What are Colossal Reels?

Originally introduced in land based casinos and developed by WMS, the appearance of Colossal Reels feature has revolutionized slot gameplay in both brick & mortar and online casinos across the world. Unlike the standards slots, where the player is restricted with a single set of reels, Colossal Reels have an entirely different structure and offer quite a unique gaming platform by expanding the playground to two separate 5 reel sets – a conventional, smaller one with 3 rows and the additional, Colossal set of 12 rows. With the extra set of reels, the player’s winning chances are significantly improved and the overall payout potential increased.

The following group of features is what usually differentiates Colossal reels from the classic-structured slots:

• The number of simultaneous paylines is increased to 100 without changing the minimum bet
• Stacked Wilds can appear on all reels
• Transferring Wild symbols which, once triggered, transfer from Main to Colossal reels.

Although Stacked and Transferring Wilds are incorporated by the number of regular slots, they pretty much became the norm in Colossal Reels slots as this is where they can make a noticeable difference. Once these features are unlocked, the relevant Wilds can move onto the second set of reels with the higher number of rows, filling the reels with Wild symbols up to the maximum.

Best WMS Colossal Reels Slots

As the developer that came up with the concept, it is no wonder WMS has some of the most memorable and popular Colossal Reels such as Epic Monopoly, Spartacus Gladiator of Rome and Giant’s Gold.

Epic Monopoly

This slot is an interesting mixture of the popular board game and a video slot, with a Bonus symbol that can appear on Main and Colossal Reel set. Once the Stacked Wilds land onto the Main Reels, Wild Transfer feature will  activate and the relevant symbols will start allocating to the Colossal set, turning them into Wild reels. When the transferring process is finished, the payouts are re-evaluated in accordance to the Wilds new positions.

An interesting addition is Epic Monopoly Wheel, unlocked by at least three Bonus symbols on reels 1, 3 and 5 on Main and Colossal set. Depending on the number of Bonus icons, original bet can be increased by 10, 50 or even 100x and the player can be awarded with a cash prize, free spins, wheel re-spin, Epic Chance Bonus or up to 10 dice rolls for Around the Board Bonus.

Spartacus Gladiator of Rome

Another great example of the Colossal Reels structure, Spartacus slot has 5×4 and 5×12 reel sets, enabling the player to stake on 100 lines with $0.50 per line pair. Feature symbols can land on reels 1, 3 and 5 of any set, triggering sessions of 8, 10 and 12 free spins, together with the bet increase by 2, 5 and 20x.

With Transferring Wilds shifting from main reel panel to the Colossal one, the possibility of hitting the payable combination is practically doubled, while Coliseum icons across both of the reel panels award Free Spins and multiply the bet up to 20x.

Giant’s Gold

Giant’s Gold slot is another Colossal Reels classic from WMS. Based on a popular Jack and the Beanstalk narrative about a young, impressionable teenager who, after being tricked into trading his cow for a handful of beans, turns to life of crime and commits an unarmed robbery.

Feature symbol is a Golden egg which can land on reels 1, 3 and 5 on both sets. Every reel has a certain number of neighbouring positions that can be replaced with any random symbol before the spin begins. The replaced positions on the Colossal reel will not be substituted with the Wild icon and only the highest winning combo per reel will be payable.  It is important to note that the line pays do not “pour over” from one reel set to another.

Pros and Cons of Colossal Reels

Despite the ongoing debate about Colossal Reels and how beneficial the structure truly is, there is no doubt that playing simultaneously on two reel sets can improve one’s chances of hitting a big time win; on the other hand, the same concept also implies a larger scale betting, which does not sit well with all players.

Although the introduction of the extra reel panel raises the gameplay to an entirely different level, positively affecting the overall winning potential according to some, others argue that Colossal Reels are no more than an illusion, designed to financially drain the player. In fact, many players agree that in order to truly get something out of the Colossal reels slots, one must be willing to bet on at least 60 paylines – or all 100 if one really means business.

Even so, there are no guaranties and dead spins are likely to happen more often than not. Due to the potential financial drain that a Colossal Reels slot can inflict on the players, many claim that Free Spins and Stacked symbols are simply a bait, created for the sole purpose of deceiving inexperienced players.

On the other hand, dry spins are something that can occur in absolutely every slot and there are no denying that Colossal Reels add to the overall excitement of the game, even if they can be a bit of a “high maintenance”.

Should You Go for It?

Only if you are financially up for it. As many slots on the market, Colossal Reels are neither good nor bad in their essence – they are merely a type of structure designed to appeal to a specific profile of online gamblers. Just like with any other kind of high or low volatility slots, the choice will eventually be made in accordance to how much money you are willing to bet and whether or not you are patient enough to endure dry spells in pursue of a big hit. Colossal Reels slots can be a lot of fun, but only if you are prepared to endure some losses along the way.