Understanding Online Slots and Features
What are Online Slots and Features
Although slot machines often share similar designs and gameplay, not every slot is the same. Each slot game comes with its unique features that make it stand out.
A major attraction for most players is the bonus features or unique game rounds within the base game of the slot. These bonus rounds, often referred to as free spins, free games or bonus feature add excitement and increase the chances of winning.
How do Bonus Features Work
Typically, free spins or bonus games are triggered when you land three or more scatter symbols during a spin in the base game. The scatter symbol is one of the most valuable symbols in any slot game. Once triggered, the bonus round provides extra chances to win within 10, 20 or sometimes 50 free spins, making it one of the most anticipated parts of any online slot game.
In their core form, slots involve spinning reels and landing winning symbol combinations. Some games stick to the classic three-reel format, while others offer more advanced setups with multiple reels and pay-lines.
Online Slots Special Symbols
Many online slots feature special symbols designed to boost gameplay. Wild symbols can substitute for other symbols to complete winning combinations, and scatter symbols often trigger bonus features like free spins. Some games even introduce creative symbols such as expanding wilds or sticky wilds, adding extra excitement to your experience.
Mixing It Up
These features are what keep players engaged, offering a mix of fun and potential wins. To ensure that no two slot games feel exactly the same, each slot game may have a different trigger or special rule for its bonus rounds, creating variety in how players experience and enjoy slot games, let’s take a look at our top 3 features.
Top 3 Most Exciting Online Slots and Features
Bonus features are a big part of what makes online slots engaging. Below, we will into the top 3 bonus features, along with examples of popular games that use them. These online slots and features include: sticky wilds, collector spins and expanding symbols.
Personally, one of the most exciting slot feature is Sticky Wilds, which typically offers 10 or more free spins. During these spins, wild symbols that appear will remain locked in place for the duration of the remaining feature spins. This increases your chances of landing big wins with each additional spin, as the wild symbols help form winning combinations on the pay-lines.
In addition to sticky wilds, some slot games will have multiplier wilds. These can be in the form of increasing wild multipliers or changing multipliers on each spin.
Game Examples:
- The Dog House (Pragmatic)
- Dead or Alive (Netent)
- The Wildos (Thunderkick)
Collector Free Spins add an extra layer of fun to free spin bonuses. A special symbol is added to the reels, which will collect any coin values that land during the same spin. This adds an exciting dynamic to the game, as each spin holds the potential for accumulating cash rewards.
Again, one of my personal go to game type. I enjoy the slot games which include a progressive multiplier collector mode, as this adds an extra dynamic to the bonus and increased potential!
Game Examples:
- Big Bass Bonanza (Reel Kingdom)
- Topcat (Blueprint)
- Fishin' Frenzy (Blueprint)
The Expanding Symbols feature can be found in games commonly referred to as Book Games, this feature is activated when a player lands three scatter symbols in the base game.
During the free spins, one symbol is randomly chosen from the game’s pay-table. When this symbol appears in the free spins, it expands to fill the entire reel vertically to pay all pay-lines, increasing the chance for significant payouts.
Game Examples:
Top 3 Slots with Sticky Wilds | Online Slots and Features
The Sticky Wilds feature is an exciting bonus features in online slots. During free spins, any wild symbols that land on the reels stay locked in place for the remainder of the bonus spins. This feature can significantly boosts your chances of forming high-value winning combinations as more wilds remain on the reels with each spin!
These bonus rounds are usually triggered by landing 3 or more scatter symbols, with the number of free spins and wild symbols varying across different games. Below, we explore three top-rated slot games with this exciting feature.
1. The Dog House (Pragmatic Play)
The Dog House from Pragmatic Play is one of the most loved slot games featuring Sticky Wilds. In the bonus round, players can receive up to 27 free spins, with Sticky Wilds that hold their positions. To make things more exciting, the wild symbols also carry 2x or 3x multipliers, making it easier to achieve massive wins.
