What changes for a slot when the number of rows on each reel varies from one spin to the next? The number of ways to win changes with it, and so does the amount of information a reader needs to follow a round. The sections below define a handful of key terms, such as ways, cluster pays and cascades, explain how each is used in practice and say what each term does not mean, so that rules screens become easier to read and the vocabulary of modern slots stops sounding like jargon.
What Megaways means
Megaways is a term for slot mechanics in which each reel shows a varying number of symbols from one spin to the next. Instead of fixed paylines, wins are counted as ways: a win occurs when matching symbols appear on adjacent reels, and the number of possible ways is the product of the symbols on each reel. With six reels and up to seven symbols on each, the maximum is 117,649, which is 7 to the power of 6. The term was introduced by one studio and is used by others under licence, so it is best read as the name of a mechanic and not as a quality mark. It does not mean a higher return: more ways say nothing about return to player or volatility, which are separate properties fixed in the design of the game.
Cluster pays and grid games
Cluster pays is a mechanic in which wins are formed by groups of adjacent symbols on a grid, instead of by lines across the reels. In practice the game checks the grid for connected groups of the same symbol, pays for them and then often applies a cascade, also called a tumble: winning symbols disappear and new ones fall into the empty places. A cascade does not make the next result depend on the last, because each new set of symbols comes from the random number generator, and rounds remain independent of one another. It also does not raise the average return of the game, which is a fixed property of its design.
The steps of a cascade round can be put in order:
- The round starts and symbols land on the grid.
- Winning groups or combinations are identified and paid.
- The winning symbols disappear from the grid.
- New symbols fall into the empty places.
- The grid is checked again until no further win appears.
How the number of combinations changes per round
How does the number of combinations change from round to round? When the height of each reel varies, the product of the heights changes, and with it the number of ways that are counted for that spin. The figure is usually displayed with the result of each round, and it describes the layout of that single round, not the odds of the game as a whole.
The main models can be set side by side:
| Paylines | Wins follow fixed lines across the reels | The pattern of the lines |
| Ways | Wins counted by matching symbols on adjacent reels | The number of ways, which may vary |
| Cluster pays | Wins formed by groups of adjacent symbols | The size of group needed to pay |
In practice: A mechanic that is new to a reader always comes with its own explanation in the game's information screen, and reading it once saves guesswork later.
Euro display and Dutch-language rules
Do special mechanics escape the general rules of a market? No, they do not. In the Netherlands, for example, the rules of play and the buttons must be in Dutch, and amounts must be shown in euros rather than in chips or tokens, which applies to a game with variable reels in the same way as to a game with three fixed ones. Terms such as ways, cluster or cascade therefore need clear Dutch explanations there, and the reader should find the meaning of each in the game's own information.
A pop-up that appears every 30 minutes shows how long the session has lasted and points to the limits that are available. The provider also states that a smaller stake can be chosen. Because rounds in modern slots tend to be quick, a regular reminder of this kind helps to keep track of time, which is easy to lose when each spin leads straight into the next one without a pause.
How innovation has shaped the slot world
How has innovation shaped the slot world? Slots began with three reels and a few paylines, then gained more reels, special symbols, bonus rounds and finally variable grids. Newer mechanics are explained on information screens in much the way sites arrange their pages. Someone who would rather see an example of page organisation may look at duel ������ ����.
Studios and licences around a mechanic
How does a mechanic travel between studios? A studio that invents a feature holds rights to it, and other studios may use it under a licence agreement, which explains why the same mechanic can appear in games from several makers. The agreement concerns the name and the technical idea, not the mathematics of any particular game: each studio still fixes return to player and volatility for its own titles. For a reader, a mechanic's name tells little about who made the game, so the information screen remains the place to look. Details of such agreements are rarely public, and no brand names are used here.
Hybrid game forms on the way
Are slots mixing with other kinds of games? Some studios experiment with combinations of slot and skill or arcade elements, in which part of the result depends on a player's action and part on the random number generator. Whether such hybrids become common in regulated markets is still an open question, and each would have to meet the same rules on testing and information as any other game. A key point for readers is that a skill element changes how a round feels, but any part that is decided by chance remains random and independent.
Note: New forms of play are no reason to skip the information screen; the clearer the explanation of how a round is decided, the easier it is to judge what to expect.
Frequently asked questions
Does a bigger number of ways mean a better chance of winning?
No. The number of ways describes how wins are counted in a spin, and the return to player of the game is fixed separately in its design.
Is a cascade a sign that the next spin is due a win?
No. Each fall of new symbols is produced independently by the random number generator, so earlier results do not influence later ones.
Why does the number of ways change between rounds?
Because each reel shows a varying number of symbols in every round, and the number of ways is the product of those figures. The change is part of the mechanic itself.
Where can a reader see how a mechanic works?
In the game's information screen, which should explain the mechanic and any special features in the language of the market.
Does a licensed mechanic make a game different in law?
Not in general terms. A licence between studios concerns the right to use a mechanic, whereas the permission to offer a game to players comes from the regulator and applies to the operator.
