With the progress of the iGaming industry and the ever-rising popularity of video slots, simple, old-school slot machines rapidly evolved over the years. There are so many choices when it comes to what kind of video slot you want to play, and the variety on the offer can sometimes confuse gamers.
In this text, we will try to explain a bit about the types of slot games that are now on the offer, so that players can distinguish which video slots are which.
Slot Games Come With Different Sets of Reels
In the very beginning, players did not have much choice when it comes to old-school fruit machines. Usually, pubs offered three-reel one-armed bandits, with a single, or maybe three or five paylines, and that was it.
With the rapid development of the iGaming industry, players now have a variety of choices. Fans of retro video slots can still play those one-armed bandits, but now we have games that feature five, six, seven, and even more reels.
With the increase in the number of reels, we have an increase in the number of rows as well, and the number of paylines also. Apart from standard 5, 10, 20 paylines, now we have slots that offer 243 ways to win, 4,096 ways to win, even Megaways (thanks to BTG), with up to 117,649 ways to win.
Also, we have slots that offer cluster pays, where you need to form a cluster of four or more horizontally or vertically adjacent matching icons to win a payout. When it comes to Scatters, they do not even have to be on the same payline, they will pay anywhere on the reels.
Different Slots Require Different Denominations
This is important for both penny punters and high rollers. When picking a slot game you want to play, you need to consider the denomination. Most video slots offer wide betting ranges, simply to attract all kinds of players.
High rollers who look for an expensive thrill will go for a video slot that offers a high wagering limit. Penny punters will keep their bets low, so they will be looking for a slot game that is playable from $0.10 or even less.
Classic Slots
Despite the fact that video slots are evolving fast, there are still plenty of gamers out there who are big fans of classic slots. We can call them one-armed bandits, fruit machines, old-school slot machines, and they usually offer three reels and up to 5 paylines.
Land three matching icons on a payline and you will win a payout. Symbols that populate the reels are Diamonds, Bells, Lucky Sevens, Bars, Watermelons, Lemons, Grapes, Cherries, and other popular fruit. These games will make you feel as if you are sitting in a brick and mortar casino.
Video Slots
Video slots are the next step in the evolution of slot games. They offer a combination of classic gameplay with innovative design and an array of additional features. Mostly, they feature five reels, three rows, and offer more paylines and ways to win than the classic video slots.
When it comes to additional features, players can usually benefit from free spins, Gamble features, and other Bonuses that offer Pick Me games and instant prizes. Video slots offer more action than old-school slot machines and offer bigger wins.
Progressive Slots
When talking about progressive video slots, they have one or more progressive jackpots on the offer. Apart from the additional features, gamers can benefit from, one random spin can trigger the Progressive Jackpot. In some of the progressive slots, you will have to land a certain number of Scatters that will trigger the Progressive Jackpot feature. In others, the trick is to make higher bets to boost your chances of winning the jackpot.
Usually, punters will be required to play some mini-game that could lead them to win the top prize. There are video slots that offer the same progressive jackpot and that are connected into a certain network. All of them will contribute to the total value of the Progressive Jackpot.
3D Slots
3D slots have become extremely popular over the past several years, and there are plenty of reasons for the rise of their popularity. First of all, they boast exceptional graphics and outstanding soundtrack that cannot be compared with regular video slots. When it comes to gameplay, 3D slots are not that different from their predecessors, but when talking about additional features, they are simply packed with bonuses.
What is also important is that 3D slots will keep you busy for a long period of time, because every single one of them has a background story. The themes vary, so they can be about famous people, TV shows, fairytales, movies, popular games, and so on and so forth.
Branded Video Slots
Branded video slots are probably the most popular type of slot games today, simply because the theme of the branded video slot is extremely famous and popular among masses. For example, we have Marvell video slots, Terminator video slots, Game of Thrones, Vikings, NetEnt Tour video slots, with Guns ’n’ Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Motorhead, and so on.
The trick with branded video slots is that software providers and online casinos have to pay a significant amount of cash in order to buy the brand and develop a video slot. In order to recover their financial investment in such an expensive video slot, online casinos will not give you plenty of chances to win big on branded games, at least until they get their money back. This is why most of the iGaming industry experts do not think that it is wise to play branded video slots in order to pocket hefty payouts.
We hope that now you have a clearer picture of the types of slot games that are currently on the offer in both land-based and online casinos. Of course, there are plenty of other variations that can be considered, but we will leave it up to you to explore a bit further.
