Slots online come in all shapes and sizes. Each and every slot machine is unique in their layout, paylines, coin value and theme. Each slot machine has in-game slot features that make each game distinctive from the next. Slot features make gameplay infinitely more thrilling!
About Slot Features
Slots games are among the most popular casino games, both online and at brick-and-mortar. Casino software providers have pushed the boundaries over the years by making slots more immersive and engaging players. Choosing a great slot machine now requires you to look beyond the quality of graphics and sounds. The slot features are essential factors to choosing the right games for you. Here we will take a closer look at all types of in-game slot features to heighten your slot game experience.
Slot Features Menu:
- Slots RTP
- Slots Volatility
- Paytables
- Slot Paylines
- Coins
- Progressive Jackpots
- Multiway Slots
- Slots Bonus Game
- Gamble Features
- Free Spins
- Retriggering
- Slot Machine Symbols
- Online Slot Reels
Slots RTP
One of the first things you look is the return to player usually given in a percentage. This is kind of like the house edge where you see how much of your bet you are likely to win back. Of course, the RNGs and third-party audit testing show the reliability of these percentages. The RTP can be anything from 90% to 99%.
Below we look at the highest RTP slots by some of the top-tier casino software developers:
| Slots Game | RTP | Software Developer |
| Mega Joker | 99% | NetEnt |
| 1429 Uncharted Seas | 98.6% | Thunderkick |
| Jokerizer | 98% | Yggdrasil |
| Good Girl Bad Girl | 97.8% | BetSoft |
| Wild Orient | 97.5% | Microgaming |
| Cleopatra’s Gold | 97.5% | Real Time Gaming |
| Big Bad Wolf | 97.34% | Quickspin |
| Wild Swarm | 97.03% | Push Gaming |
Slot Volatility
Volatility or variance is all about the risk and wins in your gameplay. This is the frequency of your wins and how sizeable the wins are. The three main types of variance are high, medium and low. These are a particular slot feature as they depend on your preferred style of gameplay.
High volatility slots have very infrequent wins, however when you do win, the win is quite a substantial amount. On the other hand, when you play low volatility slots, you have small but frequent wins. High variance slots have a great payoff, even though you need to be patient and may end up losing quite a bit of your bankroll. Low volatility are great if you enjoy winning every few spins.
| Slot | Software Developer | Volatility |
| Starburst | NetEnt | Low |
| Thunderstruck II | Microgaming | |
| Gemix | Play’n Go | |
| Guns n Roses | NetEnt | |
| Vikings Go Bezerk | Yggdrasil | Medium |
| Immortal Romance | Microgaming | |
| Cleopatra | IGT | |
| King Kong Cash | Blueprint | |
| Book of Ra | Novomatic | High |
| Bonanza | Big Time Gaming | |
| Jungle Spirit | NetEnt | |
| Beowulf | Pragmatic Play |
Low Volatility Slots
| Bloodsuckers Slot |  | Bloodsuckers Slot review |
|---|---|---|
| Bonanza Slot |  | Bonanza Slot review |
| Book of Dead | | Book of Dead review |
| Starbust Slot | | Starbust Slot review |
Medium Volatility Slots
| Bloodsuckers Slot | | Bloodsuckers Slot review |
|---|---|---|
| Bonanza Slot | | Bonanza Slot review |
| Book of Dead | | Book of Dead review |
| Starbust Slot | | Starbust Slot review |
High Volatility Slots
| Bloodsuckers Slot | | Bloodsuckers Slot review |
|---|---|---|
| Bonanza Slot | | Bonanza Slot review |
| Book of Dead | | Book of Dead review |
| Starbust Slot | | Starbust Slot review |
Slots Paytables
The paytable can be found on every slot online and it shows the value of symbols and slot features such as the Wild and Scatter symbols as well as the free spins and bonus games. Along with this information you can see the possible winning paylines to help you understand the slot game you are playing better.
Slot Paylines
The paylines are the bet lines which are the patterns drawn across the video slot online. Paylines can have varying patterns. They can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal or even zigzag. If the symbol combination lands on these lines you win. The amount you win depends on which symbols and patterns you land on.
There are two types of slots paylines: fixed paylines and flexible paylines. Fixed paylines means you cannot adjust the bet level so you have to play all paylines. This is a common attribute in multi-way slots which have hundred of ways to win. Your fixed bet is spread across all the lines. Flexible or variable paylines include a bet size option where you can manually adjust and choose how many paylines to bet on before spinning the reels. When you have flexible paylines, you have an additional button which is ‘Bet Max’ which means you pay the max amount to bet on all the possible paylines.
