MEGAWAYS

A long time ago… back in 2016, a slot game developer called Big Time Gaming struck gold with their new game, Bonanza. Why? Because this was when we were first introduced to the Megaways slots mechanic. What started as one game from one provider has spread like wildfire.

Five years later, this unique and innovative mechanic has been adopted by all the best gaming providers in the world. Not only are there lots of new games being created under the Megaways brand, but some of the old classics are being reinvented with this addition to get to the next level. Here at LeoVegas, you will find the very best there are!

As the name suggests, a Megaways slot offers a mega-number of ways to win. Although at first glance they can look similar to more traditional slots, the key to this type of slot and what makes it different from the standard slot games are two main features:

1: The number of paylines varies on every single spin: A standard slot game has a set number of rows and reels through the entire game, which means a fixed number of paylines. It doesn’t change at all. When you play Megaways slots online, they usually start with six reels. However, the number of rows and symbols on those reels can then change randomly on every new spin. There can be as many as seven symbols on every reel if you hit the maximum Megaways. This means that the number of possible ways to win will also change.

2: You only need to land matching symbols on adjacent lines to win: In traditional slot games, you need to land matching symbols on set paylines on adjacent reels to land a win. However, with Megaways slots, you only need to land matching symbols on adjacent reels - there are no set paylines. You usually need to land three or a set of identical symbols to get a win.

The unique selling point of Megaways slots is that because the size of the reels keeps changing, the number of payline grows and shrinks all the time. This makes it very unpredictable but means that there can be thousands of winning ways. Some Megaways slots even have hundreds of thousands of winning ways when the grid is at its maximum size. So, let’s take a look at how this might work:

A Megaways casino game might have six reels, all with a different number of rows:

• Reel 1: 6 rows
• Reel 2: 5 rows
• Reel 3: 7 rows
• Reel 4: 7 rows
• Reel 5: 5 rows
• Reel 6: 3 rows

To work out the number of possible winning ways with this grid setup, you need to multiply all these numbers together:

6x 5x 7x 7x 5x 3 = 22,050 ways to win.

The more rows each reel has, the more winning ways there are. So, if all 6 reels had 7 rows, then you would have:

7x 7x 7x 7x 7x 7 = 117,649 winning ways.

This is what makes the Megaways slots mechanic so exciting, unpredictable, and popular!

Here at LeoVegas, we offer thousands of slot games - including some of the very best Megaways slots. Here are our favourites:

Bonanza Megaways

It’s time to go mining for those big wins with the Bonanza Megaways slot game, which is the original and one of the most popular Megaways slot games ever. This is a 6-reel slot game developed by the Megaways slots inventors, Big Time Gaming. It offers up to 117,649 winning ways. With numerous bonus features, hitting the right combinations can lead up to 26,000x your stake.

Visually, the game looks great. It is set in a mine that sits on the hills, with a backdrop of beautiful waterfalls. This is one of the older games, so the graphics aren’t as sharp as newer games, but this simply adds to its charm.Its main bonus features are:

• The Reactions Feature (Cascading Reels),
• Free Spins Bonus Round
• Unlimited Multiplier Feature

Rainbow Riches Megaways

Rainbow Riches is one of the most popular land-based and online casino games in history. The slot has recently been given a Megaways upgrade. The Rainbow Riches Megaways slot by Barcrest offers players even more fun and excitement, thanks to the introduction of this new engine. You get between 243 and 117,649 potential winning ways. As you would expect, the main features of the best Megaways slot games are all available - which means plenty of winning potential. You can win up to a maximum of 12,500x your stake if you find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The game’s main features include:

• Cascading Wins Feature
• The Super Gem Bonus Feature
• Free Spins Bonus Round

Reel Kings Megaways

This game from Inspired Gaming is based on the classic fruit slot game by Novomatic. The 6-reel Reel Kings Megaways slot sees the return of our heavy-set monarch - and he has brought lots of royal treats with him for players to enjoy. These all available on an expanding gaming set that can offer as many as 117,649 ways to win. If you really want to fire up those wins, look for the Lit Reels, which will trigger the Reel King feature. There are mini reels and main reels - and this game will certainly leave you wanting an audience with the king.

The game’s main features are:

• Cascading Reels Feature
• Reel King Feature
• Free Spins Bonus Round

Temple Tumble Megaways

Take a trip into the deepest, darkest corners of the Cambodian jungle in the bright and colourful Temple Tumble Megaways slot game. This Megaways casino slot comes from the creative minds of Relax Gaming - and offers up to 46,656 winning ways. It is a high volatility game, so there may be some dry spells - but hit the right combos, and you could win as much as 7,767 x your stake.

