Longevity is what sets apart the most popular slots. And this can be achieved in many ways, but creating slot games with bonus features can be one of the most effective.
Slots with Best Bonus Features
To kick-start proceedings, let’s begin by sharing the best slots with bonus features available right here at Lucky Admiral:
Gonzo’s Quest: Avalanche Multipliers are extremely rewarding features, given that winning paylines can crumble away and be replaced by fresh symbols. Each successful round will raise the multiplier reward from 1x up to 5x.
Guns N’ Roses: Being able to select your favourite Guns N’ Roses tracks is amazing, but so are the bonus features. These include Appetite for Destruction Wilds, Legend Free Spins, Solo Multipliers, and more.
Fire vs Ice: This eternal battle features a bar that can be pushed in the direction of fire or ice through completing special actions. You can either receive free spins or pick from an ice pyramid depending on which side the bar ends up on.
Hansel & Gretel: Land three or more scatter symbols to begin free spins and unlock the Sticky Extended Wilds in this Hollywood take on a classic fairy tale.
Thunderstruck 2: There is an abundance of bonus features to unlock, including wild symbols, expandable wilds, four types of free spins, and changeable multipliers.
Slot Bonus Features Explained
There are numerous slots with bonus games and some of the main features and characteristics are shared. In many instances, you can unlock special features through the following actions:
Wild symbols in paylines: Wilds are designed to fill the positions of missing symbols in the base game. You can benefit from these by landing wilds in paylines where you are missing a payout.
Line up scatter symbols: Free slots with bonus rounds can have their own special symbols, but scatters are reused over and over again. These can be landed on paylines or else appear with three or more simultaneously on screen.
Jackpot symbols: For a progressive jackpot, you might have to create a perfect match of five jackpot symbols on a specific payline.
Top Bonus Symbols to Look for
In the paytable of a slot, you should be able to see the following symbols used in many cases:
Wilds: These are often adjusted to fit in with the theme of a slot. You might find that a special symbol is used, but some slots can also just list the world “Wild”.
Scatters: The word “Scatter” can sometimes be used to display these symbols, but more creative slots will use an image that better fits the overall theme.
Jackpots: In progressive slots, you can often find special symbols that are used for winning the progressive jackpot.
Slot Bonus Features
The next time you play a slot game, go and look at the paytable. This will often reveal the following as some of the top features found in slots with bonuses…
Free Spins
A popular feature is the awarding of complimentary spins that are priced at the value of your last paid spin. The numbers can vary, but you might secure many more winnings free of charge and without having to pay yourself. Quite often, it will take three or more scatter symbols to land on the screen for you to receive these spins.
Pick and Click
Some bonus rounds will give you the opportunity to pick one box from a selection of mystery options. The challenge here will be to reveal a cash prize rather than end up with nothing from this feature, which commonly appears in story-driven slot experiences.
Pick and Match
This goes a level above pick and click by asking you to match a selection of matching symbols. For example, this could be a mini game where you try to reveal three matching symbols from 12 boxes. This being said, you will find different takes on how this particular bonus feature is implemented.
Spin the Wheel
After matching bonus symbols, you could find that you end up faced with a spinning wheel game. There is nothing complex about these games – simply spin the wheel to see whether your reward is cash or free spins perhaps. How the feature is unlocked can vary, so make sure to understand why in the paytable.
Progressive Jackpot Bonus Rounds
A progressive jackpot is the most appealing of all the special features found in slot games. At times, a progressive is won by matching jackpot symbols on paylines, but there are other occasions when they are won from bonus rounds. Most commonly, a progressive jackpot bonus round will ask that you match symbols to win different tiers of cash prizes.
Gamble Bonus
In slots, it will be possible for you to take winnings earned from the base game and then immediately stake them for a gamble bonus. This is an optional side game where you will have the choice to gamble £5, for example, and potentially double that value. A common type of gamble feature is when you draw a card from a digital deck. If you are able to pick the correct colour, then your winnings are usually doubled.
Terms & Conditions
Slot games can carry terms and conditions in the paytable. These are worth consulting to help you understand exactly how the game and its bonus features work. You should always take a moment to glance through the paytable and see which terms and condition apply:
Wild symbols require explanation for whether they will also substitute for scatters, wilds, or any other bonus symbols.
The explanation of how free spins can be unlocked is also important, given that some slots might ask that you land scatters on the middle reels only.
A progressive slot will explain whether you have to match symbols or randomly reach a bonus round to play for the jackpot.
Slots can also explain the long-term return to player (RTP) percentage next to the multiplier rewards for matching symbols.
Bonus features add considerable depth and replay value to slot games. You should definitely try a few of our recommended options to see what they have to offer.