The Dog House Slot Game and Features
2. Dead or Alive (Netent)
Netent’s Dead or Alive is a legendary slot known for its high volatility and enormous payout potential. The Sticky Wilds feature locks wilds in place during the 12 free spins, offering huge win potential. This feature, combined with its thrilling Western theme, makes it a not only one of my personal favourites but also many slot fans go to game.
Dead or Alive Slot Game and Features
3. The Wildos (Thunderkick)
The Wildos from Thunderkick brings a unique twist to the Sticky Wilds bonus feature. Once activated, wild symbols remain locked on the reels during the free spins round. Additionally, the multipliers on wilds can change one each spin, further boosting your winnings and offering both excitement and high payout opportunities.
The Wildos Slot Game and Features
Top 3 Slots with Collector Spins | Online Slots and Features
The Collector Spins feature is also an exciting addition to many online slot games, offering players a unique game mechanic in the bonus rounds to maximise their wins during free spins. In this feature, a special symbol appears on the reels during the free spins round. This symbol is designed to collect any cash values or bonus amounts that land on the reels, increasing your payout on each spin.
Collector Spins add an extra layer of anticipation and excitement, as each spin has the potential to accumulate even bigger rewards. Below, we explore three popular slot games with Collector Spins, highlighting what makes them stand out.
1. Big Bass Bonanza (Reel Kingdom / Pragmatic Play)
In Reel Kingdom’s Big Bass Bonanza, the Collector Spins feature revolves around a fisherman symbol that collects cash values from fish symbols on the reels. This feature is triggered by landing three or more scatter symbols, awarding up to 20 free spins. During the free spins, if the fisherman wild appears on the reels, he will collect the values from any fish that also land on the same spin.
There is also a re-trigger game mechanic during the free spins feature. If 4 fishermen symbols are collected in the initial free spin rounds, this will activate the re-trigger for additional spins and the next multiplier stage. Multiplier stages which are re-triggered are; 2x, 3x and 10x, offering bigger potential for catching big cash!
Big Bass Bonanza Slot Game and Features
2. Top Cat (Blueprint Gaming)
Blueprint Gamins’s Top Cat offers an engaging Collector Spins feature where a special collector symbol gathers coin values that land on the reels during free spins. Players can earn up to 25 free spins, making this a highly rewarding feature with plenty of chances to land big wins.
Top Cat Slot Game and Features
3. Fishin' Frenzy (Blueprint Gaming)
In Blueprint Gaming’s slot Fishin’ Frenzy, the Collector Spins feature activates when a fisherman symbol appears during free spins, collecting the values of any fish symbols that land on the reels. This classic slot offers up to 20 free spins, with the collector feature adding more opportunities to win.
Fishin Frenzy Slot Game and Features
Top 3 Slot Games with Expanding Symbols | Online Slots and Features
The Expanding Symbols feature is a favourite among slot enthusiasts, especially in games often referred to as “Book Games.” This feature brings an extra layer of excitement to free spins, as one symbol is randomly selected to expand and fill the entire reel when it appears. This expansion greatly enhances the winning combinations and hitting big wins, as the full reels pay on all pay-lines.
Expanding Symbols are typically triggered like any other bonus feature, when you land three or more scatter symbols in the base game. Below, we explore three top-rated slot games that feature Expanding Symbols, highlighting their key features and payout potential.
1. Book of Dead (Play’n GO)
Book of Dead from slot provider Play’n GO is one of the most iconic slot games that feature the Expanding Symbols mechanic. When triggered by three or more scatter symbols, you’ll receive 10 free spins. A symbol is randomly selected to expand during the free spins, potentially filling the entire reel to boost your chances of winning big.
Book of Dead Slot Game and Features
2. Book of Ra (Greentube)
Greentube’s Book of Ra is another fan-favourite in the world of Expanding Symbols slots. Like Book of Dead, players are awarded 10 free spins when three or more scatter symbols land. A special symbol is chosen to expand during these spins, giving players the chance to fill entire reels with high-value symbols for big payouts.
