Exploring Slot Bonus Features
Slot machines continue to be some of the most popular casino games, even in the online gambling world. The simple gameplay, straightforward rules, and exciting themes are a few of the reasons why this format is so immensely loved by casino enthusiasts. But another huge reason is the sheer number of bonuses available for these games. Slot machines are already colorful and thrilling, both in graphics and sound, but everything becomes a lot more exciting when you add bonus features to the mix.
What are Slot Bonus Features?
A bonus feature refers to any additional features that can be triggered during a slot game. They were introduced by software providers as a means to amp up the excitement attached to each slot game. Other casino games can also have bonuses, but the term is most commonly associated with slot-based games.
Just pushing the spin button minute after minute can often get a bit tiring, but these extra features keep the game interesting and make sure you always have something unique to look forward to. Today, there are tons of bonus features in online slots, each of which offers different rewards. Some features may even come with a little mini-game for the bettors to play.
Some of the most common examples of bonus features in slot games are free spins, multipliers, and cascading wilds. There are also several others, depending on the game. Every slot won’t offer all of these bonuses, but each slot will have at least a few of them. Let’s take a look at some amazing bonus features you can expect in online slots today:
Popular Slot Bonus Features
Remember that this is a non-exhaustive list, as slot games are being upgraded constantly, with new bonus features coming out every other day. Also, note that some of these features will open up in your existing game, whereas others will be played as a separate round entirely:
Free Spins
This is probably the most straightforward bonus feature in any video slot game. A free spins bonus will allow bettors to spin the reels without betting any money of their own, hence, the spins will be free.
Like any other bonus feature, free spins can come with some limitations too. For example, there will often be a limit as to how many free spins bettors can get in each round of a game. But many slots will also allow you to stack bonus features during the free spins round, so you can keep accumulating more free spins.
Some of our favorite slots offering free spins are:
Re-Spins
A re-spin is somewhat similar to a free spin, but it’s used for a different purpose. Free spins allow you to spin the reels a particular number of times for free, giving you more chances of landing a winning combination.
However, a re-spin allows you to take one shot at turning a nearly-won combination into a winning one. For example, if you need four bonus symbols to win a particular reward but only land three, a re-spin bonus will allow you to spin the last reel by itself.
The first three bonus symbols will stick to their spot, while the last reel will spin to see if you can land the fourth bonus symbol you need. This also increases the probability of winning because now you need to land just one symbol, instead of four.
Our top picks for slots with re-spins include:
Multipliers
Multipliers are also quite common in modern slots. You can consider these as a boost to your existing win. For example, a double multiplier will multiply your winning amount by two, offering you double what you actually won. You can even come across triple or quadruple multipliers. Some higher volatility games may have even bigger multipliers.
If you love multipliers, these slots are a must-try:
Progress Bar
Imagine a progress bar next to your main playing screen. In this feature, the bar fills up as you land more and more winning combinations. Once the bar is loaded all the way, you can expect to win a special reward. The awards could vary, depending on the slot you’re playing.
Slots with a progress bar feature that we recommend are:
Spinning Wheel Bonus
There are two ways for bettors to win in this bonus minigame. Firstly, you can spin a wheel to instantly get a prize, such as free spins. In the second option, you still have to spin the wheel, but this time, the prize isn’t instant. Instead, the wheel chooses a reward for you, that you then have to play for in a minigame. If you’re able to win that game, then the reward will be yours. The first type of bonus may also be called an instant-win bonus.
Check out these slots with exciting spinning wheel bonuses:
Pick me Bonus
You will come across the pick me bonus in various other names as well, for example, pick'em round or a picking bonus. The bonus basically opens up a minigame where bettors can select objects relevant to the game’s theme. For example, consider picking treasure chests for a gold-themed game.
Each object has a different prize associated with it. You can win multipliers, free spins, or bonus symbols, among other things. There may also be some objects that don’t have a prize associated with them at all.
This is why many slot experts say that pick me bonuses are dependent on the bettors because it depends on what items you pick. But be aware of every slot’s particular game rules. On some slots, you may even lose money for picking an item that offers no prize.
Wild Bonuses
The basic purpose of a wild symbol is to substitute for another symbol and trigger a winning combination. However, you will find a whole range of wild bonuses in modern slot games, all of which serve different purposes. Here are just a few examples:
- Expanding Wilds: These symbols spread over the reel and turn several other symbols into wilds. With the presence of so many on-screen wilds, bettors can expect to trigger various winning combinations. Exploding wilds and wild multipliers are also examples of this type.
- Sticky Wilds: As the name suggests, these wild symbols stick to their position for a few rounds in total. Thus, you can play them multiple times and trigger winning combinations repeatedly.
