The work of any slot is based on a set of key game actions: the reels move, and after they stop further developments are determined. This can be an accrual of prize money, access to prize options or round will be inconclusive. This scheme is modified by the manufacturers.
Gambling software developers introduce new mechanics, through which users have a unique gaming experience. In online casinos there are slots with different ways of spinning: cascading spins or avalanches, non-standard options such as MegaWays or Hold and Win, other varieties.
Reasoning with BestAuCasinosOnline about how slot machines work.
What is the mechanics of slots
Mechanics — the scheme in accordance with which occurs repetition of events in a video slot. It all started with the usual spins. This method was used in the first machine, it continues to be used to this day.
In the classic machines after starting the round reels begin to move vertically, then stop and analyze the combination.
In the course of development of slots this basis acquires additional features, and is modified. As a result, in some machines it is difficult to recognize not only the spins, but also the reels themselves.
Additional options
The most common prize option has been freespins. This is a series of spins during which no money or credits are withdrawn from the balance. An extra payout multiplier can be engaged throughout the function.
Another bonus that is often found in slots is the re-spins, and they are also available for free. Online casino audiences have popular online pokies with themed prize rounds. This is a bonus that opens on a separate screen. The mechanics are based on the plot of the machine. The user can go on a pirate adventure to open treasure chests or enter a tomb in faraway Egypt. In classic one-armed bandits, the option is often implemented in the format of the Wheel of Fortune.
Slot machine bonuses
Slots with a progressive jackpot guarantee the biggest payouts. They don’t have a fixed maximum winnings limit. Rewards are accumulated from the percentage of bets made by users.
Running bonuses
Often the bonuses start after the corresponding combination that has been rolled. Many slots have random bonuses. They can be accessed at any time. Some providers motivate users with features that are triggered only after “empty” rounds. In this way, even a non-winning spin can get you closer to a reward.
More and more manufacturers are releasing machines with cumulative bonuses. In such developments, players earn conditional points for repeating an event. When the right amount is accumulated, the corresponding feature is activated. Usually there is a scale on the playing field, which displays the progress.
In online casinos are popular machines with purchased bonuses. In such developments, there is no need to wait for the appropriate game situation. The user can instantly activate the option by making a special bet.
Slot symbols
The machines use standard symbols and icons endowed with special properties:
- Wild symbols. These symbols replace missing pictures in paid combinations.
- Scatter symbols. They are the symbols that are paid regardless of where they appear on the reels.
- Stacked symbols. They have several positions on the playing field.
- Expanding symbols. They are able to increase in size in some cases.
There are also mystical icons that can transform into other, giant symbols of 2×2, 3×3 and many others.
New mechanics in slots
Providers have long gone beyond traditional rotations. The classic scheme is being supplemented and new mechanics are emerging, some of which are moving into mainstream adoption by manufacturers. Let’s take a look at the most well-known types.
Cascade spins
The history of cascade spins or avalanches began in 2011. Then provider NetEnt released the machine Gonzo’s Quest, which subsequently became a cult and remains popular more than a decade after its release. Players were offered a fundamentally new principle of gameplay: after falling payable combo symbols, they disappear from the reels. The adjacent pictures moved to the vacated positions. The slot used a progressive multiplier that increased with each cascading replay. The mechanics exploded the market and became actively used by other brands.
MegaWays
The mechanics are developed and patented by Big Time Gaming, but many other brands use them under license from BTG. Spins run on six reels, but the number of cells vertically on them can vary. Due to this, the number of winning combinations varies from spin to spin. This figure can reach hundreds of thousands. Most often, the rotation is in the form of an avalanche. In machines based on the MegaWays engine there are freespins, cumulative and purchased bonuses, options that are activated in random mode. Pictograms drop in single and stacked forms, move across the reels, and clone.
Flexible and unconventional mechanics have made it possible to create vibrant slots that can compete with casual games. Developments with the prefix MegaWays in the name are released every month and grab the attention of the audience before others.
Hold and Win
Hold and Win is a bonus that opens up on an additional screen. The reels remain in place, but the set of symbols falling out on them changes, as well as the principle of their movement. Only special pictures appear on the field: multipliers, jackpot indicators and others. They can fly through without stopping or fixed on the reels. The future game situation depends on the set of pictures. Often, during respins with the Hold and Win mechanics the user gets a chance to win a progressive or fixed jackpot.
New gameplay schemes allow the devs to make a name for themselves as bold and inventive developers of entertainment content, and give users a vivid gambling experience and a unique gaming experience. It can be predicted that the number of slot mechanics will increase: online casino visitors are becoming more sophisticated and demanding, and surprising them is becoming increasingly difficult.
