Video Slot Features
Video slots are among the easiest online casino games to understand and play. Set your stake for each spin, press the ‘start’ button, and let the slot take it from there.
The RNG takes over, animations start, and the slot’s technology automatically handles bonus rounds, winning combinations, and other features, displaying and paying winning multipliers. Even when the software does the work, it is understandable that some players want to know what pays, where it appears, when it triggers, and why.
Knowing how online slot technology works can help you make a more informed game choice. That is the aim of this guide. It explains some of the more confusing mechanics used by major developers such as BTG, Yggdrasil, Pragmatic Play, Microgaming, and others, so you can recognize the features at work when choosing a video slot.
Ways to Win – (Adjacent Reels, No Paylines)
Video slots without paylines are among the most widely misunderstood examples of iGaming technology. Microgaming is generally credited as the first software provider to move away from paylines. The now-defunct Lord of the Rings Jackpot slot introduced the 243-ways-to-win format without paylines. These games kept a 5x3 reel layout but used ‘adjacent reels’ to form winning combinations—a system that is easy to follow once you know the rules.
- For a combination to win, its first symbol must appear on reel 1
- Each following symbol must appear on the next consecutive adjacent reel
- A 2-symbol win requires matching symbols on reels 1-2.
- A 3-symbol winning combination requires matching symbols on reels 1-2-3
- The same pattern applies to 4-, 5-, and 6-symbol winning combinations
- A symbol’s position on its reel does not matter (top-middle-bottom)
In addition to the no-payline 243-ways-to-win format, there are now…
- 1024-ways-to-win: Following the success of the 243-ways-to-win concept, developers introduced the 1024-ways-to-win format, with 5x4 reels to create more possible winning routes.
- 4096-ways-to-win: Adding a 6th reel and arranging the game on a 6x4 grid let developers create 2000-ways-to-win games, including the familiar 4,096-ways-to-win format in Playtech’s Buffalo Blitz virtual and live slots.
- 117,649 ways to win: Megaways slots keep the no-payline format and its ‘adjacent reels’ rules for winning combinations, but introduce an important variation…
Megaways
While BTG patented ‘Megaways’, Microgaming still deserves recognition for the earlier ‘no pay lines’ concept. BTG expanded ways-to-win games with its ‘Shape-Shifting Reels’. Some descriptions call Megaways a 6x7 grid system, but that is not quite accurate for the following reason…
- On each spin, a reel can show 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 symbols
- A spin could show 2-4-7-6-4-6 symbols across 6 reels, or it could show 7-7-7-7-7-7 symbols
- The number of Megaways changes from spin to spin, depending on how many symbols are visible
- To achieve 117,649 ways to win, each of the 6 reels must show 7 symbols: 7-7-7-7-7-7
This is how Megaways slots can offer so many ways to win, and why they are known as ‘shape-shifting reels’. Other variations are available, including Tiki Infinity Reels X Megaways, which changes between 2 and 5 symbols and offers unlimited Megaways because…
Infinity Reels
When this was first written, the ‘Infinity Reels’ feature was relatively new, with just a handful of titles, and the review anticipated more in the years ahead. As the name suggests, the slot can keep adding reels. In the example here, Tiki Infinity Reels X Megaways begins with 3 reels.
- If the 1st spin produces a 3-symbol win, the game adds a new 4th reel
- Only the newly added reel spins
- If the 3-symbol win becomes a 4-symbol win, the game adds a new 5th reel
- Only the newly added reel spins
- If the 4-symbol win becomes a 5-symbol win, the game adds a new 6th reel
That is the basic principle. The sequence can continue without end, creating ‘Infinite Reels’ and, as a result, no fixed limit on the number of Megaways.
Cluster Wins, also known as Cluster Pays
Slots using ‘Cluster Pays’ or ‘Cluster Wins’ offer a notably different style of play. Gemix 2 is one example. Instead of ‘Pay Lines’ or ‘Adjacent Reels’, these games use a ‘Tetris’-like layout to create winning groups. These groups are called ‘clusters’ rather than combinations.
- A cluster is formed by symbols in adjacent positions, not merely on adjacent reels
- Symbols can connect above, below, left, right, or diagonally
- Clusters can form squares, rectangles, or other shapes
- Clusters commonly need at least 5 symbols
- Some clusters can contain 25 symbols
- Clusters can appear anywhere in the slot’s visible area
Rolling Reels or Cascading Reels
Cascading reels appear in most Megaways games, nearly all cluster-pay games, and some payline and ways-to-win slots. Microgaming Slots: Features, RTP and Jackpot Games also uses the name rolling reels for this feature.
- Symbols in a winning combination are removed from the reels
- New symbols fall into the empty spaces
- A new combination does not always result in a payout
- Any new wins are added to the winnings from the current spin
- The reels continue cascading until no more wins occur
Win Both Ways
In slots that pay both ways, such as Starburst, winning combinations can run from left to right or right to left. The ‘adjacent reels’ principle used in no-payline games can also apply to payline slots. For a right-to-left win, the first symbol must still start on reel 1 and continue across consecutive reels; with the ‘Both Ways’ feature, the reverse direction starts on reel 5 and proceeds across consecutive reels.
- Winning combinations can pay left to right (Reels 1-2-3-4-5)
- Winning combinations can pay right to left (Reels 5-4-3-2-1)
A Roundup of Slot Technology
This guide to video slot technology has covered several components that may make modern online and mobile slots seem confusing. These explanations give new players a starting point for understanding the mechanics behind technical terms used to describe a video slot’s main features. For more information, see:
