One of the main reasons people play slot games is that they are hoping to win something in return. Entertainment may be a happy by-product of gambling, but the ultimate aim of the game is to win a life-changing sum of cash.
Knowing which games have the best RTP (return to player), the correct level of volatility, and boast decent entertainment are all necessary when selecting a slot to play. But another thing you should also consider is the number of ways to win a slot offers.
Slot games in the US and around the world generally have two payment structures: pay lines and ways to win. Below, we’ll look briefly at these and then delve into some of the best slots that offer hundreds (and even thousands) of ways to win.
Pay Lines and Ways to Win
Since the first ever slot game appeared in 1894, slot machines have used pay lines. This line, initially just in the center but then moving to three or more lines across the reels, is where your symbols need to land to win. Modern and electronic slots have brought games with up to 50 pay lines.
However, because pay lines take the form of a physical line dependent on symbols landing and corresponding in a linear fashion, slots couldn’t offer more than just 50 lines. And so, ways to win were introduced.
Ways to win are pay lines that spread across reels and form up to 243 line combinations. These don’t run straight across the reels and can bounce around the reels in a series of different patterns.
Many slots today use ways to win in place of pay lines simply because they can offer much higher chances of winning. For players, this is more than most could ever ask for and has led to some of the best slots having many ways to win. It also makes slots more attractive than table or live casino games.
25 Pay Lines – Mega Moolah
As one of the most popular slot games in history, Mega Moolah offers 25 pay lines in its 5×3 reel configuration. The game, released by Microgaming in 2006, has been responsible for some of the biggest slot jackpot wins in history—including a £13.2 million (around $15.7 million) win in 2013.
The game is straightforward and features basic graphics at best. However, with wilds that substitute for all symbols except scatters and bonus symbols that trigger free spins, it is still great fun to play. It also has an RTP of 88.12% up to 94% when playing on maximum bet.
The free spins bonus gives you 15 free spins and a triple multiplier to make your wins more significant. It is also possible to gain a retrigger that will add extra spins to your bonus. This can lead you to a winning streak that will hopefully result in the best prize, a chance to spin the jackpot wheel.
Triggered entirely at random, the game will allow the chance to spin the jackpot wheel and win one of the four progressive jackpots. Because hundreds of players add to these jackpots, these can reach incredible heights.
50 Pay Lines – Gold Factory
Developed and released by famed software studio Microgaming, this game takes you under the waves of the ocean as you try and uncover a treasure trove of gold. The game uses a 5×3 reel configuration and offers 50 as the maximum number of fixed pay lines. These are adjustable if you want to save some money on your bet.
As with almost all Microgaming slots, some wilds substitute for all symbols except the scatter. If you get three scatters, you’ll enter the boiler room bonus. Here, you’ll need to select four items from the 12 available.
These items hide prizes of different values and two additional bonus rounds. The first is the free spins bonus, which gives you between 10 and 35 free spins. These come with a double multiplier but can’t be retriggered. Once your free spins are complete, you’ll be sent back to the boiler room.
If you get the Reactor bonus, you’ll get an extra 12 icons to choose from with hidden prizes. Out of these 12 symbols, two of them hold a malfunction symbol, which will end your bonus and send you back to the boiler room.
The game has an RTP of 96.54% and offers great fun if you’re hunting for gold.
243 Ways to Win – Thunderstruck II
Yet another feather in the Microgaming cap is Thunderstruck II (or Thunderstruck 2). This popular sequel to Thunderstruck offers a staggering 243 different ways to win. This large number of ways to win is something that Microgaming slots are famous for.
The game has an RTP of 96.65% and uses a traditional 5×3 reel system. It also has wilds that lead to big wins and scatter symbols that trigger the mythical Hall of Spins bonus. This bonus gives you four different Greek gods to choose from—although these will need to be unlocked by getting the bonus numerous times.
The free spin options offer between 10 and 25 free spins. They also provide multiple bonus features that we’ll leave you to discover and enjoy.
The game also has a Wildstorm feature randomly triggered during normal gameplay. This gives you a single free spin and turns reels into wild-only reels. Should this happen to all five reels, you can win massive cash prizes.
117,649 Ways to Win – Doggy Riches
Megaways, developed by Big Time Gaming, completely revolutionized gaming by offering randomizing reel configurations. Rather than using traditional 5×3 reels that only allow three symbols across five reels, these configurations allow multiple single or double symbols. As a result, a random number of symbols appear in each reel every single spin.
One of the best Megaways games is Doggy Riches, developed by Red Tiger Gaming. This incredible slot has a 95.7% RTP and features the dogs of her majesty the queen. It has six reels, but because it is a Megaways game, it also has a random number of symbols appearing each spin.
Royal corgis act as wilds for all symbols. The game also has a chain reaction feature that will cause all winning symbols to disappear. New ones will then take their place, which could lead to bigger wins.
Getting the king and queen corgi on the second and fifth reels will trigger ten free spins and lock these wilds in place during the spins. They will also spawn corgi puppies that act as additional wilds—leading to even bigger wins. These free spins also come with multipliers that increase your win by up to 20 times.
