Slot Features
Slot games have come a long way since they left the confines of bricks-and-mortar casinos, where traditional (and mechanical) fruit slots ruled the roost. These fruit slots (also found in pubs, restaurants, gaming halls and other establishments) featured straightforward designs with 3x1 play tables with paylines in the low single digits. Typically, these fruit slots would have no bonus features to speak of other than perhaps a hold-and-win mechanic that would spin some reels but not others to (hopefully) land a winning combination.
| Bonus Rounds | Jackpots | Payouts |
| Multipliers | Reels | Special Features |
| Symbols | Wilds | Match Features |
The advent of the digital era has transformed slot games as they escaped the confines of the physical casino space. Online developers were now able to experiment in terms of play table sizes, paylines, themes, visuals, soundtracks, game mechanics and more; dozens of slot developers worked hard developing 100s, then 1000s, of online slot games that run the gamut of classic retro themes to mythology, fantasy, action, adventure, history, fishing, mining, nature, animals, and more. Beyond this, the jump to the online space was the advent of slot features.
What Are Slot Features?
But what exactly are slot features? Simply, gameplay mechanics that help players land winning combinations to win a potential prize or cash value. They are also a tool in a developer's arsenal, an exciting layer they add on top of a slot's theme and audio-visual presentation to create the most thrilling and entertaining games possible. In doing so, slot features have become a staple of modern online slots. Even when developers create a classic, retro throwback fruit slot, they sometimes sneak in a slot feature or two, including larger play tables and paylines than what was possible with mechanical fruit slots. If not, they spruce up the graphics and music to entertain and entice. In short, slot features have become an established and expected part of almost every modern slot game.
What Are Some Of The Most Popular Slot Features?
There is a wealth of slot features that developers can pick and choose from when designing their latest online slot game, and we'll go through some of the most popular ones here.
Play tables
Slot games have surpassed the days when all developers could offer were simple 3x1 play tables with singular paylines. And although most modern slots feature 5x3 game grid layouts, play tables can come in various sizes, including 5x4, 5x5, 6x4, and 6x5. Games with cluster pay mechanics can even sport 8x8 game grid layouts. Megways slots usually have 6-reel layouts with anywhere between 2 - 7 rows, depending on the in-game action and size of the symbols in play.
Paylines
Allied to the expanded play tables, the number of paylines has also increased. Traditional fruit slots might have single-number paylines. Modern slots offer a variety of paylines. 10 and 20 are the most common, but these can increase to 30, 50, 243 and even 4,096. Some slots also allow wins on both horizontal and vertical lines And if we talk about Megaways slots, these usually feature 117,649 paylines to land matched combinations across - a far cry from the old-school fruit slots.
Special Symbols
Most slot games use traditional playing cards for their low-value symbols and iconography related to the slot theme for the high-value ones. However, modern slots also have special symbols that can help trigger bonus features or step in for regular paying symbols.
For example, Scatter symbols normally trigger a Free Spins round. Wild symbols substitute for high and low-value symbols; these can also land partially or fully stacked on the reels and award multipliers. Furthermore, Wild symbols can also award payouts for landing a specific number on the reels.
These are not the only special symbols players can find in modern slot games. Bonus symbols can activate certain bonus features or mini-games. Multiplier symbols can multiply players' winnings, and so on. Split symbols can split into two or more identical symbols, doubling or even tripling the potential payout!
Multipliers
Multipliers work in various ways with the potential to increase winnings. We've already mentioned multiplier and multiplier Wild symbols that can multiply a person's bet stake when part of a winning combination. However, multipliers can form part of Free Spins rounds, where winnings can be subject to a multiplier fixed for all spins or increase with each spin. Some slots have bonus rounds with active multipliers as well. In games with cascading reels, multipliers can increase with each consecutive win. For instance, a 1x multiplier might apply to the first win, 2x to the second, and so on.
Cascading Reels
Usually found in Megaways slots (and some non-Megaways slots), cascading reels - also known as avalanches or tumbles - cause symbols that participate in winning combinations to disappear to make room for new symbols, increasing the potential to land consecutive winning combinations. Specific slots add to the excitement by adding multipliers (as discussed) or additional rows or reels, expanding the play table in the process.
