Slot Features: The Ultimate Guide for Canadian Players

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Common Features of Online Slots

Features are the heart of new online slots because they help set individual games apart in the highly saturated market. Every slot is typically a unique combination of generic features and less common custom modifiers.

Both categories of special elements modify the gameplay in different ways and add layers of excitement to the overall gaming experience. Let’s begin with an overview of some of the more common features.

Wild Symbols

A wild symbol is a special symbol that typically has no value of its own. This symbol acts like a chameleon, taking on the form of any of the other icons as required. This attribute allows the wild symbol to substitute for other icons to create winning combinations or expand your wins.

For instance, if the rule is to line up at least three identical symbols on a payline, but you have two icons lining up with a wild symbol, the wild symbol becomes the third symbol, helping you create a winning combination. Similarly, if you had three identical symbols and a wild, they’ll form a four-of-a-kind winning combination instead of a three-symbol combo.

Free Spins

This is arguably the most popular feature. The free spin feature allows you to spin the reels a specific number of times without deducting from your bankroll. The bet amount of each spin is typically based on the bet amount of the spin that triggered the spin.

The free spins bonus round may also include additional bonuses such as multipliers and extra wilds. The free spins feature is typically triggered by landing a specific number of a special symbol known as the scatter symbol. In some cases, landing more scatter symbols during the free spins bonus round will trigger even more spins.

Some games also come with a bonus buy feature, which allows you to buy the spins at a specific amount instead of waiting for them to get triggered randomly during gameplay. The free spins bonus is quite appealing to players because it allows them to spin the reels and earn a normal payout without spending out of their bankroll. This boosts your winning chances and comes at zero extra cost.

Bonus Rounds

A bonus round is also sometimes referred to as a side game. This is a free game that plays out on a different setup (or the same setup) as the base game. The bonus round is typically free. However, the wins triggered in this bonus match will still be added to your main balance.

Bonus rounds can take different forms depending on the slot. It typically incorporates other bonus features such as free spins, a pick-and-win bonus, multipliers, respins, and wilds. Bonus rounds make the gameplay more entertaining and offer players something to look forward to.

While a bonus round doesn’t necessarily guarantee a win, our research has shown that the chances of winning a big prize are higher during a bonus game than in the base match. Jackpots and other massive prizes are often connected to the bonus round in most games.

Multipliers

A multiplier feature is just as it sounds. This feature multiplies your winnings by a specific margin. Unlike other bonuses that modify the gameplay in some ways, a multiplier bonus doesn’t really affect the play. Instead, it is applied directly to payouts, making spin outcomes more valuable than they would normally be. The multiplier bonus is typically expressed as multiples of the bonus amount. Examples include 2x, 3x, 5x, and so on.

Multipliers can be used as a standalone bonus feature triggered in the base game. It can also be combined with other elements, creating multiplier wilds, multiplier free spins, cascading reel multipliers, and so on. In all of these cases, a multiplier can be the difference between a regular payout and a massive win. For instance, a small C$100 win becomes C$1,000 when a simple 10x multiplier is applied.

Progressive Jackpots

A jackpot is the top prize in any game, typically in the form of a large sum of money significantly bigger than the regular payout. The progressive jackpot is an even bigger type of jackpot because it grows bigger over time.

In matches with a progressive jackpot feature, the jackpot amount grows bigger as more people play, as long as there’s no winner. In many cases, a small percentage of each player’s bet is added to the jackpot pool. When someone wins the jackpot, it resets to a default value (or seed money) and starts to grow again.

The winner of the progressive jackpot is often determined randomly based on the slot’s random number generator. However, in some cases, the jackpot may also be tied to a designated time limit, after which the winner is picked randomly. Progressive jackpots can be standalone, local (restricted to a specific game or casino platform), or connected to a network across multiple casinos.

Gamble Feature

This is a special bonus feature triggered randomly after each win. This feature gives you a chance to wager your winnings for a chance to double your payout on a winning spin. The gamble feature can take various forms.

It typically involves playing a guessing contest, such as guessing the colour of the next card in a sequence. If your guess is right, your win is doubled. The gamble feature is a double-or-nothing feature, which means a wrong guess will result in you losing your winnings for the entire round.

