Nothing compares to the excitement of watching the reels spin, with the suspense growing with each passing moment. When a special symbol appears, it sets off a series of eye-catching effects, bonus spins, and possible payouts. However, what are the true meanings of all these slot symbols? Gaining an understanding of them can greatly improve your gaming experience and enable you to maximise each spin.
Slot symbols are essential to the operation of online slot games and are more than just visually appealing elements. These unique symbols are the key to obtaining enormous payouts, ranging from Scatters that grant exciting free spins to Wilds that act as stand-ins for other symbols. Additionally, multipliers have the ability to increase your winnings in unexpected ways.
Everything you need to know about multipliers, wilds vs. scatters, and other crucial slot features will be covered in this online slots guide. You'll have a fresh respect for these small but powerful game-changers by the end.
The Master of Disguise of Slot Games: Wild Symbols
Consider wild symbols to be the most revolutionary elements in the game. Wilds can help create winning combinations by substituting for other symbols (apart from Scatters and Bonus symbols), much like a wildcard in a deck of cards. Their function is straightforward but effective: they increase your chances of receiving a payout by filling in the blanks where necessary.
Kinds of Wilds You'll Meet
Wilds are not all made equal! Each of the distinct variations found in various slot games adds an additional level of excitement to your gameplay:
- Standard Wilds: The traditional type that creates winning lines by substituting regular symbols.
- Expanding Wilds: These symbols significantly increase your chances of striking a winning combination by extending across an entire reel.
- Sticky Wilds: These increase your chances of winning by staying in place for several spins after they appear.
- Shifting Wilds: These produce unforeseen wins as they travel across the reels with every spin.
- Stacked Wilds: For larger payouts, these Wilds cover a lot of the reels when they appear in groups.
- Multiplying Wilds: When multipliers are used in conjunction with the power of wilds, your winnings are multiplied.
Wild symbols give online slots a strategic edge that makes every spin an exciting experience if you enjoy dynamic gameplay.
A Key to Bonus Rounds: Scatter Symbols
Scatters open online slot bonuses, which frequently result in free spins or unique mini-games, while Wilds aid in the creation of winning combinations. Scatters, in contrast to regular symbols, can work their magic anywhere on the reels; they don't even need to land on a particular payline.
The Reasons Scatter Symbols Are So Beneficial
Because they frequently trigger the most rewarding aspects of a game, scatters are among the most sought-after slot symbols. Examples of these include:
- Free Spins: You can play without using more credits when three or more Scatters land on the screen. This usually triggers a free spins round.
- Bonus Games: Some slots incorporate interactive gameplay elements beyond basic spinning reels by using scatters to initiate special bonus rounds.
- Instant Payouts: Scatters can provide immediate monetary payouts in certain games, which makes them useful even when bonus features are not present.
Prepare yourself for an exciting moment the next time a Scatter symbol appears on your screen; you could be seconds away from a feature that changes the game.
Slot Machine Multipliers: Increase Your Winnings
Multipliers are the one feature that has the power to elevate an ordinary win to extraordinary proportions. These potent boosters frequently transform modest payouts into sizable rewards by multiplying your winnings by a predetermined factor.
How Multipliers Operate
- There are several ways multipliers can show up in a slot game:
- Base Game Multipliers: Regular wins on certain slots are subject to built-in multipliers.
- Multipliers that increase each win during the bonus feature are a common feature of free spin rounds.
- Wins involving Wild symbols are greatly increased by Wild Multipliers, which combine Wild symbols with multipliers.
- Progressive multipliers: These increase your potential payout over time as the game goes on.
It's always a good idea for players who want to increase their winnings to look for slot game multipliers.
Additional Intriguing Slot Features To Keep An Eye On
Even though multipliers, wilds, and scatters are the most well-known features, contemporary online slots are jam-packed with extra gameplay elements that are meant to amp up the action.
Here are some that are worth monitoring:
- Cascading Reels: When winning symbols vanish, space is created for new ones to appear, which could start a winning streak.
