It is hard to nail down what makes a great slot game. No one element achieves this aim, instead, it is a coming together of certain features that end up creating a winning combination. Present-day KingCasino slots are obsessed with packing in as many special features and bonus rounds as possible.
Keeping Things Simple
However, history has shown that sometimes less is more, and games that have kept things simple, have also won over the gambling public. Starburst, by NetEnt, is an all-time classic slot, but those who have played the game have discovered that it is almost a featureless gaming experience. Simplicity in a world of complex slots could be the reason why a slot like Starburst, bucked the trend and became hugely popular with gamers.
Several slots that make the top ten list of the greatest games ever created, do not contain many special features. Book of Ra, Book of Dead, and Cleopatra are all classics that only contain a free spins bonus round and nothing else. Sequels to these slots have added extras to the games to meet the expectations of the tastes of current gamers. However, these new releases remain inferior products when compared to the original releases.
Slot Game Features: A Closer Look
Whether you are a fan of special feature-packed slots or not, this is the current direction the industry is heading in, so here is a look at some of the best slot features and special feature combos that pander to gamblers at this moment in time.
The Slot Base Game
The base game of a slot can be a frustrating and uneventful gaming experience, and this is why most recent slot game releases have tried to spice things up with special features galore. These include the Wild Storm feature of Microgaming’s Thunderstruck II. Here on any spin, the Wild Storm can randomly trigger, and this can turn all reels wild. Even if this doesn’t happen and only the first 3 reels become wilds, this can still lead to a generous payday.
Wish Upon a Jackpot by Blueprint Gaming livens things up in the base game by including a Fairy Godmother who flies and settles in the middle of the reels during any base game spin and waves her magic wand. This produces 3 orbs and players must pick an orb that hides certain features like Gingerbread Man wilds. This feature helps to keep things interesting but also helps to boost players’ winnings whilst they wait for the bonus feature to land.
Other Features That Enhance Slots
The most important features of slot games are the bonus rounds, and this helps to compliment the base game features. If the bonus rounds are free spins orientated, then the best ones are those that add something extra to the spins. These extras can come in the shape of huge multipliers, expanding wilds, sticky wilds, and wilds that change position on the reels during each spin without falling off the reels.
Final Thoughts
For those who like their slots feature-packed, the best games are those that have either one great feature or numerous special features that can be triggered during the base game. This helps to create a lively spinning experience even before a bonus drops. Adding extras to bonus round free spins, such as sticky wilds, helps to create the perfect balance between the base game and the highly anticipated bonus round itself.