Key Takeaways
- Slots bonus games enhance gameplay by providing extra chances of winning.
- These bonuses break up the regular series of spins, making the games more engaging.
- With our guide, learn how each bonus feature works and make the most of these free rewards.
- While slot game bonuses are enticing, playing responsibly and setting a budget makes the experience wholesome.
Online slot games are quite unique, with several interesting features adding to the overall gaming experience. One such feature quite common among modern slot titles is the bonus game. The bonus game adds variety, excitement, and high payouts beyond the standard reel spin. To truly understand how each works and impacts your gaming, we’ve put together this guide for you, so let’s get started.
What Are Slot Bonus Games?
Slot bonus games are special features that add extra thrill to your regular spins. They are known as mini-games or bonus rounds that let you play extra spins for free, giving you an opportunity to win more. We consider the bonus game quite similar to hitting a jackpot, as you get to win more beyond the standard spin payouts.
These game rounds are triggered by landing specific symbols on the reels. The concept of the bonus or mini-game is to add a unique twist to slots, making them more interesting to play. Besides adding to the fun, bonus games also enable you to hit a higher potential payout.
It’s no surprise that this feature is highly sought after by slot players, as bonus games possess the potential to change your game outcome within seconds.
Common Types of Slot Bonus Games
Slots bonus rounds add depth beyond the base game, so you’re sure to find several interesting types. However, the common options you’d find across our featured slot games are:
Free Spins
The free spins bonus rounds reward you with a certain number of spins at no additional cost. To trigger this reward, you need three or more of a specific symbol on the payline. The free spins often come with added features such as expanding wilds and multipliers, increasing your chances of winning.
The number of free spins you get with this feature differs from one slot title to the next. However, in most cases, it is based on the number of scatter symbols that activate the bonus.
Pick ‘n’ Click
For an extra layer of mystery and engagement, you’ve got certain slot titles with the Pick ‘n’ Click feature as a bonus. This round is pretty straightforward; you simply select from a set of themed items on display, such as treasure chests, doors, gems, or gift boxes, to unlock secret rewards.
Clicking on any of the displayed items reveals the special prizes they hold. Some popular rewards with the Pick ‘n’ Click bonus are multipliers, cash rewards, or extra free spins. This bonus feature adds anticipation to the game as the reward behind each item is completely unknown.
Re-Spins
While there are the free spin bonus rounds, there’s more to enjoy with the re-spins version. This feature offers you extra spins without affecting your balance. Now, this may seem quite similar to the regular free spins rounds; however, there’s more.
During re-spins, your chances of hitting a winning combination increase as certain reels remain fixed (locked in place). So, with this bonus, each spin is valuable compared to the regular option, as you get extra chances of winning.
Instant Wins
Another bonus feature common in slot games is the Instant Win. This bonus feature is a surprise factor that adds excitement to regular spins. Activating this reward requires you to land multiple bonus symbols.
Unlike the other slots bonuses, Instant Wins provides a straight payout that is immediately added to your account without any additional spin or step. This means triggering an instant win bonus goes straight to your game wallet, unlike the free spins and pick ‘n’ click bonuses with additional steps.
With the Instant Win, you get to claim cash prizes as a reward. The payout ranges from small wins to large jackpots, depending on the slot game.
Cascading Reels
The cascading reel bonus makes multiple wins possible with one spin, making them a common feature in new slot titles. Once triggered, the winning symbols disappear, making way for new symbols to drop down and fill up the empty reels. This action creates additional wins within the spin and continues as long as winning combinations appear.
While this feature on its own is interesting, there’s more. The cascading reel is often paired with multipliers that increase with each successive win, resulting in a substantial payout. With this bonus feature, you also get to extend your game round at no extra cost.
How Bonus Games Are Triggered
The slot bonus games are quite unique, requiring certain elements to initiate them. While the activation process differs by slot and developer, there are some common methods for triggering the bonus round.
Landing Three Or More Scatter Symbols
Scatter symbols are the most traditional way of initiating the slot bonus game. These symbols can appear anywhere on the reel. To trigger the bonus game, you need to land three or more of the Scatter symbols, and that’s it.
Filling Progress Bars
In some slot games, the bonus round is activated by filling a progress bar. The progress bar typically advances with each spin or winning combination. This method builds anticipation, as once filled, the bonus game is unlocked.
Landing Special Bonus Symbols
It is also common to trigger the slot bonus game by landing on specific bonus symbols. These symbols are unique to the game, and landing them on certain reels is all you need to activate the bonus round.
The Impact of Bonus Games on Gameplay
Bonus games break up the standard slot spins by offering unique elements. While there are several impacts of this round on the overall slot gaming, some common perks include:
- Higher Payouts: With features like free spins, instant wins, and multipliers, you get to enjoy a higher payout with bonus games compared to the regular spin.
- Extended Gameplay: Activating the bonus features lets you enjoy extra game rounds for free. This extended game time increases your chances of winning at no additional cost.
- More Engagement: The bonus game breaks the series of regular spins by introducing mini-games. This feature adds to the depth of the gameplay and increases engagement and anticipation.
Bonus games also reflect on the slot’s volatility and payout potential. This means bonus rounds in high-volatility games come with substantial wins but at a less frequent payout. The same applies to low-volatility slots, as with the bonus round, you get more wins but in smaller values.
Bonus Buy Features
The bonus buy feature allows you to skip the regular spins process and head straight to the game’s bonus rounds. This feature lets you purchase direct access to the bonus game for the slots instead of waiting for a natural trigger.
With this option, the process of waiting for scatter symbols to trigger the bonus is taken out of the picture. There’s also the possibility of enhanced potential payout as the bonus round comes with special features that boost the overall returns.
While the bonus buy feature comes in handy if you’re eager to experience the bonus game rewards without the series of spins, it isn’t without its downsides. One such is the cost of purchasing the bonus game, which could be expensive.
Another is the risk involved. Purchasing a bonus round doesn’t guarantee big wins. So, do well to consider all these factors, as the bonus buy feature should be used with caution.
How to Choose Slots with the Best Bonus Games
Choosing the best slot title is the first step in getting the most from the bonus game feature. However, as you know, there are millions of slot games out there, so we recommend you consider the following tips.
Return to Player (RTP) Percentage
The slot’s RTP tells you the average payout of your bet you get back over time. Go for slot games with a high RTP of at least 96% or above, as this means you get more of your bet back.
Payout Potential
Some slot games offer higher payout potential than others. Going for such titles means you also get to enjoy big wins, as the slot volatility level also applies in the bonus games.
Frequency of Triggering Bonuses
How often the bonus game triggers is another important consideration. Go for slot titles that have bonus games triggered within a few rounds.
An easy way to cross-check the above features is by playing the free slot demo version of the game. Doing this helps you explore the bonus features without spending money.