Slots Coins
The slot coins is the amount you bet on each spin. Coin values represent your credits or your bankroll in your selected currency. You can adjust the coin value between the minimum and maximum before you hit the spin button. Coin wagers also represent how many paylines you are betting on. If the slots online you are playing has a jackpot, you will need to bet the maximum number of coins to be eligible for the jackpot.
Slots Progressive Jackpots
These are very common in slots online. You need to bet the maximum to take part in a chance to hit the jackpot. Sometimes, the progressive jackpots can gather millions of dollars until that lucky person hits it, which could easily be you. These are usually set up in a network across several slot machines at an online casino or else it can be linked to other online casinos. There are local jackpots, network jackpots and fixed jackpots besides progressive jackpots in online slots. They are extremely difficult to hit but exciting to participate in!
Multi-Way Slots Features
Video slots have become more and more advanced and slot features are constantly improving gameplay for all players. Rather than simply sticking to the standard paylines patterns, nowadays, you can find slots games with 243 Ways to Win, 1024 Ways, Win both Ways or Megaways.
Win Both Ways
Regular slot machine paylines go from left to right. If a game has the win both ways slots feature, it means that you can win in both directions. It is a popular feature and this is without a doubt, exciting for players as you are doubling the possibilities of winning.
Top Win-Both-Ways Slots:
- The Catfather (Pragmatic Play)
- Turning Totems (Thunderkick)
- The Invisible Man (NetEnt)
243 Ways to Win
These video slots feature 243 ways to win with every spin. The paylines are fixed and your wager is spread across the multiple ways of winning. In these slots, the symbols can connect regardless of their position on the reel. Like scatter slots feature, payouts are won simply with the appearance of the symbol on the reels. In 243 Way slots, the coin bet cost is reasonable and it is spread to keep players happy.
Top 243 Way Slots:
- Twin Spin (NetEnt)
- Medusa II (NextGen)
- Immortal Romance (Microgaming)
1024 Ways to Win
These video slots are a more advanced and thrilling way to play slots. Instead of the set payline patterns, you just need three or more matching symbols to win. Playing 1024 way slots require you to bet a fixed amount where your bet covers all paylines in any spin. You can adjust the coin size before spinning.
Top 1024 Ways Slots:
- Game of Thrones (Microgaming)
- Crown of Egypt (IGT)
- Lucky Panda (Playtech)
Megaways
The Megaways slots mechanic was developed by Big Time Gaming and gives players the chance to win huge sums while having a fantastic experience. Megaways slots instantly became popular so other software providers acquired the license to the Megaways slot feature. Megaways means that every spin brings a random number of ways to win, which can sometimes be up to 117,649 ways.
Top Megaways Slots:
- White Rabbit Megaways (Big Time Gaming)
- Great Rhino Megaways (Pragmatic Play)
- Lightning Strike Megaways (Blueprint Gaming)
| Bloodsuckers Slot | | Bloodsuckers Slot review |
|---|---|---|
| Bonanza Slot | | Bonanza Slot review |
| Book of Dead | | Book of Dead review |
| Starbust Slot | | Starbust Slot review |
Slots Bonus Game
No slots online game would be complete without a bonus game. These are special in-game slot features in which a mini-game is unlocked during gameplay depending on your hit combination. Some slots bonus games are simple and fun while other are complex with storylines and plots. Some bonus games require some skill whereas others are games of chance.
These triggered bonus games give a chance to win some more money and the bonus games tend to vary from one slot machine to the other. Some bonus games come in the form of the gamble feature. Other types of common slots bonus games are: free spins, re-spins, jackpot, skill game, ‘pick me’ bonus, instant win, extra wilds or trail bonus. Different casino software developers have different high-quality bonus games.
Gamble Features
A typical slots feature is the gamble feature whereby you have an option to gamble once you’ve won a bet. This feature gives you the chance to double your win or risk losing what you just won. There are quite a few software developers like Microgaming slots with the gamble feature. You will come across different types of gamble features. Some use playing cards where you double your win by guessing the correct colour or quadruple your win by guessing the correct suit. Other gamble features are Heads or Tails, Hi-Lo, Pick a symbol or split gamble.
Free Spins
This slot feature is a common kind of slots bonus game. These are spins that come at no cost to the player. Free spins are triggered when 3 or more bonus symbols, typically a free spins symbol or more often, the scatter symbol appears. A set amount of free spins are awarded along with a multiplier attached to winning spins. In some slots, you may find that the reels have extra Scatters or Wilds which can easily give your winnings an extra boost!
Re-Spin Feature
Some slots give players re-spins which shouldn’t be confused with free spins. Re-spins are in the base game rather than as a bonus game. The re-spin slot feature allows you to re-spin the slots without any cost.
