Slot Bonus Features Explained
Slots remain among the casino world's most popular games, including online. Their simple rules, accessible gameplay and range of themes help explain their appeal. The variety of bonuses available is another attraction. Slots already pair colourful visuals with lively sound, while bonus features can add extra variety and anticipation.
What Are Slot Bonus Features?
A bonus feature is an extra element that can activate during a slot game. Providers introduced these mechanics to make spins and sessions more engaging. Other casino games can have bonuses too, though the term is most closely associated with slots.
Spinning minute after minute can become repetitive. Extra mechanics give players something different to look forward to. Modern online slots offer many types of bonus features, each with its own potential reward. Some even open a small game for players to take part in.
Free spins, multipliers and cascading wilds are among the best-known slot bonuses. Depending on the game, you may find other mechanics as well. No slot has every option, but most include at least a few features. Here are some notable bonuses found in online slots today:
Popular Slot Bonus Features
This is not a complete list. Slot games are regularly updated, and new bonus mechanics appear often. Check whether a feature takes place in the main game or opens a separate round:
Free Spins
Free spins are among the easiest bonus features to understand in any video slot game. They let players spin the reels without staking their own money on those spins, which is why they are called free.
Free spins may come with conditions. A game often limits the number of spins awarded in each round. Some slots let other bonus features build during a free-spins round, however, creating the possibility of earning additional free spins.
Some slots with free spins include:
Re-Spins
A re-spin has some similarities to a free spin, but serves a different purpose. Free spins give you a set number of unpaid reel turns, offering more chances to form a winning combination.
A re-spin instead offers one chance to improve a near-winning combination. Suppose a particular reward requires four bonus symbols, but you land three. A re-spin bonus may let you turn only the final reel in the hope of finding the missing symbol.
The first three bonus symbols stay in place while the final reel spins. The aim is to land the fourth symbol needed for the reward. You need just one symbol rather than four, changing the situation from starting the combination over.
Some slots with re-spins include:
Multipliers
A multiplier boosts the payout from a qualifying win. For example, a double multiplier doubles the win amount. Games may also feature triple or quadruple multipliers, and some higher-volatility titles promote even larger multipliers.
If you enjoy multipliers, consider these slots:
Progress Bar
A progress bar may appear beside the main playing area and fill as you land more winning combinations. When it fills completely, the game may award a special prize. The reward and its value depend on the slot.
Some slots with a progress bar include:
Spinning Wheel Bonus
This bonus minigame generally offers two possible routes to a prize. The first is an instant wheel spin that awards something straight away, such as free spins. In the second, the wheel selects a prize to pursue in another minigame. You receive that prize only if you win the follow-up game. The first type is also called an instant-win bonus.
These slots feature spinning-wheel bonuses:
Pick-Me Bonus
The pick-me bonus may also be called a pick'em round or picking bonus. It opens a minigame where players select objects connected to the slot's theme. In a game about gold, for example, the objects might be treasure chests.
Each object has a possible prize attached. A selection might award multipliers, free spins or bonus symbols, among other outcomes. Some objects may have no prize at all.
Because players make a choice, slot experts sometimes describe pick-me bonuses as player-dependent. Read the game's rules carefully, though: on some slots, choosing an object with no prize can cost money.
Wild Bonuses
A standard wild symbol substitutes for another symbol to help form a winning combination. Modern slots also offer many kinds of wild bonus, each with its own function. Here are some examples:
- Expanding Wilds: These symbols expand across a reel, turning other symbols into wilds. More wilds on screen can help form different winning combinations. Exploding wilds and wild multipliers are also examples in this category.
- Sticky Wilds: These symbols stay in place for a few rounds. They can be used repeatedly while the reels continue to create possible winning combinations.
- Stacked Wilds: These wilds appear in groups of two or more on a reel and may sometimes cover the entire reel. This feature is particularly associated with high-variance slot machines.
These slots are known for their Wild Bonuses:
Scatter Symbols
Scatter symbols can work in ways similar to wilds. They may replace a missing symbol in a winning combination, but can also trigger minigames or unlock other bonus features.
Their role varies by provider and game. Some slots, for example, use exploding scatters to clear the screen and make room for new symbols.
Scatters can also unlock other bonus features in a slot. It is unusual for an online slot to have no scatter symbols; they generally have at least one function.
Some slots with Scatter Symbols include:
Jackpots
Anyone who plays slots regularly has likely come across the term ‘jackpot’. These substantial cash prizes can reach millions. A jackpot may be awarded in a dedicated round or for landing a specific symbol combination.
Jackpots fall into two main categories: fixed and progressive. The developer sets the amount of a fixed jackpot, whose threshold is generally lower than that of a progressive jackpot.
Progressive jackpots grow as players place bets, so their payouts can reach millions. They attract many slot players because wins are rare but the potential cash prize is substantial.
For slots with large jackpots, consider these games:
Cascading Reels
Cascading reels are common enough that players may not always notice when they are in use. When a win occurs, the winning symbols disappear and new symbols drop into the spaces they leave behind.
This can create multiple winning combinations from a single spin, adding another moment of anticipation. Cascading reels are often paired with multipliers, which can increase the value of successive wins.
To try cascading reels, explore these slots:
Megaways
Australian software company Big Time Gaming pioneered the Megaways concept. It launched in 2015 and has since been licensed to only a few game developers.
Megaways slots use a different structure that can offer up to 117,649 ways to win. That's considerably more than fixed slots with only around 20 paylines, which helps explain their appeal.
Megaways slots generally have six reels, but the number of symbols on each reel changes from round to round. This creates many possible ways to win and keeps the layout changing. Other differences from conventional slots have also contributed to their reputation for higher payouts.
Over the past few years, many developers have released Megaways versions of established slot titles. Players can now choose from a range of games using this mechanic, as well as slots that do not.
These slots let you explore Megaways:
Bonus Buy
Some slots let players buy a bonus feature instead of waiting for it to activate naturally. This can be convenient, but take care: purchasing access changes the cost of the session.
A bonus purchase can cost up to 150x the stake, so consider whether the potential outcome justifies the price. Paying that much for a simple re-spin, for instance, may not suit someone with a limited budget.
These popular slots include a Bonus Buy feature:
What Makes a Good Bonus Feature?
Players have different views on bonus features, and a lot depends on how the mechanic fits into the slot. These are some qualities that can make a slot bonus feature or game appealing:
- It should not be exceptionally rare. If a feature takes dozens of rounds to appear, the wait may not be worth the time, and the slot can quickly become tedious.
- A bonus game with long, complicated rules may not be worth the effort. Slots are meant to be entertaining, and spending a session deciphering detailed instructions can detract from that.
- A good bonus feature should have something distinctive about it. Many slots offer free spins, for example, but unusual mechanics can make a familiar feature more interesting.
How to Choose Slots With Bonus Features
There are two practical ways to see if a slot's bonus features suit you. First, try its demo version before wagering real money. A demo can show you how the game works and which bonus features it offers.
Second, use online information to research casino games. Casino Ideal features detailed reviews of hundreds of popular slots, including information about their bonus features. Reading these reviews can help you decide which games to explore.
Final Thoughts
Slots offer a wide range of bonuses and special mechanics that can add variety to repeated spins. The possibility of another feature gives players something to anticipate, and bonuses can bring extra excitement to an otherwise repetitive format. Before choosing a slot, check its available features and rules rather than assuming every bonus works the same way. There may be another distinctive mechanic on the next turn.
