Slots still reign supreme across top casinos, both online and brick-and-mortar. Top game providers continue bringing new themes and features via their games weekly. But, in order to be successful in choosing the right games, you need to know about all the various types of online slots that you’ll be encountering.
Here, I’m going to go through every type of top slot you’ll find at all the best online casinos.
Classic Slots – 3 Reel Slots
Lucky 7 is a classic slot with medium volatility and a 97% RTP.
Classic slots are the simplest type of online slots as they have the least amount of reels and paylines. These games will have three reels and usually between one to five paylines, depending on the game. Themes will usually be fruit, classic bar symbols, or lucky 7’s.
Examples of classic slots include:
Fruit Slots
Get up to 50 free spins playing the Mystery Joker online slot.
Fruit slots are a variant of the classic slot, but it specifically has a fruit theme. These games will still have three reels only and between one to five paylines.
Popular fruit slots include:
- Arcade by Wazdan
- Mystery Joker by Play’N Go
- Classic Fruits by 1x2gaming
Video Slots – Five Reel Slots
Starburst has consistently ranked as one of the top online slots at online casinos.
Five reel slots are the most common type of video slots you’ll find at online casinos. These games will have five reels and usually three rows, but they can have more rows. Five reel slots come in all types of popular themes and have unique in-game features such as free spins bonus games or the “Book of” mechanic.
Top five reel slots include many titles you’ll see, including:
- Starburst by NetEnt
- Book of Dead by Play’N Go
- Big Bass Bonanza by Pragmatic Play
Jackpot Slots
Play for up to 7 different jackpot prizes at once with 9 Masks of Fire.
Jackpot slots have one or more jackpot prizes for players to spin for. These games may or may not have a progressive jackpot. Jackpot slots can have any number of instant jackpots for players to win, and the prize amount usually varies based on the wager you make. You’ll usually have to land specific symbols on the slot reels to win a jackpot prize.
Top jackpot slot titles include:
- 9 Masks of Fire by Quickfire
- Colossal Cash Zone by Pragmatic Play
- Tiki Magic by Light & Wonder
Progressive Slots
The Age of the Gods series is one of Playtech’s most popular.
If you’re looking for a massive payout, progressive slots may be the way to go. Progressive slots have a main jackpot prize that increases when a player spins the reels. The main prize will continue to increase in value until a player wins it, at which point the prize amount will be reset. To date, the largest win for one player on a progressive slot has been €19,430,723.60 on the Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah slot.
Other top progressive slots are:
- Fa Fa Babies by Red Tiger
- Age of the Gods: Maze Keeper by Playtech
- Secrets of Sherwood by Amusenet Interactive
Megaways Slots
Get more paylines when you play Megaways slots.
While Megaways slots may be losing their popularity, they’re still one of my favorite types of games as many (but not all) bring in avalanche/cascading wins and give you more paylines to win along than any other type of slot. Big Time Gaming was the first to launch the Megaways feature with their White Rabbit game. Many Megaways slots have over 100,000 ways to win, but today you can find games with more than double that.
If you’re a fan of Megaways slots, check out:
- Machina by Kalamba Games
- Chilli Heat Megaways by Pragmatic Play
- Dwarven Gems Megaways by Iron Dog Studio
Hold and Win Slots
Earn massive multipliers playing Money Train 2’s hold and win bonus game.
If you haven’t noticed, hold and win slots have taken online casinos by storm this year. This is a bonus game feature for online slots where players will usually receive three respins, which will reset every time a new symbol is landed on the board. Prizes from hold and win games include instant cash prizes, jackpots, multipliers, additional spins, and more. The gameplay of the bonus game and the types of prizes will vary based on the game and provider.
Popular hold and win slots include:
- Wolf Gold by Pragmatic Play
- Money Train 2 by Relax Gaming
- Aloha King Elvis by BGaming
3D Slots
Enjoy the best digital graphics with 3D art from NetEnt.
Top game providers are always looking to bring us the best and newest features. And that’s why we now have 3D slots, where it appears as if the symbols are jumping off the screen; no glasses needed. The goal is to create an even more immersive experience for players and make the game’s action feel as real as possible.
Top titles that use 3D digital art include:
- Gonzo’s Quest Megaways by Red Tiger
- Butterfly Staxx by NetEnt
- Jungle Jim: El Dorado by Microgaming
Cluster Pay Slots
Get increased multipliers with each match in Moon Princess 100.
NetEnt introduced the cluster pay feature where if enough of the same symbols are grouped together, it will form a match, the symbols will disappear, and new symbols will drop. This is similar to the avalanche/cascading wins feature found in many Megaways slots, but the difference here is that cluster pay slots do not use paylines, so matches can happen anywhere along the reels.
I recommend the following cluster pay slots:
- Moon Princess 100 by Play’N Go
- Sweet Bonanza by Pragmatic Play
- Jammin’ Jars by Push Gaming
Multi-Payline Slots
The more paylines, the bigger the wins!
The terms “multi-payline slot” or “Multiway,” refers to any video slot with more than one payline. However, we usually reserve this term for games that have a lot of paylines. The best rule of thumb when playing online slots is that the more paylines there are, the better your chances of winning become.
Examples of multi-payline slots include:
- Templar Tumble 2 Dream Drop by Relax Gaming
- Thunderstruck Stormchaser by Microgaming
- Elvis Frog Trueways by BGaming
Bonus Buy Slots
Buy your way directly to the bonus game in NoLimit City’s online slots.
A bonus buy slot contains a buy feature that allows players to jump straight to the bonus game without spinning the reels. This is the best way to access the highest payouts possible for any online slot, but be careful. The buy feature is almost always expensive, and you are never guaranteed a big win.
Top bonus buy slots are:
- Undead Fortune by Hacksaw Gaming
- Deadwood by NoLimit City
- Freeway 7 by ELK Studios
“Book Of” Slots
Expanding symbols give you greater rewards in “Book of” slots.
Online slots that use the “Book of” mechanic have become very popular with players. This feature is usually triggered in the slot’s bonus game, where a unique symbol is chosen as the game’s expanding symbol. If you land three or more of these chosen symbols, they will expand to fill the entire reel and give you some massive payouts. Many of these slots will also use the words “Book of” in their title to alert players that they can expect to find that feature.
Great examples of “Book of” games are:
- Book of Egypt by Platipus
- Book of Golden Sands by Pragmatic Play
- Book of Vlad by Endorphina
Final Thoughts
Now that you know more about the various types of online slots out there, you’ll have a better idea of what to expect when window shopping for a new game to play at your favorite casino. You’ll find many of the titles I’ve listed above at any top crypto casino, including BitStarz, Stake.com, and Parimatch Casino.
How about you? What are your favorite online slots and features? Are there any new, upcoming features you are excited about? Let me know in the comments down below.
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