Slot Mechanics that Represent the New Face of Slot Gaming
Slot games are a significant part of the casino experience. The benefits of playing them are manifold, but the main appeal lies in the pure, effortless entertainment. Each slot game comes with no strings attached, i.e. it requires no particular skill or strategy for enjoyment. And interesting slot mechanics make us come back for more.
Many players ask us how slots came to be so popular. Frankly, dear readers, the answer is simple – it is a road from marginalized games to the centre of the spotlight. The history of slot games is a collection of precious milestones that the entire casino community celebrated. For a game that came into existence as the distraction for players, slot games have truly come a long way.
As one of the biggest contributors to such success, we often cite technology. The advancements in software enabled game developers to experiment and play with layouts and designs, which in turn boosted offer diversity. If you are wondering about the latest slot trends, this is the place to find out. Let’s see how slot games have changed over the years and what are the next-level features to try out.
Features of the Future
Playing slots was always fun, but in the past few years, it has become one of the prime ways to entertain oneself in casinos. Year after year, providers come up with innovative features that serve two purposes: to update your gaming experience and to make the game stand out from the crowd. It is a highly competitive market, so software companies have their work cut out for them with each game.
Furthermore, modern gaming is one of the best places to see what an ingenious mixture of technology and vision can yield. That is why competition is tough in the slot mechanics department. But we’ll get to that.
Design Update
The visual aspect of the game is an essential part of the gaming experience. Okay, NetEnt’s Street Fighter II is an exception – the arcade-style graphics and visuals attract a special crowd. Players that remain faithful to the era of arcade games hails this slot as one of the best 2020 releases so far. And we are not the ones to disagree.
Nevertheless, visually polished and sleek designs reflect the amazing advancement of 3D graphics in modern gaming. Slot providers like Quickspin, Betsoft, and Yggdrasil are famous for visually impeccable titles that all players enjoy.
Have a look at how gamification influenced online gambling so far!
Supported by cutting-edge technology, experts in the field work with designers, IT experts, and whole armies of professionals to deliver state-of-the-art online slot games.
Below are the latest – and most potent – slot features that gaming giants introduced to the public in the past few months.
Megaways™ Slot Mechanics
Big Time Gaming first introduced Megaways™ slot mechanics a couple of years ago. Compared to other features on our list below, Megaways is not exactly new – but it’s nonetheless revolutionary and served as an inspiration for the subsequent concepts.
As soon as it appeared in the market, the crowds went wild. Players flocked to the Bonanza slot which was the first release with the mechanic.
Over the years, Big Time Gaming expanded and upgraded the feature a lot. Moreover, the company recently announced a new version of the familiar modifier that is to launch during 2020.
Megaways is important not only because it reshaped the slot gameplay, but also because it triggered an avalanche of innovations in the entire sector.
Megaways Mechanics Overview
Megaways™ is a random reel modifier that enables an increased number of symbols on a single reel. Simply put, Megaways allows for more tiles on the grid than traditional slots.
Moreover, the number of tiles is not necessarily the same on each reel. Thanks to this upgrade, players have more ways to win than ever before.
The added winning ways (there are thousands of winning ways with this modifier) increase RTP and volatility. For instance, Bonanza Megaways boasts 117,649 ways to win, which considerably exceeds the traditional 25 paylines. The concept was so popular that Big Time Gaming signed dozens of license agreements with fellow game developers. Today, Megaways titles dominate the branded slot games category on a global scale.
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Games with Megaways Slot Mechanics
The first company to gain attention for using Megaways™ is the author, Big Time Gaming. Bonanza™ Megaways was the icebreaker for this modifier. Soon after its release, players became hooked.
Consequently, competitive game developers examined the feature and started building their own versions. However, they soon realized that the effort is futile – copying Big Time Gaming was unacceptable.
The bottom line was that everyone wanted to cash in on the opportunity to have such games. So, they signed a license agreement and incorporated Megaways into their games.
As a result, we today have nearly 50 slot games that are jazzed up with Megaways. Some of the most popular slots are:
- Bonanza Megaways
- Medusa Megaways
- Rick and Morty Megaways
- Survivor Megaways
- Great Rhino Megaways
These premium slots belong to some of the biggest game developers in the industry, including SG Digital, Blueprint, Red Tiger, and Pragmatic Play.