Jackpots
Jackpots fall into two categories: fixed and progressive. Fixed jackpots form part of many slot games and are usually labelled Mini, Minor, Major, Grand (or Mega), each with a larger prize than the next. Jackpots can be won via pick-me bonuses or landing a certain combination of symbols.
Progressive jackpots - like the ones in the vast majority of Red Tiger slots - link various slots together to create a shared jackpot pool that increases with time until a player wins the jackpot.
Megaways
One of the most popular slot features is the game-changing Megaways mechanic. Created by Aussie developer Big Time Gaming (BTG, for short), Megaways allows for dynamic play tables that can change the number of rows on each spin. Megaways also allows for 100s of 1000s of paylines for an increased chance of landing a win. The mechanic proved so popular that BTG started licensing it to other developers, allowing them to update and create Megaways-specific versions of their favourite slots. Imitators followed in its wake. Red Tiger, for example, developed the Power Reels mechanic that allows game grids to have 8x8 layouts. Companies like North Lights Gaming developed their proprietary Ultraways mechanic that allows up to 1 million ways to win!
Free Spins
The most popular slot feature is the Free Spins bonus. Usually triggered by landing a specific amount of Scatter symbols, players gain the ability to spin the reels multiple times without the need to wager, thereby increasing the number of chances to land a winning combination. Landing additional Scatters on the reels can also award extra free spins for an even greater chance of landing winning combinations.
Respins
Respins are similar (but not quite the same) as free spins and can be triggered in various ways. For example, landing specific bonus symbols can trigger respins. Triggering certain bonus rounds can also award respins. In certain slots, landing a winning combination might trigger a respin, often with the winning symbols locked in place.
Games With The Best Slot Features At Lottomart
Now that we've covered the most popular and often-used slot features, let's look at a few of the best slot games to incorporate the said features.
Starburst
Released in 2013, NetEnt's galaxy-spanning Starburst slot has been a fan-favourite for over a decade now, and it's not hard to see why with exciting bonus features like expanding Wilds, respins and a Win Both Ways mechanic via which players can score wins from the left and the right, while the cosmos-inspired visuals add to the immersion and atmosphere!
Immortal Romance
Immortal Romance, the gothic vampire tale has been a favourite among slot gamers since 2011, thanks to its dark, gothic atmosphere and a slew of bonus features that include four Free Spins rounds, each awarding a different number of spins and multipliers. Meanwhile, the Wild Desire Bonus randomly turns up to five reels wild on any spin. The slot was so popular that a sequel followed, expanding the story of the main cast.
Bonanza
Released in 2016, Bonanza Megaways was the second-ever slot to use BTG's signature game mechanic, offering a maximum of 117,649 paylines with an extra reel above reels 2 - 5 of the main game grid. A mining-themed slot, Bonanza Megaways' bonus features include a cascading reels mechanic (called Reactions) alongside Free Spins with an unlimited win multiplier that increases by +1 on every successful reaction! A spiritual successor - Extra Chilli Megaways - followed two years later.
Centurion Megaways
If there's a prize for the most bonus features crammed into one slot, then Inspired Gaming's 2020 Roman-themed online game takes the cake! Apart from the already unique theme and vibrant visual presentation, Centurion Megaways offers a range of bonuses, starting with the Bonus Wheel that can unlock various features, two different Free Spins bonus rounds, multipliers, cash prizes, Wild Reels, reel modifiers, cascading reels and the Megaways mechanic with up to 117,649 ways to win! So, if you're looking for a slot that incorporates almost every conceivable slot feature, Centurion Megaways is it!
Wolf Gold
Released in 2017, Pragmatic Play's Wolf Gold is the nature-themed slot set in the American West that showcases a wealth of bonus features, including free spins, respins, colossal symbols, jackpots and more!
Find A Variety Of Slot Features At Lottomart
Slot game providers use a combination of popular themes, attractive graphics, captivating soundtracks and a balance of slot features to engage players. Of course, developers are judicious with the slot features they can add to any given title. After all, they can't include them all! So they pick and choose, and most slot games will include one, two or even three (or sometimes even more) slot features, with free spins being the most used one. And with 3,000+ slots on the Lottomart site, each one with its combination of different slot features (not to mention themes and audio-visual presentations), players have access to a diverse range of gameplay experiences. And that diversity will continue to grow as our slots library does!
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