There is so much more to online slots than jackpots these days. As much as most players would be happy to win a huge payout, many of them look forward to triggering special features on the reels.
Whether those features are symbols with unique functions, Multipliers that increase payouts, Free Spins, or something else, the best game providers make sure they are exciting. If you want to experience them at their best, you might consider exploring what video slots have to offer.
Multipliers
Multipliers are used in different ways in online slots. In some titles, they are attached to particular symbols, or they are awarded at random. In other games, they appear above or below the reels as a trail.
In whatever way they feature, Multipliers can multiply payouts by the amount they display. For example, if you land a win and get a 5x Multiplier, your payout will be multiplied by 5, so a $5 win would become a $25 payout.
Wild Symbols
The Wild symbol was one of the first special features to be incorporated into slot machines. Inspired by the Wild cards of card games, the symbols usually can substitute for the regular symbols on the paytable.
Game providers have created different types of Wilds. Some shift to a new position, or ‘walk’, after every spin that follows the one that landed the symbol. Others become frozen or sticky, which means they remain in the same position for one or more consecutive spins. You also can find Wilds that expand to fill reels, or that also act as Multipliers when they participate in a winning combination.
Scatter Symbols
In most online slots, symbols form winning combinations from left to right. In some games, symbols need to land on a payline, while in others, they merely need to appear on consecutive reels – but Scatters defy those rules.
The symbols can form winning combinations from any position on the reels, whether they are on active paylines or consecutive reels or neither. Some Scatters award payouts only, while others trigger Free Spins. Some can do both.
Free Spins
Free Spins are usually awarded by Scatter symbols. The number of spins you receive normally is determined by the number of symbols that triggered the feature.
For example, 3 Scatters may award 5 Free Spins, 4 symbols may award 10 spins, and 5 symbols may award 20 spins. The spins will be played at the same size bet as the one you placed on the triggering spin.
Bonus Games
In some slots in Canada, you can land special symbols that trigger bonus games. In most cases, they are played on a second screen that reveals another snipped of the story behind the slot.
Some bonus games are simple offerings that ask you to select icons to win prizes. Others may ask you to guide a character through an obstacle course, or to solve a simple puzzle.
With these and other special features, the gap between slots and video games is closer than ever. The releases of the future are bound to include even greater features.