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Splitz™ Slot Mechanics
A pioneer among visionaries in the casino world, Yggdrasil is accustomed to pushing the boundaries. It took Yggdrasil less than a decade to acquire a massive fanbase thanks to its creativity and dedication.
Not the one to shy away from risky projects, the provider is famous for its daring video slots that challenge the way we perceive slot gaming. Therefore, no one was surprised when Yggdrasil announced its newest slot feature Splitz. Splitz was to rearrange the slot gaming landscape with one single slot release.
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Splitz Mechanics Overview
So, what’s the deal with Splitz? Well, Splitz is the Yggdrasil way of enhancing video slots without losing the aura of familiarity. The idea is simple – the company wanted that is better but not overcomplicated to understand.
Therefore, Splitz is similar to Megaways in terms of potential (although Yggdrasil’s modifier has the upper hand in certain aspects). Basically, the idea behind both concepts is the augmentation of paylines. However, the method of increasing winning ways differs.
While for Megaways we had an increase in the number of tiles, Yggdrasil boosted Splitz slots with Mystery Symbols. These Mystery Symbols, once they appear on the reels, split into multiple icons. This benefit comes in handy if you have, let’s say, a stack of mystery symbols. Each icon can divide into a random number of icons. They are not restricted to only one reel – they can appear on other reels as well.
Hence, it is not hard to guess how massive is the potential that lies in this modifier.
Slots That Have Splitz Slot Mechanics
Currently, only Yggdrasil has the rights to create and launch slots with Splitz. As the modifier is new, there is only a handful of games that boast this fantastic feature. We have no doubts that Yggdrasil is yet to expand its portfolio with this type of video slots due to their profitability and unlimited options. As the popularity grows, Yggdrasil will do everything in its power to embellish more titles with this mechanics.
The two slots that you can find with this feature are the Temple Stacks and Neon Rush. Temple Stacks came out in January, and it boasts a staggering 248,832 ways to win. Moreover, in Neon Rush, players get to meet a futuristic slot that can offer up to 25,000x the stake payouts thanks to splitting Scatters. Both games are available across Yggdrasil online casinos.
Keep your eyes peeled for announcements regarding Yggdrasil Splitz feature. You never know when a new title might drop!
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InfiniReels™ Slot Mechanics
When it comes to NetEnt slots, we are used to the feeling of anticipation before each release. Much of NetEnt’s popularity stems from the fact that the brand is a synonym for innovation. A feature, a design element, or a whole new mechanic – there is always something to look forward to.
Look đź‘€ HERE to see what we talked about traditional reel mechanics!
InfiniReels, the most revolutionary thing to come out of NetEnt’s studio in the past two years, is a global phenomenon. Somehow, NetEnt managed to do what everyone dreamed of: it created a slot with an unlimited number of paylines. The launch of such scale could not (and did not) go without a little bit of drama. We’ll address the authorship question with ReelPlay in a moment, but let’s first focus on the technicalities and games with this feature.
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NetEnt’s InfiniReels Feature Overview
The concept of InfiniReels is quite simple, so we wondered what took so long to create it. There are no complex rules nor steps to perform before triggering the mechanics. All the players need is a winning combination.
With each winning combination, an extra reel is added to the grid on the right side. As wins progress, players watch as the reels expand to almost infinite lengths. Of course, the theory claims that you might trigger an infinite number of reels, but chances of doing that are slim to non-existent.
Nevertheless, grid expansion is quite refreshing and has enormous potential. That is why players around the world already love the new video slot. The only game that has this modifier, for now, is Gods of Gold.
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The Australian Kind of InfiniReels
The stigma that follows NetEnt’s revolutionary product involves another game developer. Granted, NetEnt is no stranger to authorship disputes. The biggest feud that NetEnt had of this kind was with Play’n GO and its slot Starblast that eerily resembled the global hit Starburst.
However, this time, NetEnt was in a slightly different situation. The global casino community was confused about the origins of the concept as Aussie ReelPlay came with an identical product. To clarify, this conundrum involves ReelPlay and its innovative slot mechanics concept Infinity Reels. As you can see, the two features almost share a name, let alone the basic technicalities.
Nevertheless, the Swedish game developer quickly signed an IP agreement with its Australian colleague, which put the rumours to rest. What the story behind was, we might never find out. But we do know that the two brands agree that – somehow – they both came up with the identical concept only months apart.