Autoplay

Unlike other features that modify gameplay and boost your winning chances, the Autoplay is a feature of convenience. When it is activated, the autoplay feature will spin the reels a specific number of times. This way, you don’t have to hit the spin button each time you need to place a bet.

The player is in complete control of the autoplay feature. To initiate this feature, you have to set the number of spins and the value of your bet in each spin. You can also take over the spins manually at any point, even before the set number of spins is exhausted. Some autoplay features also allow you to set a stop number, which refers to the maximum amount of money you’re willing to lose.

The autoplay feature allows you to gamble hand-free since the slot itself essentially plays for you. It doesn’t affect odds, and outcomes are still as randomized as playing manually. One major downside of using the autoplay feature is that your bet amount is fixed for all the spins.

Scatters

The scatter is a designated symbol that triggers a fun bonus feature. Drawing on our own experience, we know that the scatter symbol is often linked to the free spins bonus. However, scatters can also unlock other bonuses and mini-games apart from the Free spins bonus round.

Typically, a specific number of scatters will be required to unlock the bonus feature, depending on the rules. When this condition is met, the promised feature is triggered automatically.

As a special feature, the rules for the scatter symbol are typically different from those of the other symbols. For instance, scatter can trigger a bonus by appearing anywhere on the reels, even if it isn’t on a payline. Also, unlike other icons, the scatter cannot be replaced by the wild symbol. Scatters are usually non-paying symbols. However, in instances where the scatter symbol offers a payout, it is usually one of the highest-paying icons.

Fixed and Variable Paylines

In online gaming, the pay line refers to a line on which identical symbols must fall to trigger a payout. Your wager is essentially a bet on whether or not the icons will match on a payline pattern or not. If you made a bet on a pay line and the winning symbols fall on the line, then you have a winning bet.

The number of paylines can be fixed or variable. Variable pay lines allow you to pick the specific number of paylines you want to bet on. This gives you more flexibility and allows you to control how your bet is placed. However, your bet is only valid for the selected pay line. Any combination formed on the non-active paylines will not be considered a win.

For a fixed pay line game, all the paylines are active. Players cannot choose which pay line they’d like to bet on. The player’s total bet is spread over all the paylines. While this option is more rigid, the winning chances are higher since all the paylines are active.

Adjacent Ways

The Adjacent Ways feature is a way of determining wins instead of regular paylines. With this feature, winning combinations are determined by having identical icons land side by side on the reels instead of having them land on paylines.

The adjacent ways feature often pays from left to right (meaning the icons must land on reel one) or pays both ways (left to right or right to left). The main benefit of the adjacent ways feature is that it loosens the rules for forming winning combinations compared to regular paylines. By having winning symbols land anywhere instead of specific paylines, the chances of getting a win are slightly higher.

Benefits of Common Slot Features

Exclusive Slot Features

In addition to the common features listed above, slots also have unique features exclusive to certain software providers or machines. Exclusive features are less common and they give games a unique edge while also elevating the playing experience for players. Some of these exclusive features include:

Cascading Reels

The cascading reel mechanic is also known as the rolling or collapsing reel feature. In this feature, the icons involved in forming a winning combination disappear from the reels while the remaining ones roll down to fill in the empty spaces.

As the symbols cascade, they can form new winning combinations if identical icons end up on the same payline. This cycle will continue until no new combination is formed. The cascading reel feature makes it possible to earn multiple payouts in a single spin. In some slots, cascading reels come with a multiplier, which increases as long as you maintain a winning streak.

Cluster Pays

The cluster pays mechanism is a feature introduced by software provider NetEnt in 2017, which has now been used by several other software providers. This unique feature eliminates the need for traditional paylines.

Unlike regular situations where wins are triggered by landing winning symbols on a pay line, players only need to form clusters of matching icons (typically 5 or 6) next to each other in a cluster pays slot. This means winning patterns don’t need to start on reel one or follow a specific pattern. Symbol clusters can be obtained anywhere on the grid, boosting a player’s winning chances significantly.

Mystery Symbols

As the name suggests, a mystery symbol has its value concealed when it lands on the reels. Unlike regular icons, a mystery symbol may be represented by a question mark or any other form of concealment when it appears. The symbol will then transform into a regular symbol, turning non-winning spins into wins or creating bigger wins.

