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June 19, 2021

Innovative Online Slots Features You Can’t Miss

Emily Thompson
Written byEmily ThompsonWriter
Researched byPriya PatelResearcher
Localised byEthan WilliamsLocaliser

Log into any online casino, and the chances are that your first game to play is a video slot. That’s because developers of these games aim for the best with sleek designs, engaging gameplay, and high payouts. However, staying at the top is a different ballgame altogether.

Innovative Online Slots Features You Can’t Miss

So, game developers have to go out of their way to create crème de la crème slots features to keep their portfolios fresh and relevant. So, this article looks at some revolutionary video slot features of recent years.

243 Ways to Win

Video slot fans used to be mesmerized by games offering 40 or 50 paylines. However, things have changed as players can now access up to 243 ways to win. The first game to offer this lucrative feature is Burning Desire, launched in 2009. In this game, players form a winning combination by matching symbols in adjacent reels.

As expected, the first symbol of the winning combo must begin at the first reel. As a result, you can get 243 winning ways in a 5x3 grid. Some 5x4 slots even go as far as offering 1,024 ways to win.

Megaways

In 2015, BTG (Big Time Gaming) dished out the first video slot with the Megaways feature – Dragon Born. Today, it’s arguably the most popular slot feature that’s currently rocking slot machines offering jackpots. Here, players get a whopping 117,649 ways to win. Here is how it works; when playing a video slot on a 6x3 grid, you can expand the grid to 6x7. In that case, you’ll create the 117,649 ways to win.

Megaclusters

Here is another revolutionary online slots feature developed by the Australian-based Big Time Gaming. At first, you may confuse it with a mere cluster pays game, which is slightly true. But the developer takes the whole concept a notch higher. How does Megaclusters work?

Well, whenever you form a winning combo, all icons that form it divide into smaller symbols. So, instead of a single host symbol, you’ll have four. In return, the number of winning symbols can change with new spins. Typically, the game begins on a 4x4 grid with 16 icons, expanding to 64 symbols.

Infinity Reels (ReelPlay) / InfiniReels (NetEnt)

NetEnt and ReelPlay must have been a worried lot after the recent success of the Megaways mechanic by BTG on most online casinos. In response? They invented Infinity Reels or InfiniReels, allowing players to play on a 3x3 grid and get a free spin after creating a winning combo.

After that, the grid expands with an additional reel. This mechanic continues for as long as you win, creating an infinite amount of reels (at least in theory). Then, the grid resets to the original format if no new matching combo forms.

Cascading Reels

The Cascading Reels feature is NetEnt’s brainchild, debuting on Gonzo’s Quest in 2010. This avalanche feature sees symbols of a winning combo give way to brand-new icons. The primary selling point, in this case, is that players can keep creating wins without placing another wager. In short, you can win more money for free playing games with this feature.

Gigablox

It will be unfair not to list Yggdrasil Gaming’s Gigablox. This game-changing feature made its debut on the recently-launched Lucky Neko. It adds a brand-new game dimension by changing the reels’ sizes on every spin. In other words, icons can cover several grid sections, giving players multiple ways to create a winning combo. Gigablox icons can appear in 2x2 to 6x6 sizes.

Conclusion

These online slots features are a sure sign that game developers are working extra hard to offer new and better gaming experiences. In fact, innovation is the main reason why slot machines are the most popular online casino games. And going by the look of things, the industry is about to see more from these innovative developers.

About the author
Priya Patel
Priya Patel

Hailing from New Zealand's picturesque landscapes, Priya Patel is the research dynamo behind OnlineCasinoRank's in-depth insights. Her meticulous approach to data and trends has revolutionized how gamers perceive and navigate the online casino landscape.

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