If you are new to online gambling, you might wonder what the fuss is about with slots offered at platforms like ice casino. In addition to being straightforward when playing games, online slots are also quite rewarding. At the core of each game, you will find features such as paylines, reels, and symbols that all play different roles. Beyond these features, there are hidden games that make online slot games more rewarding and entertaining. These are some of the features this article will be looking into in detail.
Wild Symbols
Gone are the days when online slots had simplistic 3 reels, 1 payline format, and a few basic symbols. Thanks to technology, software providers have included Wild symbols in various formats. The basic wild symbol replaces all the other symbols (besides the Scatter) to form the best possible win combination. However, software companies have become more creative in diversifying the types of Wild symbols in their games. These are some of the common types of Wild symbols and how they function:
● Transferring Wilds. As the name suggests, these Wild symbols transfer from one reel to another. They can appear on the first reel and spread to the subsequent reels.
● Walking Wilds. They are called ‘walking’ as they can move from one reel to another. Unlike transferring Wilds, they can move from right to left or vice versa.
● Stacked Wilds. Stacked Wilds will appear as ‘stacked’ to occupy an entire reel. They are commonly seen in NetEnt’s popular slot game, Starburst, which can be played on the ice casino mobile site.
Ways to Win
This refers to the total number of ways you can win in an online slot game. Usually, winning in the classic slot game involves lining up symbols from the leftmost side to the rightmost side. However, with better technology, software companies have included more paylines. This means winnings can be from left to right, right to left, horizontally, or diagonally. Some common ways to win in online slots include 240 ways to win, 720 ways to win, and 1024 ways to win.
Win Both Ways
This feature works almost similarly to ways to win. It was first seen in NetEnt’s Starburst slot, where you can land symbols from left to right to win instead of having to land symbols from right to left to win. This effectively doubles the number of paylines and increases your winning chances.
Megaways Feature
It was designed by Big Time Gaming in 2011. This feature increases the number of paylines and, consequently, your winning chances as you play the game.
It has since become standard in the online gambling industry, with virtually all software companies releasing Megaways slots.
Gamble Feature
This optional feature is only activated after you land a win. When you press/activate the ‘gamble button,’ you are transported to a second screen. Here, you are expected to gamble your wins by choosing the color/suits of the card to double or quadruple your wins. However, one wrong choice and all the wins accumulated go down the drain.
Bonus Buy Feature
Like the gamble bonus game, this one is also an optional feature that lets you buy into a bonus game. When wagering, you must spend an extra amount to activate the bonus buy features. After this, you are immediately transported to the game’s bonus round. You’ll then have to proceed and play it as you would in the regular round, meaning you can win money or get nothing out of it.
Cascading Reels
Cascading reels go by several names; avalanche feature, tumbling reels, or rolling reels are some of the other names used to refer to cascading reels. They first appeared in NetEnt’s Gonzo’s Quest slot and have since become a staple in the gambling industry.
The working principle behind this feature is simple. Every time you form wins on the reels, the symbols responsible for these wins disappear from the reels. The spaces left are then filled with more symbols from above the screen. If another win is formed, the symbols will disappear. This will continue until no more wins are formed on the screen, effectively forming an ‘avalanche-like’ feature.
Slots Are Full of Treasures: Try Your Luck Now!
Knowing the basics of online slots is not enough. If you want to get the most out of these games, you must understand their different features and offerings. This will help you pick the right slot game.