The Top 5 Most Interesting Features in Online Slots

Slot games seem to be everywhere nowadays as they grace the floors of brick and mortar casinos and portfolios of online gambling dens. These sets’ popularity above that of any other category has been running for a couple of decades thanks to the available and simple nature of the games.

Even though the straightforward nature of gameplay is listed as one of slots’ most attractive feature, it can also be termed as dull after some time. With the only requirements being stake selection and spinning the reels, it is hard not to see why. Over the years, game developers have added new elements into the games to make them more attractive, for example Dead or Alive Slot. These bonuses fall in similar categories, but they are depicted differently in every slot game. The inclusion of these features is used as a recipe for the creation of the best mobile slot games that punters can explore on sites that offer online casino slots for free. Here are some interesting ones:

Wilds

Wilds stand as the most popular special features in slot games and can be found in nearly all of them. The wild is usually an icon that can play the role of any other when a winning combination needs to be completed. The character’s role of substitution applies to the items next to it on the grid. Mostly, it is restricted from replacing other unique symbols as well. Wilds are typically denoted by icons that match the theme of the game. For instance, the character is indicated by a magical orb in the Rise of Merlin Slot and a grail in The Sword and The Grail Slot. In some slot games, wilds can create combinations of their own on top of completing those of others.

In all cases, wilds play the fundamental role of symbol substitution. However, in some, they are modified to include additional functions like:

• Expanding wilds: This wild appears as a stretched-out character that covers the entire reel it appears on. That way, it can complete a lot more combinations on all three rows.
• Stacked wilds: These icons are similar to expanding wilds in the sense that they cover the entire column they appear on. However, they land as individual symbols rather than a single one that is stretched out.
•  Colossal wilds: These wilds cover several blocks on the screen as one big symbol. Depending on the slot and how big its playtable is, the enormous wild can comprise a two by two or three by three area.
• Sticky wilds: As the name suggests, these icons stick to the screen as the rest of the symbols are sent rolling for the next round. The wild can stay in place for one or several spins.
• Walking wilds: Walking wilds are like sticky wilds, but instead of staying put in one position, the icons move on the grid. In most cases, they shift from one end of the screen to the other and exit when they reach the edge.
• Replicating wilds: Once these symbols land on the grid, they replicate themselves in other areas as they replace standard icons.

Most slot games opt for the basic wild icon, while others include one or more of the special ones listed above.

Progressive Jackpots

Progressive jackpots are labelled as one of the most exciting features to be included in slot games in the past couple of decades. Slot games with this feature include a maximum prize that continues to grow as players engage in gameplay. Each time punters collect a win that is not the jackpot prize, a small portion is deducted to add to the prize kitty, which is how the amount grows. Once the jackpot is won, the amount is set back to a predetermined value, and it starts growing within the same rules as the previous ones.

Progressive jackpots have been catching the eyes of interested parties since their launch in 1986. International Game Technology introduced the feature with the slot Megabucks. The payout was offered in the United States, and Megabucks machines were connected all across the country using phone lines. IGT provided the first million that kicked off the progressive prize, and it was almost a year later that it was collected in Reno. At the time of its collection, the progressive jackpot had accumulated nearly five million dollars.

Bonus Games

Software developers break the monotony of slot gameplay by including mini-games within the main set. These rounds are usually triggered by an event on the reels, which is mostly the appearance of three or more scatter symbols. The rounds are played as soon as they are landed, and some popular ones are:

• Free spins

Free spins have grown to become so prevalent in slot games that running into them is more often than not. These freebies usually award players a specific number of rounds that are played using the same value as the last spin but do not charge the gamer. In some cases, the number of free rounds awarded depends on what unfolds as they play. The bonus feature begins with six spins, and players get an additional two each time good prevails over evil, which translates to landing a payout.

• Pick-Me bonus

This bonus presents players with several hidden items, and they have to pick from the lot to see what they won. The hidden prizes can be credits, multipliers, free spins, or advancement to a higher level of the bonus game. Hot as Hades is one of the many slots that include such a feature and pits players against the most powerful beings in Greek mythology to claim the crystal helm and land the highest prize.

In some pick-me bonuses, players are given a chance to pick more than once. For instance, in Blood Suckers II, players can continue picking as many coffins and treasure chests as long as they do not land the demon. Doing so sends them back to the base game. In others, one is required to pick three of the same items for the round to end.

Avalanche Feature

This slot element replaces the usual spinning of reels that usually sends the columns rolling. Instead, the characters drop from the screen and are replaced by others raining down from the top. This motion is mostly accompanied by the elimination of icons used in the formation of a payout combination. The removal of symbols continues until no more payouts are landed. In most slots, the eliminated characters result in new ones being added to the screen while in others, no more symbols are added.

The avalanche feature was made common in online slots by the NetEnt release Gonzo’s Quest. Since then, it has been exploited by many others with some, including unique twists in how it plays out.

Gamble Feature

Some software developers like Merkur Gaming have made the gamble feature a staple in all their titles. This round is optional for gamblers who would like to double their payouts. In the gamble game, punters can be asked to choose the colour of a down-facing poker card, the winning side of a coin toss, or climb a ladder. The winnings collected are used as the wager for the gamble feature.

Wrap Up

Different slot games present these bonus rounds in a variety of ways, but they function similarly at their core. The various exciting elements can be assessed in free games before one can play slots carrying them for real money.