In the early years of slot games, all titles would be played on physical machines, with buttons pressed for players to spin the reels. On these classic slot machines, limited features were incorporated, with the fixed paylines and simple bonus features creating a straightforward gaming experience.
To further illustrate the progress of the iGaming industry, consider the early years of slot machines, when there were only a few games, all of which would take place on basic 3-reel grids. When we compare these traditional slot machines to the expansive, multi-billion-dollar iGaming industry we see today, the monumental change is evident. One of the pioneering factors in the evolution of online slot games is the introduction of the Megaways mechanic, which was first implemented in 2016.This shift in innovation is also reflected across the live casino in the UK industry, where modern platforms frequently showcase new mechanics and evolving gameplay features.
What is the Megaways Slots Mechanic
The Megaways slots mechanic is a unique gameplay feature that transforms titles from basic structured play grids to dynamic, interesting ones. Ultimately, the mechanic allows playgrids to display a different set of symbols on the reels with each spin, making each game unique in the payline count. For this to work, developers determine how many reels the slot will have, and each reel typically features at least 2 symbols in every spin. From here, the developer offers a unique level of customisation in their games that regular online slots cannot match, with the maximum number of symbols varying from game to game. The rise of Megaways has been noticeable across the UK, including regions such as Wales.
The common Megaways slot will take place across 6 reels, with each reel having a minimum of 2 symbols and a maximum of 7. This common grid layout in Megaways slots enables a maximum of 117,649 paylines for players to land matching symbol combinations across, which is a much larger count than most online slots. The method of triggering base game prizes in these Megaways releases is little changed from the traditional slot machine, just expanded on a larger scale. In common Megaways slots, matching symbol combinations can occur if players land identical symbols across one of the dynamic paylines, all of which start on the leftmost reel and operate adjacently.
Cascading Reels
Commonly implemented in Megaways slots is the Cascading Reels bonus feature, which may provide additional gameplay experiences compared to the base play. In slots with this feature implemented, all matching symbol combinations will be removed from the reels, leaving empty spaces for new symbols to take their place. The empty positions will be created once the matched symbols are removed, causing the symbols above to fall and leave empty spaces. New symbols will enter the play area from above the reels, providing gamers with additional opportunities for gameplay with new base game symbols or bonus symbols.
Commonly, the Cascading Reels feature will occur indefinitely, unless the maximum win limit is reached, or there are no further matching symbol combinations available on the reels. Despite featuring commonly in these Megaways slots, the Cascading Reels feature dates back before the first Megaways release, featured in the Gonzo’s Quest slot, released by NetEnt.
The First Megaways Slots Release
Big Time Gaming released the pioneering Megaways slots release to screens in 2016, which was titled ‘Bonanza’ and is based around a mining theme. Since the release of this slot game, Big Time Gaming and many other developers have drawn inspiration from the mechanic and embedded it into their own releases.
The Bonanza title, in particular, introduced this mechanic to the iGaming industry, but it also implemented a range of other bonus mechanics that make for an interesting gameplay experience. The developers did not miss with the visual design of the Bonanza slot either, using simple, crisp graphics to convey the mining-themed slot genre. As mentioned, the common Megaways grid layout spans 6 reels, with a maximum of 7 symbols per reel and a maximum of 117,649 paylines. The Bonanza slot was the first slot game to feature this playgrid layout, and has inspired numerous subsequent titles with a similar format.
As mentioned, the Bonanza slot features a mining theme throughout, as seen in its high-quality visuals. The gameplay of the slot will commence on the outside of a mine, which can be seen above the playgrid, with minecarts and rails beside two dark holes. To maintain the aesthetic, Big Time Gaming has placed the playgrid on a stone backdrop and bordered the play area with stone.
The main feature in the Bonanza slot is the Megaways mechanic, which has had a notable impact on the iGaming industry. Big Time Gaming also incorporated some other interesting bonus mechanics in the gameplay of the Bonanza slot, with the Free Spins and Wild features. This Megaways slot release also implements the Cascading Reels mechanic, which, as we mentioned earlier, is a popular feature in releases with dynamic playgrids.
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