If you’ve never played a slot machine before, it can be easy to feel intimidated by all the bright lights, flashing colors and seemingly incomprehensible rules. However, while these games might look complex, they’re actually a lot easier to understand than many people realise.
If you’re new to slots, or even if you’re an experienced player, having a better understanding of the rules and how specific features can work can significantly improve your game. We’ve put together a guide with some of the most common slot machine features to help you out. Check it out below.
Wilds
The basic premise of any slot game is easy to understand. You spin the reels and attempt to land matching symbols across every row. Symbols come with different values, with higher-value symbols more difficult to combine than low-value symbols.
However, not all symbols are standard payout symbols. Let’s say you’re spinning the reels and you land two high-value symbols in a combination. Hard luck! You need three to secure a win. Better luck next time, right? Not necessarily. With wild symbols, you may be able to claim those winnings after all.
A wild symbol can stand in for any other kind of payout symbol. They can help you land winning combos and are a staple feature across almost every single slot machine. Often, wilds don’t come with values. Instead, they will pay out at the stated value of the symbol they are substituting.
Scatters
Another feature you’re going to come across when playing online slots is the scatter symbol. Unlike wilds, scatters are not usually used to substitute for other symbols. Instead, scatters are usually used to activate special game modes and bonus rounds.
Generally, scatters can appear anywhere on the reels and do not need to land in a specific order, formation or payline to work (although this can vary from slot to slot). Some scatters also pay out winnings, while others don’t, it just depends on the slot you’re playing.
One of the most common bonuses scatters are used to unlock is free spins. More on this below…
Free Spins
Free spins, as the name might suggest, are slot machine features that allows you to spin the reels without placing any wagers. Usually, free spins are unlocked by landing a certain number of scatters, at which point the game will start immediately. Your wager will be locked on whatever the last bet you placed was, and any winnings will be calculated according to this value.
The number of free spins you are awarded will again depend on the slot you are playing, but it’s usually determined by the number of scatters you landed to trigger the feature. The more scatters you land initially, the more free spins you’re likely to have.
Cascading Reels
Cascading reels is a unique feature that we’re seeing pop up more and more in the online slot machines of today. In a game with cascading reels, symbols that land as part of a winning combination will disappear from the reels. The gaps they leave will be filled by symbols falling, or cascading, down from above. If any new combinations are formed after the symbols move, you will be paid out additional winnings.
All of this happens on a single spin, which means that cascading reels can create opportunities to land huge consecutive wins.
Conclusion
The features that we’ve listed above are just the tip of the iceberg. Today’s online slot machines have a huge range of additional features for players to enjoy. However, the above are likely to be the features you’ll come across the most, so having a solid grasp of these is vital if you want to succeed.
