Crystal Catcher

Review Crystal Catcher

Push Gaming has unearthed a hidden mining shaft deep beneath the surface, where glistening crystals await. Immerse yourself in this thrilling mining adventure, surrounded by the glow of purple gems and lanterns illuminating your path. The graphics are well designed, although not groundbreaking, and the pulsating soundtrack adds energy to the overall atmosphere. In this Crystal Catcher review you’re about to learn everything about the game. This review is oriented towards the market in New Zealand and NZ casinos.

How to Play

Playing Crystal Catcher is straightforward, especially if you’re familiar with other titles that are produced by Push Gaming. Here’s all you need to know about this how to play the Crystal Catcher pokie from Push Gaming:

• First, choose a reputable online casino in New Zealand. We recommend licensed online casinos that provide a safe and secure gaming experience.
• Once the casino game interface loads, and you’ll see a 7-reel by 7-row grid. The game uses a cluster pays mechanic, where your goal is to form blocks of 5+ identical symbols in vertical or horizontal positions.
• Click the Coins icon to access the total bet selector. Scroll up or down to choose your preferred stake value. Crystal Catcher offers a range of betting options, accommodating both conservative players and high rollers, with betting ranging from $0.10 to $100. After selecting your bet, close the selector and click Spin to start playing. Alternatively, you can use the Autoplay function for continuous gameplay.
• The turbo mode can be activated to increase the reel speed. Access the paytable, help, and information pages through the Menu sign.
• Set your betting limits, loss limits, and time limits before you start your session and you make your first real money bet.

Symbol Wins

Crystal Catcher takes you inside a mineshaft, where your objective is to search for different precious crystals. The backdrop features shades of purple, providing a bird’s-eye view of the mineshaft. The soundtrack sets the pace with its rhythmic beats. On the grid, you’ll encounter crystals of six different colours: purple, blue, green, pink, yellow, and red. The red crystal is the most valuable symbol, awarding 100x your total bet for a cluster of 16+. The casino game by Push Gaming also features two wild symbols that substitute for all the aforementioned paying symbols. The Wild Gold Beetle and the Wild Blue Beetle both come with a multiplier, starting at 1x. The multiplier increases when the Wild Beetle participates in the Crystal Catcher feature, which will be explained in the next section. Additionally, you’ll come across Crystal and Bonus Crystal symbols, as well as Instant Prize symbols. Here is what the different symbols in the game mean for you:

Bonus Features

The Crystal Catcher pokie game offers a total of six bonus features to enhance your gameplay. One of these features is the cascades feature, where winning clusters trigger symbol removal and the collapse of remaining symbols, allowing for consecutive wins. The Crystal Catcher feature is another exciting aspect, activated when a Wild Beetle lands on the grid alongside a Crystal, Instant Prize, or Bonus Crystal symbol. The Wild Beetle’s multiplier increases with each collection of these symbols, and any Wild Gold Beetle left behind also benefits from the multiplier.

Cascades feature

Once a winning cluster emerges on the 7×7 grid, the Cascades feature springs into action. Symbols that are part of the winning cluster disappear, causing the remaining symbols on the grid to collapse downwards. To fill the empty spaces, new symbols cascade from the top of the screen. This exciting cascading mechanic opens up the possibility of continuous wins as long as new winning clusters are formed. The cycle repeats until no more winning clusters are created, providing ample opportunities for consecutive victories.

Crystal Catcher feature

Crystal Catcher feature gets activated when a Wild Beetle lands on the grid along with a Crystal, Instant Prize, or Bonus Crystal symbol, all at the same time. With each collection of a Crystal, Bonus Crystal, or Instant Prize symbol, the Wild Beetle multiplier increases by 1. Additionally, any Wild Gold Beetle remaining on the grid will also inherit the multiplier from the Wild Beetle.

In the case where the Wild Beetle is present alongside an Instant Prize symbol, it swiftly moves to the position of the Instant Prize symbol, while leaving a Wild Gold Beetle behind in its original spot. The Instant Prize symbol’s value is instantly paid out, combined with the multiplier from the Wild Beetle. Following this, the Wild Beetle’s multiplier increases by 1.

