The game of slots has enjoyed a successful rise in recent years. From traditional fruit machines, digital replacements have been shipped into casinos around the world, some fitted with multiple LED screens to showcase the high-quality graphics modern-day slots players have become accustomed to.
Out of all the games on offer at casinos, slots remain the most popular game amongst the casino playing community and that popularity has only increased with the range of features that have been added to the new generation of slots machines. Alongside the digitalisation of slots in land-based casinos, the rapidly growing online casino industry is providing another avenue to access popular online slots titles such as Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst.
The game of slots as a whole is benefiting from the advances in software that are arming game design and development companies such as NetEnt, Playtech, and Pragmatic Play with the ability to create features that affect the game play and make the games more entertaining and interactive. These features are driving the popularity of slots globally, but which features are proving especially popular with slots enthusiasts?
Wild and Scatter Symbols
The concept of symbols on slot machines dates right back to the end of the 19th century when Charles Fey invented the slot machine. Back then, the symbols consisted of a horseshoe, diamond, spade, heart, and a bell, which was the symbol that players were most interested in matching. The evolution of symbols moved onto fruit, which led to slot machines being nicknamed “fruities” in some parts of the world.
However, just in the past decade, the evolution has moved to the next level, beyond the basic themes of a deck of cards or fruit. With the technological and game design capabilities, slots of all types of themes are being created. Whether it is Batman, The Goonies, Call of Duty, or just fishing, themed games are emerging with symbols, soundtracks and animations all related to that title. However, one common aspect across all these new-age creations is the appearance of wild and scatter symbols.
These are symbols that bring much excitement to online slots enthusiasts as they have the ability to act as any symbol and could prove the difference between connecting a successful payline or not. As a result of the introduction of these symbols, slots games have more paylines than ever before and is perhaps a reason why slots are still growing in popularity.
Different Reel Formations
Slots games of the present day have been slightly reinvented and can be programmed to display different grid formations. The classic three-by-three formation found on “fruities” evolved into five-by-three grids for added variety. Nowadays, grids on some online slots games might not even resemble a rectangle or a square. And they could even go up to seven-reels or nine-reels.
The thinking behind this reinvention of the reel is simple. To create additional ways of winning. With the ability to connect different combinations of symbols across different lines, the variation was an instant hit with online slots players who were simply excited to see something new and innovative. With the capabilities in programming, there could be further innovative measures introduced as game designers continue to play around with the format of the reel grid.
Buy The Bonus
Perhaps the most popular feature to be introduced in the last decade is the ability to reach bonus rounds quicker. The concept of investing more finance to skip straight to a bonus round is called “bonus buy,” and the feature is extremely popular worldwide. Bonus Buy Slots UK has a wide array of games that include this feature that gives players the opportunity to play with higher multipliers and win free spins.
The feature is not available in every online casino playing market, with the United Kingdom and the Netherlands prohibiting the inclusion of the bonus buy feature on their licensed platforms due to additional funds that players need to invest to trigger the bonus rounds and the risk of heightened risk of gambling addiction. But while there is no guarantee or increased chance of winning, bonus buy rounds add an element of excitement for online slots players and is the feature most online slots players are seeking out.
