What Features Are Making Online Slots More Varied?

Slot machines are nothing new, having been around for decades. However, improving technology and fresh ideas have allowed them to move with the times and become more varied and bursting with new features. By checking out some recent releases, we can see how the latest advancements have been utilised to expand upon traditional game mechanics.

Free Spin Modifiers

A free spin round is one of the classic bonuses offered by many slots. The player is awarded a set number of free games through which to try and collect as much cash as possible. This is typically the most exciting section in a game and offers the best chance of a big win. However, slot developers have long been looking for ways to introduce an extra element of chance.

Users can see free spin modifiers for themselves when they play Big Bass Splash, for instance. This game features symbols showing fish with cash values, which are collected by fishermen. The modifiers can include extra fish or fishermen being added during free spins. Dynamite, hooks and bonanzas can also be randomly added as modifiers. This is just one way free spin modifiers have been integrated, of course, but it’s a fitting example of how a good theme and play gimmick can make games stand out in a heavily saturated market.

Prize Trail Features

Prize trails typically lead the player along a series of ever-increasing prizes as they try to reach the top level for the game’s biggest win. They were once a common feature of in-person slot machines but lost some of their popularity as games moved online, although they have recently started to appear again in new games, such as the Diamond Trails cabinet, which implement more up-to-date technology to make them more complex and varied.

A look at the Lil Demon: Blazing Lava slot shows how a prize trail might be integrated today. This slot by Playtech has a devilish theme and a fire trail feature that’s activated when a prize or pot icon lands on top of a bomb. In this case, cash values will start to cascade down the screen and be awarded until a non-winning sequence lands.

Bonus Wheels

The basic concept of spinning a wheel to see what prize it stops at is even older than slot machines. This sort of money wheel or lucky wheel has been used in games across many cultures and has influenced casino games like roulettes as well as TV game shows. Despite its random and high-risk nature, people have long sought tips on how to win at Wheel of Fortune, focusing mainly on the puzzle-solving sections. And yet, its use in online slots is relatively new. 

Wolf It Up Christmas by Inspired has a festive theme with a wolf and a rocking chair among the key symbols. A wheel bonus is triggered when the player collects enough Christmas puddings. The wheel has segments representing free spins and jackpots, and, as with the rest of the slots we’ve looked at, base game wins are triggered by getting matching symbols while the bonus features offer some extra play styles.

The way that the online slot industry has developed and grown in recent times seems to suggest that it’s going to carry on diversifying as more features get added to games. The combination of spinning reels and bonuses like those we’ve looked at should continue to make this an industry worth keeping an eye on.