Also, if the Wild Beetle and a Bonus Crystal symbol are simultaneously visible, the Wild Beetle takes flight to the location of the Bonus Crystal symbol. In its place, a Wild Gold Beetle emerges with the multiplier increasing by 1. This stands for the launch of the Free Games feature. When multiplier Crystals are visible on the grid, the Wild Beetle closely follows the Crystal Catcher feature, leaving a Wild Gold Beetle behind in its previous position, along with the attached multiplier.

Instant Prize feature

Be on the lookout for Instant Prize symbols that hold a value ranging from 1 to 500x the stake. These symbols are obtained when the Wild Beetle symbol takes flight and reaches the Instant Prize symbol. In doing so, it leaves a Wild Gold Beetle symbol in its original position. The value of the Instant Prize symbol is immediately paid out, taking into account any multiplier associated with the Wild Beetle symbol. Once this action takes place, the multiplier of the Wild Beetle symbol increases by 1.

Free Games feature

When the Wild Beetle symbol gathers a Bonus Crystal symbol, the Free Games feature is activated. During this feature, you are granted 7 free spins. With each collection of a Crystal or Instant Prize symbol, the multiplier of the Wild Beetle symbol increases by 1. Additionally, every Wild Gold Beetle symbol that remains on the grid will also receive the multiplier from the Wild Beetle symbol. When a cascade of wins happens, the Wild Beetle symbol stays in its position, ensuring its presence throughout the free spins. However, at the start of a new free spin, the Wild Gold Beetle symbols cascade off the grid.

Ante Bet feature

In order to enhance the likelihood of activating a bonus feature, you have the option to make use of the Ante Bet feature. This feature can be enabled by clicking or pressing the button located on the left side of the grid. By opting for the Ante Bet, your wager amount will be raised by 20%, resulting in an increased Return to Player (RTP) of 96.4%. Importantly, the maximum probability of winning is labelled as 1 in 1,538,462 spins when using the Ante Bet feature, compared to 1 in 2,079,002 spins without it.

Bonus Buy feature

The Crystal Catcher online pokie has a Bonus Buy feature for players in New Zealand. There are twee free spins options with the RTP rising up to 96.56%:

• Normal Bonus: 75x the bet
  • RTP: 96.5%
• Super Bonus:Entry to Free Games feature with increased odds of more Crystal symbols, Instant Prizes and 3 high value paying symbols: 275x the bet
  • RTP: 96.56%

Payout Metrics

The Crystal Catcher pokie offers a Return to Player (RTP) of 96.3%, surpassing the average RTP of online pokies, which is typically 96%. Additionally, there are alternative versions of the game with RTP values of 95.4% and 94.3% that can be found on different pokie sites by clicking on the ‘?’ icon at the top of the game screen. The Crystal Catcher pokie has a medium to high volatility rating of 4 out of 5, providing players with the potential for substantial wins of up to 5,000x their bet. The maximum win probability for this version with a 96.3% RTP is 1 in 2,079,002 spins.

Summary

We have to say that we were delighted by the audio that accompanied this charming mining-themed pokie game created by Push Gaming. The game’s pace is also very pleasant, keeping players engaged throughout. The gemstone and different crystal symbols vary in colours and sizes, creating a visually appealing display, and amidst this sea of vibrant crystals, the Wild Beetle stands out prominently. The Wild Beetle’s prominence is justified, as it plays a crucial role in generating higher payouts at every stage of the game.

The game’s true potential is fully realised when it comes into action during the Crystal Catcher feature. In this feature, the Wild Beetle has the chance to gather significant instant prizes and even activate the bonus round. Whilst Crystal Catcher may not be the most intense release from Push Gaming, it is definitely a solid offering with a moderate level of excitement, offering a potential win of up to 5,000x the bet. Although it may not be their best game ever, most Kiwis are likely to enjoy this game.