You do not require a degree to play online slots, this much you know. We are relatively confident that you have a basic understanding of how a slot works. You place a bet, spin the reels and hope to line up identical symbols to land a win. Slots also offer much more than that. Indeed, many have features and mechanics, which can help you win.
As online slots use a series of random number generators to ensure that each spin has a random outcome, there is no way of predicting how a spin will pan out. Nor is there such a thing as a guaranteed winning strategy. Instead, we must rely on using our know-how to find the best slots which give you a decent chance of success.
Any top slot machine games will be able to offer you a variety of goodies. They will typically offer:
- A host of paylines
- A flexible wagering requirement
- An engaging theme which appeals to you
- Fair jackpots in relation to bets
- RTP rates which are at least the industry standard (94%)
- and be regulated and checked to ensure fair play
Even with that list of demands, the number of top slots you can play will still be in the high hundreds range. We need to break down the lengthy selection of games further...
Play Slots for Free
Once you have put together a list of slot machines which seem to fit the bill, the best way to whittle slots down is to play them for free. No, you will not be able to win real money (at least, not yet), and you might wonder what the point of all this is. Allow Online Casino Gods to tell you…
By playing a slot machine for free, you can learn a bit about it. Free play slots allow you to use artificial money to bet - you can bet as much or as little as you like, it does not matter. The basic idea is that you can grasp how a particular slot is played before you bet real money on. What could be worse than playing a slot with your hard-earned cash, only to realise that you hate it, you are not having fun, and the game does not pay out very often? By playing free slots, you can avoid those eventualities and get a sneak peek at what is in store before you risk your own cash.
Playing free slot games also allows you to check out the many software providers in the business. Slot software differs from provider to provider and playing free slot demos will enable you to understand the types of games that each developer brings to the table.
By spinning the reels of free play slots, you will learn how often a slot pays out, what kinds of wins it yields, and whether it is exciting to play. You will also learn how its special features (if it has any) are triggered and what they can offer.
Slot Features to Look For
Classic slot games (the so-called fruit machines) often consist of nothing more than three reels, a few paylines, perhaps even just a single line, and little else besides. Video slots are an entirely different kettle of fish for players, though. These games are often played over five or more reels, pack anything from nine to hundreds of thousands of paylines, and usually sport an array of special features to boot.
Here are just a few of the most common features to look for:
- Wild Symbols
- Scatter Symbols
- Multipliers
- Free Spins and/or Re-Spins
- Instant Win (Click and Win) Bonus Rounds
- Progressive Jackpots
- Cascading/Collapsing Reels
- Randomly Triggered Features
Older features, such as gamble features are not really bonus rounds at all, so we do not really consider those as relevant. But there are plenty of other slot goodies for you to explore, too.
Another critical thing to keep an eye out for is the number of symbols on the reels. Some special symbols (such as scatter or bonus icons) are essentially useless unless they appear on the reels several times - then they may trigger bonuses. When they appear only once, they can get in the way of landing a winning combination. Therefore, multi-purpose special symbols, such as Scatter Wilds (which take on the role of both scatters and wilds) are ideal.
Moreover, the fewer different symbols a slot has, the more likely you are to form winning combinations on the reels. In terms of your chance of success, the best online video slots are likely to be those which offer a myriad of paylines, with as few symbols as possible.
While it is possible to find some slots which contain many of these features at once, finding one which has them all wrapped up in a single game is rare. It is up to you to decide which of the most common slot special features appeal to you. Again, the best way to do this is to play slots for free. You can also check out a slot’s paytable for more information. At the same time, you can read our top slot reviews to learn how each of these features works. Why leave anything to chance?
What About Bonus Buy Slots?
Lately, leading software developers like NetEnt and Microgaming have started to develop “bonus buy” slots. These are games where you can pay an extra sum (which is usually quite costly), to trigger a bonus round (even a free spin bonus) right from the off, as opposed to triggering it via scatters or bonus symbols. While this may sound appealing, it should be avoided. Bonus buy slots often cost far more than your average bet, and you still have no guarantee of winning sizable sums with them. Instead, it is far more cost-effective to simply play a slot which offers you an ample array of bonuses which can be triggered the conventional way, or at random.
RTP and Volatility
How often an online slot machine chooses to pay out winnings, and how valuable those winnings can be are determined by three things - the value of your bet, RTP and volatility. Now, you are going to have total control over your bet. The more you wager, the bigger the wins. You will have less control over the other two.
RTP (return to player) rates dictate the amount of money a slot pays in relation to what players put into it. It is measured over an indefinite number of spins. For instance, a slot which has an RTP of 95% means that 5% of each stake will go to the casino, and 95% of those stakes will be paid back to players over time. That does not necessarily mean you, but in general, those are the winnings which are up for grabs.
By contrast, volatility (also known as variance, or risk) determines how frequently a slot pays out, and the size of its winnings. Low variance slot machines pay out frequently but have smaller winnings. Highly volatile games do not pay out very often, but when they do, the wins tend to be substantial.
It is up to you which type of slot you want to go with, but you can find plenty of each online. Low variance games are ideal for players on smaller budgets, who want to stay in the game for a long time by continually pocketing small wins. By contrast, highly volatile games are ideal for players who are prepared to endure losing streaks in the hope of landing that one mammoth win.
Whichever volatility level you go with, you are always going to want to see as high an RTP rate as possible.
Playing Mobile Slots
Most casino software providers now develop their games using HTML5, which makes them mobile-friendly without the need for mobile apps or software. While some of the older slot games out there are clunky and do not respond well to fingers and thumbs, most of the newer games are designed with mobile users in mind. This, too, is worth considering if you know that you want to play the best online slot machines via your phone.
Play the Best Online Slots
At Online Casino God, you will find a great mix of free to play slots and slot reviews. Using the information and advice above, you can start trying your hand at many different slot games to find the perfect match for your gaming style. Our page offers highly volatile slots, low variance games, and games with varying RTP rates, wagering ranges, payline structures and features. However, you can always trust that we provide honest, in-depth slot game reviews, written in a way that nothing remains hidden or obscure. We want you to know what you are betting on, and our combination of online slot reviews and free slots are the ideal way to do that.