In some instances, mystery symbols create a sense of anticipation as players wait for the symbol that it will be transformed into. Mystery icons may also be included as an integral part of the gameplay. For instance, in a pick-and-win feature, the winner gets to select from a collection of mystery icons to determine the prize they’ll earn.

Win Both Ways

The win-both-ways feature is an advanced form of the regular pay line. In cases like this, the winning combination can be formed by landing identical icons on a payline in both directions (from left to right or right to left). This effectively doubles the number of paylines in the game without increasing your bet.

The win both ways feature raises your chances of forming a winning combination. Most slots with a win both-ways feature typically have it as the standard way for attributing wins in the base game. However, in some instances, the feature is restricted to the bonus round.

Megaways

Megaways is a special game feature popularized by software provider Big Time Gaming. Slots with this feature have more winning ways compared to conventional ones. In Megaways, the number of ways to form a winning combination varies between 243 all the way up to 117,649 per spin.

Some Megaways games have a fixed number of winning ways. However, in some variations of this feature, the number of paylines will change with every spin. The main reason for the changes in the number of paylines is that the number of icons per row changes with each spin.

The main goal of the Megaways feature is to give you more chances to land a winning combination. A megaways mechanic can be combined with other game features like free spins, wilds, multipliers, and so on.

Expanding Reels

The expanding reels feature is a common modification of traditional slots where a reel has symbols that take up multiple positions. With the expanding reel feature, the symbols that appear on a specific reel may either appear as mega or multi-grid icons or expand after landing on the reels to take up multiple positions. The reel expansion is often vertical but may also be horizontal.

When an expanding reel feature is triggered, the symbol that lands on the reel will take up multiple positions, increasing your chances of forming a winning combination. In some games, the reels expand when a wild symbol lands on it. This forms an expanding wild. It may also be combined with other bonuses, such as free spins, cascading reels, and so on.

Stacked Wilds

Stacked wild is a term commonly used to describe two or more wild icons that appear stacked on top of each other. Similar to the expanding wild symbol, the stacked wild takes up multiple positions on a reel as well.

However, unlike expanding wilds, where a single symbol expands to cover up an entire reel, the Stacked wild comprises individual identical symbols. Like regular wilds, stacked wilds help you complete winning combinations. But the chances are higher since multiple wilds appear on the reels.

Bonus Game

The bonus game is an additional contest (also called a mini-game) within a main game (typically with an entirely different design or mechanics) that allows you to play for extra prizes, such as bonus money or free spins.

A bonus game is typically triggered by landing a specific symbol combination within the regular game. It could be as simple as a bonus wheel spin or mystery symbol pick. However, some bonus games have more complex mechanics, which can make them difficult to understand. The main goal, in most cases, is to introduce variety to regular gameplay while also helping you win some prizes.

243 Ways to Win

Slots with 243 ways to win have no paylines in the traditional sense. Instead, winning combinations are formed by matching three or more identical symbols on adjacent reels anywhere on the grid. The winning pattern goes from left to right, starting in any position on the grid.

The result of this system of forming winning combinations is that the game now has 243 ways to create a winning combo. This is higher than the usual number of paylines that you get in a standard case. This system of forming winning combinations was introduced by Microgaming but has been adopted in several other games by other software providers.

The main advantage of this type of winning pattern is that it makes it easier to earn a payout. This effectively gives you more value for your wager and helps you earn more. It’s also easier to read (especially for players who are not familiar with the traditional system of attributing wins). With this format, any symbol match from left to right results in a win, which is pretty straightforward to understand.

Expanding Wilds

An expanding wild feature is a combination of a wild icon and an expanding symbol function. This occurs when the expanding symbol also happens to be a wild symbol. In a case like this, the wild symbol will expand to fill up an entire reel each time it lands on the grid.

Like regular wilds, expanding wilds can substitute for other symbols. This makes it easier to land winning combinations. With a wild symbol filling up an entire reel, the chances of forming a winning combination are even higher than usual.

