Bonus Mechanics in Online Slots and How They Work
Online slots are the simplest of all casino games out there. Anyone can pick one up and learn how to play within minutes. In terms of gameplay, all you need to do is wager coins on the reels and click the “Spin” button.
A big part of why slot machines are popular among gamblers is due to the variations that are offered by operators. And with variety comes different kinds of bonus mechanics.
You can find a list of casino sites that offer a huge collection of games on Postandcourier.com. But before you go ahead and start playing them, we recommend reading up on the bonus features you’re bound to encounter in the slots.
What Are Bonus Mechanics?
These are special rules applied to the games to make them more fun and interesting to the players. If you manage to activate one of these, it will completely change the gameplay.
You can even get paid more than usual if luck is on your side during the bonus rounds. We want to make sure you understand exactly what’s going on during these rounds. Let’s go.
Free Spins
This is the most basic of all bonus features that you can find in almost every slot out there. Just as the name of this bonus suggests, when activated, you get to spin the reels for free.
The majority of the slot games use the same method to activate the free spins round. For a standard 5×3 video slot, getting three or more Scatter symbols activates this bonus mechanic.
The best part about this is that the Scatters can be anywhere on the reels. They don’t necessarily need to be on a pay line. Some games can ask for more than 3 Scatters in special cases. If that happens to be the case, the software provider will make sure to add it in the paytable section.
Are you eager to test some games has free spins? Our personal favorites for games that fall under this category are:
1. Book of Ra
2. Reactoonz
3. Wild Chapo 2
Re-Spin
This is an alternate version of the previous feature. You might come across a slot with no Scatter symbol or free spins bonus round. To compensate for that, gaming companies will add this as one of the mechanics.
Re-spins can come with an activation condition similar to free spins. In some slots, a re-spin is awarded anytime a player hits a winning combination. When this happens, a gambler can again spin the reels for free.
This feature can greatly increase the wins that come from a single spin. The best slot machines to check this feature out are:
1. Money Train 2
2. Wolf Gold
3. Rich Wilde and the Shield of Athena
Cascading Reels
This is one of the most unique mechanics out there. You don’t need to land any special symbols or anything like that to activate this. It can be triggered on every winning combination and re-triggered in the same spin.
What happens when you manage to activate this feature? All the symbols in the winning positions disappear from the reels, and symbols from the top start taking their places.
There’s a chance that the new orientation of the symbols will generate new wins for you. You can see how you can get a huge payout from a single wager with this mechanic.
Check out some of these games in their demo mode if you want to take this feature for a spin:
1. Gonzo’s Quest
2. Lara Croft Temples and Tombs
3. Return of Kong
Gamble
This is something that you’re going to find in low-volatility slots. As the payout from each individual win is quite low, the gamble feature helps double the amount you win.
But this comes with a catch. As part of the gamble feature, you will need to predict a random outcome. For example, between a red and black card, you have to choose which one has the bigger value. If you predict correctly, your wins from that spin will be doubled instantly.
However, if you guess incorrectly, you will lose any amount you won from the spin. If you can afford this, you should definitely give it a try. But if you’ve won a decent amount, it’s best not to get too greedy.
These are the highest-rated games for enjoying the gambling feature:
1. Oriental Flower
2. A Night with Cleo
3. Eternal Love
Multipliers
This is not a separate mechanic but one that works in tandem with many of the bonuses we’ve discussed here. Multipliers are applied to all the wins during the bonus round to increase the payout. You can find this feature in most slots to boost your winnings.
Finishing Up
Bonus mechanics completely change the way you play the game. Since there’s no guaranteed way of activating them every time, it adds a level of excitement to your gameplay. It’s part of the experience when you’re playing with slot machines.