The game’s main features include:

• Tumble Feature (Cascading Reels)
• A Free Spins Feature with 3 different options: Extra Spins (medium volatility), Multipliers and Extra Spins (med-high volatility), Multipliers (high volatility)

The free spins bonus feature is triggered slightly differently with this one. You will need to hit a run of winning tumbles (cascading reels) - which will uncover all the blocked symbols. As soon as you have unlocked all the positions, you will trigger the free spins round. Temple Tumble is one of the Megaways slots with the biggest fanbase.

If want to play Megaways slots, you can be sure that at LeoVegas you have the best selection.

Here are some of the most popular features you will enjoy when playing our best Megaways games:

Cascading Reels

This feature enables consecutive wins and is very popular among Megaways slots. Whenever a symbol forms part of a winning combination, those symbols are removed from the reels and will be replaced with new ones. If these lead to more wins, it happens again. The process continues until there are no more wins.

Additional Top Reel

Apart from the standard 6 reels, many Megaways slots also have an extra top reel. This reel will then be included in the Megaways, meaning even more ways to win!

Unlimited Multipliers

Many top Megaways slots also offer players an unlimited increasing multiplier. This will be applied to the wins created through consecutive cascading reel wins. Say your first win will have a 1x multiplier. If a win is created from the cascading reel mechanic, it will be subject to a 2x multiplier, etc. The multiplier increases by one for every consecutive cascade win, until there are no more wins. In the base game, the multiplier will reset. However, in free spins rounds, it often doesn’t.

Mystery Symbols

Lots of Megaways slots offer mystery symbols. These can transform into a random alternative symbol to boost your chance of winning.

Free Spins Bonus Rounds

Many Megaways slots offer free spins bonus rounds. You land three or more scatters to trigger the round, and often the amount of potential free spins you could get is unlimited. These often also come with unlimited increasing multipliers (as mentioned above).

Wild Multipliers

Found at numerous Megaways slot games are wild multipliers. These work so that every time you land a win using a wild symbol, it will come with a multiplier which could range between 2x up to 6x in some instances.

You may also have come across the concept of a Megaclusters game, which sounds similar to Megaways. However, these slots work in very different ways to Megaways slots.

How a Megacluster Slot Works

This operates in a similar way to a standard cluster pays game. However, the main difference is what happens after you start hitting payouts.

When you land a winning cluster, all symbols from the winning combination are removed and replaced by four smaller symbols. This means that there are three extra ways to hit wins. Say you land a cluster of five symbols. These five symbols will get replaced by 20 smaller ones. This will create an extra 15 positions on the reels.

For example:

A game that has a 4x4 grid to start within the base game has 16 symbol positions. The game can expand to a maximum 8x8 grid - meaning 64 symbol positions.

This could change even more in the bonus free spins game:

• Starting at 8x8 with 64 possible positions
• Expanding to 16x16 with 254 possible positions

You get more chances of winning every time you hit a win, and the cascading reel mechanism comes into play.

As you can see, these mechanisms operate in very different ways:

Firstly, a Megaclusters slot doesn’t include landing wins on adjacent symbols. It awards payouts for landing clusters (usually of 5 or more). The maximum number of matching symbols possible on a Megaways game is 6, but on a Megacluster game played on a 4x4 grid, it could be 16.

Secondly, a Megaways game offers a determined number of ways to win. You can calculate exactly how many winning ways there are on a Megaways slot. On the other hand, it is impossible to determine the number of ways to win on a Megaclusters slot game.

Finally, Megaclusters can feature lots more symbols and positions than a Megaways slot:

• If you play a 6-reel Megaways slot, the maximum number of symbols you can get is 6 (reels) x 7 (rows) = 42 symbol positions.
• If you compare this to the standard Megaclusters grid, the original 16 symbols aren’t anything exciting. However, in the base game, the grid could potentially expand up to 8x8 - which means 64 symbols. In the free spins round, this could expand up to 16x16 - which means 256 possible symbols.

Having said that, the most popular Megaways slots online usually offer more winning ways - with some offering as many as 60,466,176 winning ways.

Here is a comparison of these popular slot features:

• The Megaways mechanic is a more recent concept that can create hundreds and thousands of potential winning ways. Meanwhile, a jackpot game usually offers a standard number of winning ways, a set number of rows and reels - and the only thing that changes from spin to spin is the potential jackpot. With progressive jackpots, the prize gets bigger and bigger.
• A Megaways slot game usually has a set maximum win. However, a progressive jackpot slot game offers a humongous prize, which can grow to be worth millions.
• Megaways games can be low volatility games, because they offer lots of winning combinations. You can get smaller wins more frequently. Jackpot slot games are usually highly volatile, as they offer much larger payouts less frequently.While Megaways slots and jackpots have completely different concepts, sometimes a game can mix the two.

So, there you have it! Hopefully, you know everything you need to know about Megaways slots, how they work - and the best ones you can enjoy here at LeoVegas. So, get ready for some spins!