Slot Reels - The Different Slot Machines Reels and Mechanics Explained
You press spin, the reels spin, and you sit in anticipation of the symbols that will land. A joyous scream follows a big win, and a heartfelt sigh follows a loss. That could describe the slots experience for most players taking their chances on the latest slot games at online casinos.
However, have you ever thought about what goes on behind the scenes of a slot machine? There are so many moving parts that make up the slot you're playing. There is a maths model, an RNG (random number generators) algorithm, an RTP, variance/volatility, and a reel mechanic all playing their part in what you see on the screen, the type of slot action you enjoy, and the result that comes your way.
Now, you've probably heard about most of those, as they're written about regularly. Heck, we even have guides on RNG, RTP and variance. The one that often gets overlooked is the reels. You know, those things with symbols on that spin away in front of you. Well, it is the slot reels that we will give some much-deserved attention to today.
The first thing to mention, although most of you will know, is that there are many types and numbers of reels. Classic slots would have 3 reels with a single payline while others have 5, 6, 7, or even more reels, up to 100,000+ ways-to-win. Plus, many modern slots do not have reels at all, per se.
The Basics of Slot Reels
As mentioned earlier, the earliest slot machines had very few reels. These mechanical reels would spin, and if the reels stopped with a certain number of matching symbols across one payline, the player would win the payout determined by that winning combination.
To an extent, the reels on many modern slots do the same thing. They spin in to deliver a result. However, we now have slots that can offer more than just the three reels. Most slots have at least 5 reels, and in some online or digital slot machines, the number of reels is infinite.
As well as spinning in winning combinations, many modern slots have bonus symbols such as scatter symbols that will trigger bonuses such as free spins, bonus games, and more. Also, wild symbols almost always feature on video slots these days. They substitute for regular symbols to complete winning combinations on active paylines.
Three Reel Slots
When slot machines first became popular, they only had 3-reels. In most cases, these had just a single payline or, at most, 3. If you spun the reels and landed 3 matching symbols across a payline, you jumped for joy at winning some money. How much you won obviously depended on the symbol, you matched up.
Developers still make 3-reel slots today - even nine. Most of the time, though, these are classic/retro slots purposely designed to remind us of the original slot machines we used to play. They would have few paylines and even fewer bonus features.
Some good recommendations for 3-reel online slots:
Five Reel Slot Machines
Today, there is a prime chance that if you play a slot game at an online casino or at a land-based casino, it will have five reels. The most common type of slot machine you will see has a 5x3 configuration. That means 5 reel slots with 3 rows.
However, despite the majority offering this format, game developers will always do their best to create 5 reel slots that offer something different from others. This means the best slots will have amazing graphics, lucrative bonus features such as free spins rounds and mini games, and in some cases, progressive jackpots.
Furthermore, with more reels comes the opportunity for more paylines. You will find 5-reel slots with 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and more paylines. Depending on the reel mechanic, you will even find some that utilize thousands and even hundreds of thousands ways-to-win.
Some 5-reel slots we suggest you check out:
Seven Reel Slots
While 5 reel slots are the norm, this norm is now broken quite consistently. It is not uncommon to see a slot game that has seven or more reels. Often, these titles will do away with the traditional payline mechanic and use more modern mechanics such as Cluster Pays and Megaways. We will dive into those mechanics and the special features they carry later in this slot reels guide, as they deserve a section for themselves.
Slot games often come packed with a ton of bonus rounds and other multiple bonuses. You might see cascading reels mechanics, horizontal reels beneath or above the reels, and more.
Check out these popular 7 reel slots:
Ten Reel Slots
We could go on and on about slots with x, y, or z reels, as there are slot games nowadays with so many. Some even let you unlock new reels as you go along. And as you know, more reels equate to more paylines. You're hardly going to find 10 reel slots with 3 paylines. In fact, if you open up the paytable on 10 reel slots, you're often given a deluge of different payouts for the many different symbol combinations.
Some popular games with 10 reels:
Infinireels & Infinity Reels
A good example of why I could go on forever about the number of slot reels on modern-day slots is that you can literally play on slots that potentially offer an unlimited number of slot reels.
The most commonly known are Infinireels and Infinity Reels slot games. These slot machine reel mechanics were developed by NetEnt and ReelPlay, respectively, and essentially work like this. You start with only three reels but will increase them by one when you land a winning combination. You then receive a re-spin of the slot reels, and if you land another win, you again unlock another reel. This can go on and on until you have many additional reels. In theory, this could go on forever, and that is why they have the name Infinireels and Infinity Reels.
The best Infinireels or Infinity Reels slots at online casinos:
Slot Games with Megaways
At this point, it is probably a good idea to point out that although the number of reels can differ on modern slots, not all of them use paylines to determine whether you win. There are a few other reel mechanics that do things differently. One of the most popular is the Megaways mechanic developed by Big Time Gaming, where the reels function in a different way.
You have probably seen numerous slot games with 'Megaways' in the title, and that is because Big Time Gaming has leased out that mechanic to other software providers because of its popularity. Rather than lining up matching symbols on paylines across the slot reels, you just need to land matching symbols in any position on consecutive reels to receive a payout. This is similar to how Ways-to-Win games play out.
However, the main difference between Megaways and Ways-to-Win is the number of symbols that can land on the reels. That number is fixed on Ways-to-Win, while on Megaways, a random reel modifier will deliver between 2 and 7 symbols on each reel. That means the number of 'paylines', or more accurately 'Ways-to-Win', will change every time you hit the spin button. One spin could deliver 100, and another could offer thousands. In fact, on some of these casino games, you can land up to 117,649.
Top Megaways slots you should play:
Video Slots without Reels (Cluster Pays No Reel Slots)
Now, we're going to take you into a whole new world of slot casino games. Aside from reel slots, you can now play slots that have no reels at all. They look more like mobile mini-games such as Candy Crush. They have exciting features and reel mechanics that ensure you can pick up multiple wins from a single spin. These slots usually have many of the same bonus features, such as a free spins round, a wild symbol, a bonus wheel symbol, multipliers, and other features. Just how you land wins that generate a payout is different.
Called Cluster Pays slots, you win payouts when you land matching symbols in clusters. Usually, you need 5 or more symbols connected vertically or horizontally. Also, many of the latest slots pair this reel mechanic with another mechanic called avalanche reels. This removes winning symbols from the 'reels', allowing others to drop into place. This can create more winning combinations, and the process repeats again.
The most popular Cluster Pays slot games:
Reels Slots Compared to No Reel Slots (Our Opinion)
So how do no reel slots compare to reel slots? Are they better or worse? Well, the answer to the latter question will depend on what you personally like. It is just good to see that we now have many different options. As we have reviewed thousands of slots over the years and have thus gained the experience needed to give an opinion, we will.
Cluster pays slots with no (technically) reels usually offer more action. Spins deliver the chance to land multiple chain reaction wins, and usually, this type of slot boasts a good number of bonuses. It feels like there is always something going on.
That is not to say that Cluster Pays is better than reel games, as there are plenty of examples of fantastic 3-reel, 5-reel, 7-reel, and 10-reel slots that also have some great features. Typically, however, you usually get a single main bonus feature and perhaps wild symbols and scatter symbols.
