What Are Megaways Slots and Why Are They So Popular?
Online slots have taken the world by storm over the past decade, with players now having thousands of options to choose from. These exciting games mimic traditional slot machines, but by using software rather than electronic reels, slots can be more creative and innovative than ever before. This has led to the creation of Megaways slots, which offer unique features and an eye-popping number of ways to win.
The History of Megaways Slots
The Megaways game format was created by Australian casino software provider Big Time Gaming, which released Bonanza back in 2016. Bonanza was the very first Megaways slot, and its success helped kickstart a revolution in the world of online slots.
When it was released, Bonanza stood out thanks to its shifting reels, which can feature between two and seven symbols each. This means that the number of ways to win, which is based on adjacent reels rather than paylines, also changes. In fact, Bonanza offered up to 117,649 ways to win, something that was completely unheard of at the time.
Since Bonanza first arrived at online casinos, Big Time Gaming have produced several other Megaways slots, while also licensing out the formula to other slot providers. Many other developers, including Pragmatic Play, Red Tiger, Microgaming, Reel Time Gaming and NetEnt, have released their own Megaways titles.
Megaways slots are a great example of the casino software industry shifting towards high volatility games. Volatility in slots is similar to volatility in trading, where the risk is higher, but so is the potential reward. It’s a measure of how frequently a slot pays out and the size of the wins. Essentially, high volatility slots pay out less frequently, but there’s greater potential for large wins, especially during bonus rounds.
Features That Make Megaways Slots Unique
Megaways slots stand out thanks to a number of key features. While they encompass a lot of different themes and have their own unique style, each Megaways game will have the following:
Expanding Reels and Paylines
The key feature of any Megaways game is the ever-changing number of symbols that show up on the reels. Each time you spin, the reels will shift, and you could have between 2 and 7 symbols on each row. To land a win in a Megaways game, you need to have matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, and the expanding reels mean that the number of ways to win changes too.
Most Megaways games follow the same formula that was so successful in Bonanza, with up to 117,649 ways to win. However, some may have a lower or higher max number of symbols on each row.
Cascading Wins
Another key feature of Megaways slots is the cascading win. Each time you win in a Megaways slot, the winning symbols are removed from the reels, with new ones dropping down to take their place. This can potentially trigger a chain reaction, with winning combinations formed from the new symbols.
While cascading wins aren’t unique to Megaways slots, they do help make the games more memorable and increase the potential for big wins with every spin.
Free Spins
The free spins bonus round is a typical part of the modern online slot experience, with a lot of games offering the chance to unlock free spins by landing enough scatters. Megaways slots typically offer free spins too, though the exact nature of this bonus round can vary depending on the slot.
Some games offer mystery symbols and win multipliers, while others have expanding wilds and giant symbols. Either way, the free spins round is where the biggest wins can be made, and unlocking this feature is one of the most exciting parts of playing Megaways slots.
The Growing Popularity of Megaways Slots
The special features and unique characteristics of Megaways slots are obviously a big part of their appeal, but there’s a lot more to it than that. The constantly changing number of ways makes them a lot of fun to play, even over long playing sessions. Players can never predict what will happen next, and the number of bonus features also keeps things fresh and exciting.
Of course, the fact that so many slot providers have now launched their own versions of Megaways slots, with many different themes and options to choose from. Players can also visit Megaways Casino which will offer the most popular Megaways slots when it officially launches. There are plenty of branded Megaways games too, including Monopoly Megaways and Deal or No Deal Megaways, so there are always unique and exciting games to play.
Many Megaways games offer large maximum wins too, with the high volatility making them more attractive to those who have a higher risk tolerance. The potential for a large win multiplier is something that keeps many players coming back over time. In addition, the fact that there are more ways to win makes them more appealing, as it can feel like the chance of landing a win is higher.
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