Why are Megaways Slots so popular?

Video slot players will understand the importance of active paylines in scoring payouts across the reels of play. Slot games include various payline counts, often depending on the size of the playgrid and the symbols in play. The highest payline count from slots can be found on the Megaways mechanic, released by Big Time Gaming in 2015. This category of slots has proven incredibly popular amongst gamers, with numerous titles available from online casinos and physical machines.

The potential of Megaways slot titles has exploded since the initial release, with many of the best and most established game developers releasing a Megaways title. In its short life, the Megaways genre has impacted the i-gaming industry, with numerous slot titles on offer that use this mechanic. Newcomers to the Megaways game mechanic might wonder how it has become so popular; let’s look at what these slot games offer.

What are Megaways Slots?

Megaways slot games play off a fairly standard looking six reel playgrid, with the main difference being the number of symbols in each reel. Symbols can land across the grid in different sizes allowing each reel to fill with between 2 and 7 symbols meaning up to 42 symbols can fill a grid. This means the number of paylines in play can vary with each spin; the maximum number of paylines available with Megaways slots is often an exciting 117,649. Some titles can include an additional number of symbols positioned above or below the grid, causing the payline potential to increase; others use less reels so there are fewer active paylines. Apart from the number of symbols in play, many of the features in these games are similar to classic slots, including bonus features and symbol value.

The payline potential with Megaways slots seems unbelievable compared to classic slot game mechanics. A standard 5-reel, 3-row playgrid of 15 symbols will often include 10 to 25 paylines on which winning symbol combinations can land. Of course, some games will play off a larger slot grid or include mechanics like ‘Pays Both Ways’ to increase the paylines in classic slots. Outside of the playgrid, Megaways slots are similar to classic slots in both looks and mechanics, which is why they have become such a favourite for players.

The Rise of the Megaways slot genre

There is not a lot of history behind the Megaways slot phenomenon, having been introduced to the market in 2015. Australian game developers Big Time Gaming released some Megaways slots before finding commercial success with the Bonanza Megaways title. This is where the Megaways mechanic first blew up, with slot titles gaining the attention of players and other game developers. Big Time Gaming has since allowed other game developers to use the Megaways mechanic, resulting in numerous popular slots being re-released with a Megaways title. In 2021, Big Time Gaming and its property, including the Megaways game mechanic, were purchased by industry giant Evolution Gaming.

How do Megaways slots work?

As mentioned, the changing number of paylines in the Megaways are formed by the number of symbols that land across the reels in play. The number of symbols in each reel is determined by a random number generator (RNG) in the same way symbols land across the grid to make winning paylines in other slots. The increased number of paylines used with Megaways slots does not guarantee landing payouts; they just make more space on which combinations can land.

The Megaways game mechanic can also give players more opportunity of triggering bonus features providing more winning potential. With the chance of landing more symbols across the grid when all reels are filled with the smallest symbols, there is more potential of triggering bonus symbols landing. For example, a Free Spins bonus requires 3 Scatter symbols to land on a single spin; a grid of 49 symbols will have a better chance of triggering this bonus feature than one with 15. Once again, this mechanic does not guarantee players will trigger the bonus features on offer as an RNG determines that; it theoretically provides more opportunity to do so however.

What are the Best Megaways Games?

All this talk of Megaways slots, and we haven’t mentioned any of the titles available to play today. Some games are made specifically for the Megaways mechanic, and others were already popular, with the Megaways release coming later; here are some of the best.

Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways

The classic Fishin’ Frenzy slot was so popular that Blueprint Gaming added the Megaways mechanic to this 2019 release. The original visual features have been recycled here with the playgrid expanded, allowing up to 15,625 paylines to land the nautical symbols of play. The maximum payout is 10,000x your stake in this upgrade of the original slot.

Desperados Wild Megaways

Another popular Megaways release from 2019 was the Desperados Wild Megaways title from Inspired Gaming. This Wild West-based slot uses pistols, dynamite and Sherrif symbols to create winning payouts across the 117,649 paylines available here. There are plenty of exciting bonus features, particularly the Free Spin features with progressive multipliers.

Return of Kong Megaways

In terms of visual features, this title stands out with fans of animations and the fictional Skull Island gorilla sure to appreciate what’s on offer here. Released by Blueprint Gaming in 2019, this slot takes many features from the popular King Kong Cash slot title, adding 117,649 paylines to win from. The same blingy animal symbols are in play here, along with the popular cascading reels and Free Spins bonus players can use to land winning payouts.

Summary

The different symbol sizes and increased paylines in Megaways slots provide some great gameplay. The best thing about Megaways slots is developers’ ability to apply this mechanic to any new and existing slot title. The number of games released with the Megaways mechanic since 2015 means there is a great choice for fans of this game mechanic.