- Megaways Mechanics: By altering the quantity of symbols on each reel with each spin, this feature provides thousands of ways to win.
- Bonus Buy Feature: In certain games, you can buy immediate access to the bonus round rather than waiting for it to happen naturally.
- Jackpot Features: A lot of slots have progressive jackpots, which increase in value until a single fortunate player strikes it rich.
Examining various slot machine features guarantees that each game feels novel, maintaining the fun from one spin to the next.
Discover the Iconic Symbols Behind Two Top Online Slots
Variety is the spice of life, and each slot machine will have its own unique symbols to add to the theme of the game. To show you what we mean, we’re going to look at the different symbols found in two of our favourite online slots ever: the Egyptian adventure Eye of Horus and the mining-themed Bonanza.
Eye of Horus Symbols
The Eye of Horus game takes place deep within the pyramids, where the pharaohs’ secrets are yet to be revealed. It features its own unique symbols, which we’re going to take a look at below:
The highest paying symbol is, of course, the Eye of Horus. Landing five of them consecutively on a payline will win you an amazing 500x your original stake!
You can also win 500x your original bet by matching five of the Scatter symbols in a row, represented by the gleaming golden entrance to the pyramid. Matching three or more of this symbol also triggers an exciting Free Spins round, where you’ll be awarded 12 free spins!
The next highest-paying symbol is Anubis, the god of the afterlife. In Eye of Horus he is represented as a jackal, and landing five or more matching symbols will win you 400x your original stake.
Next is Horus in his incarnation as a falcon; this symbol can land you up to 300x your bet. He’s followed by the blue scarab beetle, who is worth 250x your original stake.
The cross symbol with the loop at the top is called the ankh, and is the ancient Egyptian symbol for life. They’re worth up to 200x your bet, and the colourful fans share the same value.
The lowest paying symbols are the classic card values J – A, offering up to 100x your original stake.
Another important symbol is Horus as a man, who appears randomly throughout the game and acts as the Wild. He can replace all symbols except the Scatter, and expands across the whole reel to help you get more winning combinations.
Bonanza Symbols
The Bonanza slot game sets the perfect scene for a Gold Rush adventure. It begins in a remote woodland area with a quaint old cottage and a stream running by it. As the game progresses, we journey deep into the underground mines to find that treasure.
Bonanza features gemstones galore, and the sparkling emeralds, sapphires, rubies and diamonds are so beautiful you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re real! 6 emeralds or sapphires will pay out 2x your bet, 6 rubies will pay out 7.5x and 6 diamonds will pay out 50x your original bet.
And let’s not forget about the GOLD – although the letters G O L D have no value on their own, they are the scatters in this game. Winning 4 will activate a dizzying free spin feature!
Sticks of dynamite are the game’s Wilds, which replace every symbol except the scatters. Like many slots, Bonanza also features the classic playing card symbols 9, 10, J, Q, K and A for its lower payouts.
Which Is More Important, Wilds or Scatters?
Perhaps you're wondering who wins in a battle of wilds vs scatters. In actuality, both are important, but how they affect you will rely on your objectives and style of play:
- For players who enjoy steady payouts, wilds are perfect because they increase the frequency of winning combinations.
- Scatters are essential for players looking for bonus rounds and free spins because they can unlock the largest prizes in a game.
- The greatest slots strike a balance between the two, guaranteeing an exciting gameplay experience with lots of winning chances.
Conclusion
Slot games are full of great features that keep things interesting, so they're more than just spinning reels. Every symbol adds something unique to the game, whether it's the multipurpose Wilds, the awesome Scatters, or the game-changing multipliers.
Knowing slot symbols and how they work will help you choose games more wisely, improving your chances of winning and having more fun. Watch out for those unique icons the next time you play; they could result in your next significant win.
Are you prepared to test your knowledge? Get ready for an amazing spinning experience by exploring the games with these amazing features in our online slots guide!
