To a novice online slots may all look very similar and share the same attributes when it comes to gameplay and there are so many online slots games available at online casinos. However, their differences are quite significant and can have a large effect on the experience of the player.
Features of Online Slots
Chances are if you’ve never played an online slot game before, you’d not be familiar with all of their features. They can differ in the number of reels and paylines, as well as the features they offer. Some online slots games have wild and scatter symbols, while others are more feature packed and come with special features like sticky and expanding wilds, free spins bonus rounds, additional bonus games, multipliers and bonus multipliers.
All of this might sound a little confusing if you’re new to the world of online slots games. That is why you should first check out the particular slots game you are interested in play money mode. Nowadays, you can easily find good online casinos offering both free and real money versions of the majority of their online slots available to play. Even though online casinos don’t earn any money off of their free to play games, they understand it’s a good way to introduce new players to their lineup of games.
Types of Online Slots
The main types of online slots are the classic 3-reel variety, 5-reel slots and progressive slots games. Let’s go through the basic of each of these online slot machines.
The basic type of slots provided by online casinos is the classic 3-reel slot. As the name suggests, this machine has three reels and only a single payline. Some 3-reel slots titles have multiple paylines (on the top, middle and bottom reels), and sometimes even more winning paylines. With that said, in order to activate these extra paylines, you’ll need to wager additional coins on each payline. Examples of popular classic-style slots games include Alchemist’s Lab, Funky Monkey and Haunted House.
By far, though, the most popular online slots are video slots . They usually have 5-reels and come with multiple paylines – anywhere from 15 to more than 200 win lines! They also feature many well-liked and very animated features and bonuses with rewarding payouts to keep players entertained and wanting to come back for more. An example of a very popular video slots game is Untamed Wolf Pack, which is a 5-reel online slot that comes with 243 paylines.
On showcase at the leading online casinos are also progressive slots games. They are usually categorized as being either classic slots or video slots, but there is an additional way you can win playing these games. This is because they have a progressive jackpot which pays out handsomely to those who are lucky enough to hit a progressive jackpot on the machine.
These progressive slot machines can have a standalone progressive jackpot although you’ll actually find that the progressive slots titles with huge jackpots are part of a network with lots of slots linked to the same jackpot, hence the higher amounts you can potentially win. Examples of popular progressive jackpot games include Mega Fortune, Hall of Gods and Mega Moolah.
Last and certainly not least there are the stunning 3D slots developed developers like Betsoft and NetEnt using the latest software technologies. They have revolutionized the way that online slots are being played and feature amazing 3D graphics and sound effects. Popular 3D slots titles include The Slotfather, Gonzo’s Quest and Jack and the Beanstalk.
Considering the Online Slot Machines Variance
If you’re trying to decide which online slot machine to play it’s always a wise idea to factor in the variance of the slots game, especially for high limit slot games. A low variance slots game frequently rewards the player with small wins. On the other hand, a higher variance slots game offers you less frequent wins, but the wins when they do occur tend to be much bigger. Because of this, playing these high variance slots, even though they look like regular slots, will actually require a bigger bankroll to play them, because the swings can be big.
Conclusion
After all is said and done, even though online slots will vary in terms of their features, number of reels and winning paylines, the more paylines you’re wagering on, the higher your chances of hitting a winning combo, but it also increases the cost of each spin.
