Slots are constantly evolving, and this helps to keep the industry fresh and punters happy. Technology and the creative talent of the digital artists behind these games are the main drivers behind these evolutionary developments – play slots with 500 free spins online.
Recent new slot features have played on the conventions of slots that have been part of the slot gaming experience for decades. Megaways games have introduced extra reels and constantly changing numbers of symbols that can fall on any individual reel. This has helped create huge potential pay lines and these can frequently surpass the 100,000 mark.
Risk-Taking
Changing the format of slots and introducing new gaming mechanisms involves a certain amount of risk. Producing slot games is an expensive process and the last thing any slot developer wants is to produce a game that is a flop or introduce a new gaming mechanism that holds no appeal to the gambling public. Luckily for the slot business, most recent innovations have left their mark both on game developers and punters.
Cluster Pays Slots
You may be forgiven in thinking that Megaways slots are the only successful new slot innovation of recent times, and this is because Megaways slots have made the headlines more often than any other recent slot development.
However, other new formats have simmered away in the background slowly gaining momentum with players. One such new mechanism is the Cluster Pays system. Standard slots rely on players to match symbols on the reels either horizontally or diagonally to create winning lines. Cluster Pays slots rely on symbols forming clusters instead of lines. This system was introduced to the slot gaming world by NetEnt in the shape of the Aloha Cluster Pays slot.
How Cluster Slots Pay
To win on a Cluster Pays slot, symbols have to form groups or clusters that can be matched left to right and top to bottom. Forming a line horizontally or diagonally is not important here, instead slot symbols must land next to each other and meet one of the 4 corners. Big pay outs depend on the value of the symbols that have clustered together and on the size of the cluster itself. You can form winning clusters on various parts of the gaming platform, rather than from left to right, which is the case in conventional slot gaming.
Game Play Experience
Cluster Pays slots create a fascinating gaming experience because players sometimes land a winning cluster without realizing it and this is because the entire platform needs to be constantly scrutinized whilst spinning the reels.
The Cluster Pays format does take some getting used to and is not for traditionalists. The majority of Cluster Pays slots do not have progressive jackpots attached to them but they do come with special features. Other Cluster Pays slots include Twin Spin Deluxe, Shangri La, Sweet Bonanza, Astro Legends, Golden Glyph which is an Ancient Egyptian themed slot, and Honey Rush which is played on a hexagonal reel platform that resembles honeycombs.