Expanding Symbols

The expanding symbol feature allows icons that land on a reel or form a winning combination to stretch, covering multiple positions on the reels. Unlike expanding reels, this feature applies to the symbol itself, activating regardless of which reels are involved. Since the symbol covers more than one position, the chances of forming a winning combination or landing bigger wins are higher. In some cases, this is combined with other features, such as the wilds or sticky symbol function, helping you land even bigger wins.

Sticky Wilds or Locked Wilds

Sticky wilds are like regular wilds in the sense that they replace other symbols to form winning combinations. However, instead of disappearing off the reels after a spin, sticky wilds remain on the reels for subsequent spins. A sticky wild can be part of a respin feature. In this case, the other reels will spin again while the wild symbol sticks to the reels. It can also be active for a specific number of spins or part of the free spins bonus round.

Transferring Wilds

Transferring wilds is a feature introduced by WMS gaming. Like the regular wild, transferring wilds helps you form winning combinations by standing in for any of the other icons. Slots with transferring wilds typically have two sets of reels.

There’s a large set of reels on the left and three other reels on the right. Whenever a wild symbol appears on the larger reels, it is transferred to the reels on the right, adding wilds to the grid on every spin.

Walking Wilds or Shifting Wilds

The walking wilds feature is also known as shifting wilds. In games with this feature, the wild symbol appears randomly like a regular wild during a spin but sticks to the screen instead of disappearing. On subsequent spins, the wilds start to shift or walk to adjacent reels.

Depending on the mechanics, the walking wild may move like this for a specific number of reels or until it leaves the view. In some instances, the wild symbol will continue to move until it has landed on every reel.

The walking wild symbol typically starts on the leftmost reel (reel one) and moves toward the right. However, depending on the design, it could also move in the opposite direction.

Random Wilds

In some online slots, in addition to the game’s dedicated wilds, random symbols may also transform into wilds. These are known as random wilds. It typically happens in the bonus round or during the free spins round. Having multiple wilds within a match can make it even more lucrative and entertaining.

Colossal Reels

Colossal reels are an innovative feature introduced by WMS Games. Slots with this feature typically have two sets of reels. The first set is a conventional reel grid with five reels and three rows. Beside this reel is a bigger reel set with five reels and up to 12 rows, forming a colossal set.

By introducing an extra set of reels with more icons (and consequently more paylines), a player’s chances of landing a winning combination improve significantly. This also raises the payout potential. Note that the two sets of reels aren’t connected. This means the pay line for each one is independent, and the outcome in one set does not affect the other.

720 Ways to Win

A 720 ways to win feature is a type of “pay all ways” function. This is a slot that uses winning ways instead of conventional paylines. With this feature, winning combinations are formed by landing three icons in adjacent reel positions anywhere on the reels instead of specific paylines. With 720 ways to win, the number of possible combinations that you can form in a spin is 720.

With so many winning ways, it is significantly easier to land a winning combination in this case. Also, while the slot offers more winning opportunities, you don’t necessarily have to pay more per spin. The number of winning ways is the same whether you’re wagering the minimum bet per spin or the maximum.

Synced Reels

As the name suggests, the synced reels feature has two or more reels on the grid synchronized to show the same icons. The specific number of synched reels varies from one game to the other. However, in all instances, the synced reels always mirror each other.

With the same icons showing on multiple reels, the chances of forming a winning combination are higher. Synchronized reels also increase your chances of earning bigger wins. The more synced reels you have, the bigger the payout you’ll get on a winning spin. This feature can be a base feature or get triggered during the bonus round.

Respins

A respin feature makes all the reels (or a specific number of reels) spin again after an initial spin. This gives you another shot at landing a winning combination in a non-winning spin or increases your potential payout in a winning spin.

The respin feature is typically triggered after another bonus feature has been triggered. For instance, after a sticky wild appears on the reels, the rest of the reels may respin to potentially form a winning pattern. In some other slot games, the player has more control over the respin feature. In this case, there’s a button that you can press to use this feature.

Bonus Retriggers

A bonus retrigger is a symbol or symbol combination that triggers more of a previous bonus or helps you get another bonus entirely. Retriggers allow you to enjoy more of a bonus than you have gotten before.

