Swedish online game developer Play’n GO‘s new nature-themed slot is not at all what it appears to be, with its dynamic reels and splitting symbols, Shimming Woods packs quite a punch!

This highly entertaining video slot is set in what looks to be an enchanted forest, where you’ll find a 5-reel, 3-row grid with the game’s symbols, including 10-A card icons, followed by four separate gems of higher value. The latter payout one to three times the stake when lines of five land on the reels. There is another gem, which serves as the game’s wild symbol and lands on all reels. it is equal in value to the most valuable diamond premium and can replace any pay symbol to complete a winning combination.

“It’s important to introduce new experiences within the framework of what players love.”

Innovative mechanic:

The exciting slot’s Splitting Symbols increase the number of payways on the grid, with one of the in-game symbols selected to be the one that splits, and however many land on the reels are instantly split like cells. This mechanic skyrockets the standard 243 payways to a massive  7,776 payways!

That, combined with a progressive extra spins feature, where multiple splitting symbols and re-triggers can be achieved by players throughout the round, makes for a perfect example of how to put an innovative spin on a well-known game design for players.

Familiar but different:

In keeping with his belief that innovating existing concepts is equally important as creating something new, Chief Executive Officer for Play’n GO, Johan Törnqvist explained in a company press release…

“Things become popular for a reason; when something strikes a chord with a fanbase, they want more of it. But it’s not just about repeating the same thing in different packaging.” The CEO emphasized the importance of introducing “new experiences within the framework of what players love.”

“You don’t always need to reinvent the wheel, but it’s important to keep things fresh,” Törnqvist said.

Crowd stand-out:

The Växjö-headquartered developer is known for putting their own spin on industry staples, whether it be mechanics, formats, or themes. A shining example of that would be their cascading gridslots, which rank among the most popular in the iGaming market.

The developer’s imaginative interpretations of slot themes such as Ancient Greece and Norse mythology are what separates Play’n GO from the rest in an increasingly crowded market. Even in their previously released payways slots, feature-rich titles like Perfect Gems, Coils of Cash, and Frozen Gems have all been unique from the standard payways formula.

Available from March 25 in multiple jurisdictions, Shimmering Woods is a high volatility game with an RTP of 96.20 percent and can be experienced on all devices in multiple languages.