Retriggering
Retriggering is when the slot bonus round is launched again. Players love this feature as after claiming free spins, who wouldn’t want extra spins on top of that? The bonus spins are retriggered when the same combination of 3 scatter slots symbols re-activate the game. You are sure to make some mega wins, here!
Slots Machine Symbols
Online slot machine symbols are an essential feature of all slots online. Symbols are designed to match the theme and design of the slot. The slots symbols create the winning combinations when you spin the reels. There are two types of symbols: the standard low-value symbols such as fruit in fruit slots or royal suit symbols A, K, Q, J, 10. The other type are the special symbols that have a higher value. These are usually unique slot machine symbols.
Bonus Symbols
Bonus symbols are those that trigger the slots bonus round. Some of the bonus symbols also trigger free spins if there isn’t a particular symbol for them. It’s important to identify them in the paytable so you can look out for the bonus games and fantastic features on your chosen video slot.
Multiplier Symbols
These symbols can multiply your winnings by the set amount. Multipliers can be from x2 to x100 or even x1000. Sometimes multiplier symbols appear in the base game while in other slots online, the multiplier is exclusive to bonus games or bonus spins slot features. These multipliers can be a great boost and worthwhile if you can multiply your winnings for a small bet amount.
Split Symbols
These symbols are unique and not as common as other slot featured symbols. Split symbols are a popular slot feature in IGT slots. These are double icons that take up a space o the reels. These can split to become doubles or triples. Split symbols give players a higher chance of winning.
Scatter Slot Symbols
Scatter symbols are one of the most important symbols in slots. These are particularly special as wherever they sit on the reels, they pay out. Sometimes, scatter slot symbols can appear to trigger the free spins or bonus game. When you see they paytable, scatter symbols tend to have one of the highest payouts possible. When you see a scatter slot symbol, you can be sure to expect some nice big wins. What’s great is the scatter slot symbols can appear anywhere, hence being scattered across the slots’ reels.
Wild Symbols
Wilds are found in practically all kinds of online slots. These certainly spice up gameplay. The Wild Symbols function the same way as the Jokers in casino card games. These wilds can substitute any other slot symbol in the game (except scatter slot symbols). So let’s say you have a pattern on a 5-reel slot with 4 matching symbols and a Wild appears on the 5th reel, then your payout is for 5 matching reels which is certainly higher. There are varying Wild symbols with their own slot features and functions. Here are some of them:
- Expanding Wilds – these are popular in video slots as when they fall in a position on a reel, they expand to cover other symbols on that same reel. These can lead to some very big wins.
- Sticky Wilds – these wilds are locked in their position for the next few spins which are in the base game or the slot bonus game. These can create huge and exciting wins.
- Shifting Wilds – These symbols stay in the reel for subsequent reels just like sticky wilds, however, unlike sticky wilds, they can shift their position in the reels with every spin. Shifting Wilds help create better winning patterns.
- Stacked Wilds – these wilds substitute other symbols to make winning combinations. These are similar to expanding wilds but they are usually in stacks between 2 and 4 and can create big wins.
- Transferring Wilds – this wild symbol takes a spot on the reel and substitutes for other symbols which can help you create a pattern with a great win. These wilds spread differently across the reels and multiple can feature which is good news for you.
- Random Wilds – these are the wildest of the wild symbols. They can create great opportunities to win. The position and when they appear is completely random and depends on the game structure you are playing.
- Moving Wilds – these can get you free spins by switching symbols on the reel. These can move left and right in either direction.
Online Slots Reels
The layout of slots games is an essential feature of playing this casino game. The number of reels in modern slots can vary and come in all sorts of slot themes and styles. The most common are 3-reel slots and 5-reel slots. Reels can also trigger slot features that can modify your gameplay.
- Cascading Reels – these are a great slot feature. When the symbols land after you spin, the winning lines explode to reveal new symbols and more winning combos. These replaced symbols explode again to reveal more new symbols and even better combinations.
- Rotating Reels – this is a bonus slot feature commonly adding bonuses or multipliers to free spins rounds which can give you better wins.
- Tumbling Reels – these allow you to win several times on the same spin. This is found in IGT slots and it’s becoming more available in other slot games.
Slots Features – Anything and Everything for those Big Slots Win!
Each and every slot online can have fantastic features for you to benefit from. These certainly help you make big wins, mega wins or colossal wins. Since you are sure to find a humungous number of slots games at the best online casinos, we hope you can find the best kind of slot for you with the in-game slot features that can help you make your slots experience both thrilling and worthwhile!
