Feature will activate and split some of the Scatters, thus enabling more Splitting Symbols to be active throughout the bonus.
3 Scatters = 10 free spins and 1 Splitting Symbol.
4 Scatters = 13 free spins and 2 Splitting Symbols.
5 Scatters = 16 free spins and 3 Splitting Symbols.
6 Scatters = 19 free spins and 4 Splitting Symbols.
It's possible to enable more Splitting Symbols during free spins through retriggers achieved by landing 3, 4, 5, or 6 Scatters at the same time.
Final Thoughts on Shimmering Woods
Even though gems in various shapes and forms are the backbone of slots' symbol design, we rarely get to see them in such a peaceful, natural setting. In Shimmering Woods, Play'n GO combined two completely different worlds, turning the usual classic environment for diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds into something unique and utterly enjoyable. It's a welcome alternative to all those loud scenes, abounding in high-energy animations, flashing lights, and garish colours. So, if you long for some relaxing spinning while listening to calm orchestral music, this should be a perfect proposition.
From the technical standpoint, the game utilises much of the setup we've seen in Perfect Gems, a release from 2019. Splitting Symbols and increasing multipliers are present in both base games; however, the former are now clearly displayed in a mini-reel above the grid instead of being random. Also, you only get one Splitting Symbol per round. Free Spins, on the other hand, focus on those dividing positions, awarding up to 4 Splitting Symbols from the start, with the possibility to activate the entire paytable and enjoy 7,776 ways to win on every spin. This time around, the multiplier's role is significantly diminished, as it still resets between rounds during free spins. Too bad, because with both those elements combined, this could have been an utterly powerful bonus. Still, the 25,000x max win the game offers is nothing to sneeze at, so maybe that's enough indeed.
Shimmering Woods builds on the studio's known mechanics, applying subtle changes to shift the focus between features and boost the winning potential.
