On the surface, slots have changed very little since they first reached our computer screens. Yet, while the varied themes have changed the look of these games, it’s the features that have more profoundly altered how we play these games.
Megaways Add More Unpredictability
The Megaways mechanism has been around since 2015, with Australian game creator Big Time Gaming coming up with this idea. While this isn’t a new feature, there are sure to be many players and potential players who haven’t yet experienced the thrill of seeing how the reels merge and change on each spin. This means that the number of ways of winning changes every time you play, which adds an extra degree of unpredictability to slots.
The popularity of Megaways games can be seen when we look at the casino online at Paddy’s. Titles like Deal or No Deal Banker Riches Megaways and The Goonies Megaways are among their newest additions at the time of writing. Plenty of classic slots have also had a Megaways makeover. Cleopatra, Eye of Horus, and Fishin’ Frenzy are among the slots that have received a new lease of life thanks to the addition of this mechanism.
Linked Jackpots Increase the Chance of Claiming a Big Prize
Progressive jackpots aren’t new, but the way they work has changed over time. Originally, these prizes were awarded randomly on a single game, but recently we’ve seen the rise of linked jackpots where you can collect the main prize by playing any of the games in the network.
Some promotions have guaranteed prizes every hour and every day, adding to the appeal by giving every player the feeling that they could win. Others add several jackpots of differing sizes to ensure that more players get to chance to claim a jackpot. The Jackpot King series of games by Blueprint adds an extra element by including a bonus game that needs to be completed to trigger one of the main prizes.
Cash Collect Features That Fit the Theme
With many developers creating unique slots, it’s perhaps no surprise to see that more features have been added as a way of making an individual game stand out. The cash collect feature varies from one game to the next but typically involves a certain symbol that appears with cash values on it, while another symbol can collect the cash values on them.
The themed series of Money Train games by Relax based on the Wild West period shows how this works by adding a bonus round set inside a wagon on the train where the bandits are carrying out a heist. A variety of characters are shown on different symbols with varying abilities that pop up to help the player try to claim a big prize. It’s a fun way of presenting a bonus round where that fits the theme, as we can also see it used on fishing-based slots where a fisherman collects fish with values on them.
As slots continue to gain more popularity, we can expect to see more new features being added to them. They add to the excitement of playing these slot games and help newcomers feel in control when deciding what to play from a big range of games.