- Stacked Wilds: These wilds appear in numbers of two or more, and land on various symbols in a reel. In some scenarios, they might even cover an entire reel. This type of wild is mostly present in high-variance slot machines.
These slots stand out with their Wild Bonuses:
Scatter Symbols
These work somewhat similarly to wilds. They can substitute any missing symbol from a winning combination. They can also be used to enter minigames or open up other bonus features.
They might even offer unique functions, depending on the game’s developer. For example, some slots may have exploding scatters that clear the screen and make room for new symbols to come in.
You can consider scatters to be the stepping stone for other bonus elements within a particular slot. It will be quite rare to find an online slot that doesn’t feature scatter symbols in one way or another.
Slots featuring Scatter Symbols that we recommend are:
Jackpots
If you’re an avid slot bettor, you must have come across the term ‘jackpot’. These are substantial cash prizes, often going into millions. Jackpots are won either in special rounds or through unique combinations of symbols.
There are two main types of jackpots: fixed or progressive. Fixed jackpots have a winning amount set by the game developer, and their threshold is usually lower than progressive jackpots.
Progressive jackpots accumulate more and more money as players make more bets, which is why they can often reach up to millions in payout. Many slot players feel attracted to this type of jackpot because even though the win is rare, it offers a huge sum of cash.
Looking for slots with big jackpots? Try these:
Cascading Reels
This is a common bonus feature that players may not even recognize they’re using. With this feature, all winning symbols are removed from the reels as soon as the win is triggered. Then, new features take their space.
This way, you can get multiple winning combinations from just one spin, which is an exciting thing to look forward to. A lot of time, cascading reels are also accompanied by multipliers, which rack up your winnings even more.
For a cascading reels experience, these slots are the best:
Megaways
This is another slot feature that has become quite popular in modern online slots. Big Time Gaming, an Australian software company, was the first to develop this idea. It came out in 2015, and since then, it has been licensed to only a few game developers.
Megaways slots have a different mechanism that can cause them to have as many as 117,649 ways to bag a win. This makes them much more intriguing than fixed slots that offer only 20 or so paylines.
Generally, Megaways slots have six reels. However, the number of symbols on these reels changes from round to round. This keeps the game engaging and offers bettors a ton of different ways to get a win. There are also several other elements that differentiate Megaways from normal slots, making them higher-paying.
In the past few years, many game developers have put out Megaways versions of their normal slot titles. Thus today, there are a ton of different slots that you can play with or without this new mechanism.
Explore the thrill of Megaways with these top slots:
Bonus Buy
Some slots may allow impatient bettors to purchase bonus features, if they don’t want to stick around and wait for one to land on their plate. However, you have to be very careful about these purchases.
Some bonus symbols may cost as much as 150x the stake, and you need to consider whether the bonus is even worth the price you’re paying. For example, paying such a high amount for a mere re-spin might not be a smart move, especially if you’re a budget player.
These popular slots offer a Bonus Buy feature:
Characteristics of a Good Bonus Feature
Not all bonus features are perceived by bettors in the same way, and it has a lot to do with the way they’re organized inside a slot game. Here are some characteristics that we think a good slot bonus feature or game has:
- Its frequency must not be extremely rare. If you have to wait dozens of rounds before the bonus feature appears, it might not be worth your time. Such slots can start to feel tedious pretty quickly.
- If the bonus game or feature comes with a long set of complicated rules, it might not be worth investing in. At the end of the day, the purpose of any slot game is to have fun and offer entertainment. If all your time is spent making sense of a detailed list of rules, the fun factor goes down.
- Good bonus features will also have a level of uniqueness to them. For example, almost every slot game will have some free spins feature. The feature itself isn’t anything special, but if the game adds any extra elements to it that you won’t find in many other slots, then it becomes a lot more intriguing.
How to Pick the Best Slots with Bonus Features?
There are two ways to check whether a slot has bonus features worth your time. First, you should play the demo version of every slot before you wager real money on it. Not only will this allow you to get an idea of the gameplay, but it will also enable you to see the available bonus features.
Secondly, we recommend using the internet as your best resource when gambling online. Playcasino features detailed reviews for hundreds of popular slots, which include all the details regarding their bonus features as well. Reading through these reviews will also give you a good idea of what slots to spend your time on.
Final Thoughts
There is a long list of bonus features and other special features that make slots so exciting. This is why people can spend so long just pressing the spin button over and over again because there’s always something new to look forward to. Bonuses are a great way to transform monotonous slots into a thrilling experience. Whenever you pick a slot to bet on, make sure to choose one that comes with some exciting bonus features for you to take a look at. Just remember that in the world of slots, there’s always something captivating right around the corner.
