It doesn’t matter if you’re a casual casino gamer or a seasoned veteran; chances are you’ve seen Megaways slot machines before. These innovative and widely popular slots have taken the gaming world by storm in the last few years, offering players a more unique and rewarding experience.
But have you ever wondered about the mechanics behind these slots? How do they work, and how do they compare to traditional slot machines? Here, we’ll delve into the exciting world of the Megaways software.
Background of Megaways Slots
The Megaways reel modifier system was released by Big Time Gaming in 2015. The Australian software developer debuted Dragon Born as the first Megaways slot that same year. Despite its innovation, the concept failed to gain traction until Bonanza slots went live. Since then, almost all major software providers have incorporated the technology to create new releases and reinvent old titles. Due to this, there are quite a few Megaways games available at social casinos these days.
How Do Megaways Slots Work?
A reel modifier is a system that changes the arrangement of the reels on a slot machine. If you’ve played standard slots before, you know they have a fixed number of reels and rows on every spin. This allows the providers to set a specified number of winlines.
However, a Megaways slot typically features a 6×7 layout, sometimes topped with an extra reel. Once you hit the Spin button, things get interesting as the reels become dynamic. The number of symbols on each reel changes per spin, ranging from two to seven.
With this variation in the symbol count, different winlines form after every spin. You can easily calculate the total winways by multiplying the number of symbols on each reel.
However, you don’t need to whip out your calculator after every round, as the game does the math for you and displays the number above the grid. Most of the time, the number of possible winning combinations can reach hundreds of thousands!
Cascading Reels
Tumbling or cascading reels are common in Megaways slots. After every win, the symbols that formed the winning combination disappear from the grid, and new ones tumble from above to fill the empty spaces. This pattern continues until there are no more wins.
Sometimes, a Megaways slot might combine the tumble feature with progressive multipliers. With this, the multiplier count increases with every tumble. For instance, if the reward for the first win is 1x, the next award will be 2x and so on until it is reset after the final tumble.
Other Features of Megaways Slots
Almost all the Megaways slots have a free spin round with progressive multipliers that do not reset with every spin. Some slots might also feature sticky wilds and special symbols with incredible rewards.