Free spins are the most commonly retriggered bonus feature. In many slots with free spins, you can trigger more free spins during the bonus round by landing more scatters. This is a type of retrigger that extends the bonus round by a few spins.

Nudges or Nudging Reels

The nudge is a special feature that allows players to potentially change the outcome of a spin by shifting a reel up or down. Depending on the mechanics, this may apply to a single position or multiple positions.

The nudge is a rare feature commonly seen in classic machines but rarely in modern video slots. In this feature, the player is randomly rewarded with one or more nudges on any spin, which can be used to create a winning combination or earn a bigger payout by changing the positions of the reels.

Horizontal Reels

While traditional slots have reels that spin vertically, horizontal reels have an innovative design that allows them to spin horizontally instead. This adds a fascinating and visually appealing twist to a conventional game.

In many games, the horizontal reel is an extra reel beside (or above) the main reel. In some cases, the side reel can display bonuses like Wilds or multipliers. The symbols that appear on these horizontal reels are then mirrored on the main reel grid.

1,024 Ways to Win

Slots with 1024 ways to win feature form winning combinations using an all-ways win mechanic. They follow the same standard set of rules as regular machines but offer over 1000 ways to form a winning combination.

Typically, you can earn a payout by simply lining three or more icons in adjacent positions anywhere on the reels instead of specific paylines. Having 1024 ways to win will definitely increase your odds of winning on each spin without wagering more on paylines.

Split Symbols

This is a common feature introduced by IGT Interactive. The split symbol is divided into two or more icons each time it is involved in a winning combination. If a splitting symbol ends up on the payline after a spin, it will split into two or more icons, boosting your payout by increasing the number of symbols involved in a winning combination. For instance, if you hit a four-symbol combination with a splitting symbol, you will be awarded a payout equivalent to a five-symbol win.

Symbol Transformations

The symbol transformation feature changes one symbol into another one during the base game or bonus round. The most common form of this feature is to have regular symbols randomly turn into wilds. However, in other instances, low-paying icons transform into higher-paying ones. This way, all the winning combinations formed in subsequent spins are high-value payouts.

Bonus Buy

Also known as a bonus buy feature, it allows you to pay for a bonus feature instead of waiting for it to be triggered randomly. Bonus buy features give you more control over the gameplay. Based on our observations, free spins and multipliers are the most commonly purchased bonuses.

However, you can also pay to add more wilds to your spins, trigger respins, bonus games, and pretty much any other feature. Understanding how different bonuses affect gameplay will make it easier to choose the best slots to buy bonus features.

Fruit Machine Hold

The fruit machine hold feature is a special feature commonly seen in fruit machines. It is similar to the nudge feature in the sense that it gives the player some control over the reel spin. Unlike the nudge, which allows you to move a reel to create a different outcome, the hold feature allows you to keep a reel locked while you spin the other reels.

When you hold a reel, it will not move the next time you click the spin button. In some cases, you may even be able to hold multiple reels at once. This feature is best used when you have the desired outcomes on the reels you’re holding and hope the next spin turns up the desired symbols on the remaining reels.

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Tips for Selecting the Best Slot Features

Based on our experience, we know that gameplay features can influence your overall experience and winning odds significantly. This is why choosing slots with the best features is crucial.

With so many feature options, how exactly do you select the right one for you? Thanks to our practical knowledge, here are some tips you may find helpful:

• Read reviews: You should check out reviews first before playing any game. This includes official reviews and personal reviews from players who have played the game in the past. This will give you an idea of the type of features to look forward to in the game.
• Read the pay tables: The paytable is an official narrative from the software provider that explains how the game works and the value of each symbol. It will also explain the core features and how they affect gameplay.
• Try demo games first: Most modern slots also give you the option to try out free online slots before playing with real cash. There’s no better way to familiarize yourself with the mechanics and features of the game.

Final Thoughts

We don’t even need to start pointing out the importance of understanding slot features before playing a game. The entire premise of the game and how well you’ll enjoy it depends on the features and how they’re structured. As an active casino player, you need to understand how different features work and how they affect your gaming experience.

This way, you can easily decide if a game is right for you or not and how profitable it is likely to be. According to our experience, learning how slot features work is a crucial aspect of responsible gambling that can save you from wasting time and money.