Slots are certainly one of the most played casino games. Not just online but at the land-based casinos as well. One of the reasons for this is the variety of themes, bet limits, and in-game features they offer. While most share themes, in-game features are what sets others apart. The 15,000+ slots online have different in-game features, bonus games, and bet limits.
At www.icecasino.com/en, they have more than 3,000 games. In this massive portfolio, slots with cascading reels are some of the most played. But why exactly do many players prefer playing them over those with standard reels? Is it because they give an “edge” over the house? Or maybe they have some tricks that ensure you win more often than in other games?
Read on to get your answers!
Cascading Reels – What Are They?
Sometimes referred to as rolling reels, tumbling reels, or falling reels, cascading reels are a special group that explodes or vanishes from the screen when wins are formed. They were first introduced to the online casino industry with NetEnt’s popular slot – Gonzo’s Quest.
Working Mechanics of Cascading Reels
Every time you form a winning combination, the symbols responsible for the win disappear from the reels. The space/void left is then filled with the symbols from above, which will fall like rain to occupy the free spots. If they also form wins, they’ll vanish too from the screen. This continues until there are no more winning combinations on the screen.
Do Cascading Reels Offer Any Special Benefits?
Of course, they do! Besides the aspect where you score many wins in one spin, cascading reels offer plenty of other benefits.
Most of them have been designed with spectacular video effects. After Gonzo’s Quest release, software providers that developed their games with cascading reels improved the video and graphic effects. They switched to HD, 3D graphics, and animations, introducing an extra level of visual simulation and dynamism to gameplay. This way, the game becomes more engaging.
Lastly, thanks to the cascading reels, triggering some of the in-game features became easier. For example, it became easy to land scatter symbols and, consequently, free spins game.
Popular Cascading Reel Slot Machines Online
There are hundreds of cascading reel slot machines online. However, if you’d ask me to pick a few names from the top of my head, I’d go for Gonzo’s Quest, Rise of Olympus, Da Vinci Diamonds, Basketball Star, and Opal Fruits. They make it to my list of the 5 cascading reel slot machines with exciting gameplay and features.
Gonzo’s Quest
No person in their right mind can list a group of slots with cascading features without including Gonzo’s Quest. This was the first ever online slot to have the cascading reels feature. For the game, it was famously referred to as the Avalanche feature.
Released in 2011, this 5-reel by 20-payline game features the renowned Spanish explorer – Gonzo – on a treasure hunt in the fabled city of El Dorado. Help him unravel the hidden treasures, and he’ll award you a massive 2,500x multiplier on your bet. Gonzo’s Quest has a 95.97% RTP and is fully optimized for mobile play. Left-handed players can switch to the left-hand mode in portrait mode.
Rise Of Olympus
We all love a good tale, and it seems that the three (3) mighty brothers in the Greek have won the hearts of many slot developers. Play’n GO is no different, which is perhaps why they designed the Rise of Olympus slot. This game has plenty going on in terms of in-game bonus rounds and features.
There’s a free spins game, which allows you to pick a god in return for multipliers and more free spins. With the help of the cascading reels feature, you can win the top prize of 5,000x your stake.
Da Vinci Diamonds
We all know of the famed Da Vinci Diamonds slot at the land-based casinos. It is known for using some lovely iconic pieces of art as its symbols. It also incorporates the image of the renowned Leonardo Da Vinci.
So, if you are an art lover and a sucker for a slot game with innovative in-game features, you’ll definitely love this one. In addition to having the cascading reels, it has 40 paylines that increase to 60 when the free spins game is triggered. It’s during this game where you can score as much as 5,000x your bet.
Opal Fruits
Opal Fruits is another player favourite, mostly due to its simplistic nature and high payouts. Opal Fruits from Big Time Gaming has an above-average RTP of 96.75%, uses the cascading reels feature referred to as the “Reactions feature,” and has a maximum payout of 36,660x your bet. Of course, as a Big Time Gaming release, the slot has the megaways feature. It offers up to 5,625 unique ways of winning.
Basketball Star
We dedicate Basketball Star to all the sports fanatics reading this! The cascading reels and 243 ways to win features in the Basketball Star slot make it easy to slam a dank and score a win, especially if you are looking for small-medium wins.
However, the reel fun is in the free spins game, which also acts as your gateway to the fantastic and notoriously elusive jackpot. If it’s your lucky day, you can win as much as $125,000 from a single spin.
