Exploring the Most Exciting Mechanics in Slot Games
Slot gaming has come a long way from the classic one armed bandits. Three-reel machines of old, decorated with fruits, horseshoes, and the famous liberty bell. Sure, there are still some old mechanical machines knocking around, but nowadays you’re more likely to enjoy yourself playing their high-tech counterparts – video slots.
These tend to come with some unique and interesting mechanics. They make the math model more fun to work out, add to the uncertainty and heighten the excitement. In short? There’s a lot to like about them. Let’s take a look at a handful of super-popular slot games and the mechanics that helped them achieve their success.
A Night with Cleo – Gamble Feature
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A Night with Cleo is a slightly risqué slot game that brings an additional intriguing twist with its gamble feature. As well as being a celebration of Queen Cleo’s (ahem) ‘humps’ this slot also has a pretty risqué gamble feature. This allows you to choose to risk your winnings to play a mini game in an attempt to double your prize. It’s a high-risk high-reward mechanic, essentially double or nothing.
Gamble features like these are popular because they add an extra layer of choice and interactivity. If you’re a fan of strategy – and – you’re a fan of high volatility slots then these kinds of features are great ones to look out for!
Golden Buffalo – Stacked Wilds & Free Spins
Golden Buffalo is positively famous in the world of slots and there are two big reasons for this – stacked wilds and free spins? If that all sounds foreign then don’t panic! I’m going to explain both of them right now. Wild symbols can appear one on top of the other (taking up whole columns sometimes) when this happens the chances of landing big wins are massively increased.
In the free spins round (spins you don’t need to stake money to play) those stacked wilds that we talked about can combine with multipliers. When this happens the potential for big payouts gets even larger. It’s another volatile game, so it’s better suited to those who aren’t too risk averse.
777 Deluxe – Progressive Jackpot
Progressive jackpots are probably the mechanic that are the most popular. Most slot players understand that they can equal – big – prizes, but not everybody understands exactly why that is. Progressive jackpots work by taking a small percentage of every spin that is wagered on them and putting this into one big prize pot. The person who wins the progressive jackpot wins whatever is in that pot.
The other thing to note about progressive jackpots is, to put it bluntly, your chances of – actually – winning. These slots tend to be (but aren’t always) network slots. This means that it’s not just the players on the same site as you that have a chance of winning, but every player on that slot – on all casinos. Combine this with an RTP that’s generally a bit lower than their non-progressive counterparts and the chances of winning are a whole lot smaller – but never zero!
Gonzo’s Quest – Avalanche Reels
Gonzo’s Quest is something of a pioneer when it comes to innovative slot mechanics. Its Avalanche Reels system replaces traditional spinning reels with symbols that fall into place like blocks. When a winning combination is formed, the winning symbols explode and disappear, allowing new symbols to fall into their place.
This chain reaction can continue (almost indefinitely), leading to multiple wins from a single spin – and a single stake. On this game, each consecutive avalanche increases a multiplier, making the potential for large payouts even greater. The avalanche mechanic is now incredibly popular, so much so that you’ll see it referred to as a number of different terms including tumbles and cascades.
Book of Dead – Expanding Symbols During Free Spins
The Book of Dead slot is a true classic, such a classic that some slots have borrowed (stolen) the exact math model and used it in their own titles. I probably don’t need to explain, but it was the mechanics that made it so popular. This slot has symbols that expand, but only during the free spins round. It covers the entire reel when it does and can turn a low paying symbol into quite the payday.
This mechanic became known as a book slot in its own right, pretty cool. If you’re into enjoying top slot games then look out for ones with a book or expanding symbol mechanic. It’s a simple idea, but a powerful one!
Starburst – Expanding Wilds and Re-Spins
Some games are all about the sparkle, and Starburst delivers that in spades with its expanding wilds and re-spins. Wild symbols can pop up on the middle three reels and, when they do, they expand to cover the entire reel, granting a re-spin. Land another wild during the re-spin, and the process repeats! It’s a simple feature, but when those wilds start lining up, the potential for big wins ramps up fast. It’s that classic mix of simplicity and excitement that has kept Starburst shining brightly for years.
