From Megaways to bonus buy: Exploring top innovative features in slot games

Slots are undeniably the most favorite online casino game options. A major contributing factor to slot game popularity is its straightforward gameplay. You just spin the reels and wait for the winning combination to form to get a payout.

However, beyond their simplicity and potential for high payouts, another main reason why they are favorites among casino enthusiasts is their different exciting features, from Megaways to Bonus Buy. These not only make the gameplay more exciting but also provide players with better chances of landing winnings.

This article will explore some of the top innovative features players can find in online slot games today and how to take advantage of them.

Megaways

Megaways is one of the most innovative features to emerge in the online slot gaming scene. Invented by Big Time Gaming, this mechanism deviates from the standard reels, rows, and paylines setup of slot games. Instead, it uses a unique reel modifier that creates bigger playing grids to provide a dynamic number of paylines.

Most Megaways slots come with six or more reels, each with a varying number of symbols, usually between two and seven. This increases the number of ways players can win while playing the game, usually anywhere from 243 to 117,649.

That said, every spin in Megaways games is unique, and the number of paylines will change on every round. For example, you can get just 243 paylines on one spin and get 117,649 on the very next.

Some of the best Megaway slot games include:
 - Bonanza Megaways (Big Time Gaming)
 - Buffalo Rising Megaways (Blueprint Gaming)
 - Gonzo's Quest Megaways (NetEnt)
 - White Rabbit Megaways (Big Time Gaming)
 - Big Bass Bonanza Megaways (Pragmatic Play)

You can read more here about Megaway slots and online casinos to find the best titles in this category.

Cascading Reels

Also known as tumbling reel, rolling reel, or avalanche, cascading reel is a special feature that has become increasingly popular in modern slot games. Reminiscent of classic video games like Tetris, this feature offers players better excitement than they would find in regular slots and the chance of grabbing bigger wins on a single spin.

The way the cascading reels feature works in slot games is that after every winning spin and payout during any game round, the symbols that triggered the win will explode or disappear. At this point, new symbols will start falling on the reels to fill in the now-empty spots. The movement of all the symbols can trigger a new winning combination, resulting in more payout wins.

The best part is that there's usually no limit to the number of consecutive winning combinations you can trigger with the cascading reel feature. It will only stop when no new winning combo forms.

Top slot titles with cascading reels feature include:
 - Sweet Bonanza from Pragmatic Play
 - Gonzo's Quest (NetEnt)
 - Reactoonz slot from (Play'n GO)
 - Gates of Olympus (Pragmatic Play)
 - Buffalo Rising Megaways™ (Blueprint Gaming)

Expanding Wilds

Most slot games typically come with a wild symbol that can substitute for other symbols to form winning combinations. Expanding Wilds takes this concept further, adding special innovations that make the feature even more exciting. The main purpose of this feature is the same as the regular ones -replacing symbols for winning combo. However, these wilds expand and become bigger in size, typically taking up the whole length of the reel they land on. By filling up an entire reel, this feature increases the chances of forming several winning combinations across different paylines on a single spin.

Top slot titles with expanding wilds include:

 - Starburst (NetEnt)
 - 1491 Uncharted Seas (Thunderkick)
 - Wild Blood (Play'n GO)
 - Dead or Alive 2 (NetEnt)
 - Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead (Play'n GO)

Bonus Buy

Also known as “Feature Buy,” Bonus Buy is another exciting, innovative feature players can find in slot games today. This feature allows players to directly trigger free spins and other bonus game rounds by paying for it.
Typically, players can play slot games for dozens of rounds and never trigger a free spin or bonus game round once, as it happens randomly. Instead of waiting for it to trigger naturally in this conventional way, you can use the bonus buy feature to gain direct access to slots' bonus games for a cost.

Now, you may want to ask how much it will cost you to use this feature. The price varies from slot to slot but is usually within the range of 50x and 100x the bet amount. While it can also be lower or higher, depending on the game, this is a steep cost that's only worthwhile if you win a much bigger payout.

Some of the top slot games in the gaming scene today with Bonus Buy include:
 - Money Train 2 (Relax Gaming)
 - Dead or Alive 2 (NetEnt)
 - Extra Chilli Megaways (Big Time Gaming)
 - Sweet Bonanza (Pragmatic Play)
 - Wanted Dead or a Wild (Hacksaw Gaming)

Others

Besides the ones mentioned above, the online gaming industry is filled with several other innovative features players will find in slot games. Notable amongst them is the progressive jackpot feature, which offers players the chance to trigger life-changing winnings with just a small wager.

Other exciting, innovative features you can learn more about include:
 - Sticky wilds
 - Cluster pays
 - Stacked symbols
 - Gamble feature
 - Mystery symbols

Closing Thought

The world of online slot games is constantly evolving, resulting in the emergence of several innovative features. From Megaways' unique reel modifier to bonus buy, expanding wilds, and much more, modern online slots offer different features that keep players engaged and improve their chances of winning. As online gaming technology advances, we can expect even more unique features to emerge, redefining what players can expect from their favorite slot titles.