Gigablox Slot Mechanics
We will remember the summer of 2020 as the time when Yggdrasil graced the casino sector with another innovative slot mechanics. The company has decided to expand its portfolio with a brand-new mechanic that bears the name Gigablox.
This is the second slot mechanic to come out in 2020 – the beginning of the year brought us Splitz. Although we would have to wait until the end of June to meet it, we already know a couple of details.
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What is Gigablox Mechanic
The entire point of Gigablox lies in the giant symbols. We guess that, after Splitz, Yggdrasil wanted to go in the opposite direction from splitting icons. Essentially, Gigablox is a collection of massive icon variations like 2×2, 3×3, 4×4, and 6×6.
Thanks to the big icons, the players have a chance to spice up their wins with colossal wins. And who doesn’t like colossal wins?
The fact that Yggdrasil went an extra mile to create a trademark mechanic speaks volumes about the developer’s dedication. With Yggdrasil, you never know what you might get – but you know it will high-quality, nonetheless.
Games with Gigablox
The first title to boast the Gigablox mechanics is the Lucky Neko slot release in June. Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese culture, Lucky Neko centres around Daruma dolls.
Its main appeal lies in the huge wins that can transpire thanks to the innovative modifier. Additionally, the game manufacturer tipped the scales in favour of the game with a solid 96.4% RTP.
Should you decide to play the game, you may do so on our official game review or wait for it to hit online casinos. Yggdrasil collaborates with exclusive gaming sites, so finding it won’t be a tough task.
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Other Noteworthy Slot Mechanics Features
Megaways, Splitz, Gigablox, and InfiniReels are revolutionary, but they are far from being the only innovations in contemporary slots. Playing around with reels and winning ways is fun, but players enjoy every change – however small it is.
That is why providers try to design small-scale changes that affect the overall experience on a regular basis. That might be the shape of the grid, special bonus rounds, or even betting limits – whatever brings refreshment, works.
Here are some examples of how game manufacturers enhanced their titles without going all-in with entirely new mechanics.
Cluster Pay Slots
Cluster pay slots are not new, but they are nevertheless beloved. Punters enjoy such slots because they are usually paired with awesome special features.
These games can come in various shapes and sizes – even hexagonal reel grids like in the Honey Rush slot. The point is in unconventionality with a hint of old-school charm.
Expanding Symbols
Gigablox is an extreme example of expanding symbols, which clearly shows how this feature is popular. Slots that have expanding symbols are great for winning combos that diverge from conventional slots.
How so, you may ask?
Easy – the days of one-payline wins are over. Instead, combining symbols of various sizes (and shapes) brings refreshment to the scene.
And we appreciate refreshments, especially if we consider how many gamers play slots daily. A popular variant of this kind is the Expanding Wild feature which employs witty methods for expanding Wild symbols.
Pay Both Ways
Like cluster pay mechanics, pay-both-ways slots are a thing of great appeal. Indeed, punters enjoy this type of games so much that we are wondering why they are not greater in number on the market.
One explanation for the lack of these games is the general focus on increased paylines (as we have seen above). After all, pay-both-ways slots are great because they double the number of paylines, which is handy if you have only 5 paylines.
Moreover, in the new slots, we are seeing a rising trend of forgoing paylines, and instead of going for adjacent combinations that hit new reels.
Expanded Betting Limits
Betting is an important part of slot games. Previously, players had limited options to place bets inside their favourite games. Small bets, along with lower payout potential, significantly affected the players’ experience.
Thankfully, game developers realized that expanding betting limits could increase the appeal even more. Bit by bit, they started experimenting with betting limits in new slot games.
The result of their efforts is a plethora of slots that boast a broader scope of betting. By pushing forward the maximum bet requirement, they allowed high rollers to enjoy slots just like any other player. Plus, as payout potential grew, winning chances increased as well.
For an average player, this introduced more freedom to play and experiment in the games. Punters can customize their experience. And that is, especially nowadays, a major benefit for slot players.
Ingenious Slot Mechanics: Conclusion
After everything that we have seen, it is more than obvious that slot games are evolving. Indeed, it seems that each year brings something new to the market – and each novelty pushes the boundaries a bit. And with each push, we get an abundance of new possibilities.
No one knows where the limit is, but we do know one thing: we will be there to keep you posted. If you want to learn about upcoming slot mechanics novelties, don’t miss out on BestCasinos news. Stay tuned!
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