Book of Ra Slot Game and Features
3. Magic Mirror (Merkur)
In Murkur’s magical +slot Magic Mirror, the Expanding Symbols feature is triggered during free spins, offering players 10 spins with a special symbol that expands when it appears. This adds a touch of mystery and excitement, as the potential for high rewards increases with every spin.
Magic Mirror Slot Game and Features
What is RTP
What is RTP? A question which is asked a lot around the online gaming industry and relevant to slots aswell as live casino games.
RTP is an abbreviation of “Return To Player” simply meaning, this is the estimated amount which is returned to the players in winning results from wagers.
You will find this displayed as a percentage and is typically between 80% and 99%. This figure is calculated over an enormous amount of computer generated completed rounds. Each slot game will have been tested for this figure and will be shown in the information pages of the game menu.
Typically the higher the percentage, the more of the wagered funds across the game rounds is paid back in wins.
Please note that is this over all players and not just one session. If the game displays an RTP of 95%, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will get back 95% of your wagered amount back. Once again, it’s all about luck.
what is volatility in slots
What is volatility in regards to slot machines?
In short, slot volatility is referred to as high, medium or low and symbolises how often the game will payout winning outcomes and how large the payouts tend to be.
Online slots will often show the volatility of the game when opening or it will be mentioned in the games information menu.
High Volatility Slots
What are highly volatile slots? When playing high volatile slots, winning spins and features will be less frequent but will payout more in large wins when they do payout.
A great example of high volatile slot providers are No-Limit City and Push Gaming. Check out our review here.
Medium Volatility Slots
What are slots with an average volatility? When playing slots with an average volatility, players will find features and payouts more frequent and with a fair payout rate.
These slots will pay out more regularly than highly volatile games, with a fair amount of regular winning outcomes and tend to be the go to slots for players looking for a good amount of action in features with a fair return on their wagers.
We find a great example to be Floating Dragon from slot provider Reel kingdom/Pragmatic. You can check out our review here.
Low Volatility Slots
Low volatile slots tend pay players regularly with a fair amount small wins regularly. Low volatility slots can usually be identified as they come with a high return to player percentage.
Is High vs Low Volatility the Most Essential Aspect When Selecting Slot Games?
Generally speaking it is a good comparison tool when searching for slots to play at online casinos.
Although, the general term of high and low volatility is typically used to identify slots with high and low payouts and at what rate these are payed back to the players. Some slots can be low volatility in regards to wins in the base game but have an extreme volatility when it comes to the feature games and free spin games.
A great example of this is Netent’s well known and popular slots, Dead or Alive and Dead or Alive 2. When spinning the reels on these slots, players will notice that the winning spins will be frequent although the wins payed are low. However, the feature wins are far from this and can payout over 100,000x the players wager. Check out our review here.
Is There a Betting Strategy for Slots?
Slot machines are random number generated (RNG) so there is no way to plan a strategy when playing slots.
Although there is no clear strategy for playing slots, there are a number of factors to take into account before spinning those reels.
Due to the nature of the RNG system, each spin has the same chance of hitting a winning result as the next and is all down to luck. Taking this into consideration, when selecting the size of the bet placed on a spin players will decide this amount by comparing to their total paying balance. Giving more chances of hitting that winning spin.
A common personal preference is to use a bet size of 100 spins out of your balance. In this situation, having a balance of £100 a player may decide to set the cost of each spin at £1 giving the player 100 £1 spins on the selected slot game.
Another preference some players use is to start on smaller stakes, then up the stake per spin to the next level if no win has been produced from 5 spins, 10 spins or 20 spins. Starting with the same £100 balance, a player may choose to start on 20p spin stake and up to 40p after no win, then to 80p if still no winning result or feature.
All in all, there is no clear way to play online slots and it is all down to personal preference and luck!
