Bonus Game Slots

Bonus game slots make up the vast majority of online slots on the internet. You will certainly be familiar with these titles, although you may know them by a different name. If you are wondering, they are sometimes called “video slots”.

Sure, we could get technical and say that there are differences between the two, as there are with everything. But, we won’t. In this article, we’ll be calling them bonus game slots, and we mean video slots. So, let’s begin, with just what a bonus game slot really is!

What is a bonus game slot?

Where is best to start? How about, what is a bonus game slot? Well, basically, a bonus game slot is just another name for a video slot. The term “bonus game” slot though, is far more accurate than “video” slot.

Video slots were designed as standing machines in the 1970s. Now obviously, that term doesn’t mean a lot in the twenty-first century. Calling them bonus game slots is far more applicable. The reason for this is because these “video slots” have bonus games. In short, they are one and the same.

But that doesn’t really answer the question now, does it? So, what is a bonus game slot? We are talking about a slot machine, which contains 5 spinning reels, and anything from 5 paylines, up to a total of over 1,000. By and large, the majority of these bonus game slots, offer around 25-50 paylines.

Bonus game slots also contain a number of special features, which are often triggered by special symbols. Wild icons, which substitute themselves for other icons that are needed by the player, are just one example.

But wilds can sometimes be found in classic slots. We’re far more interested in the other special icons and the ways that you can trigger the bonus rounds that these slots carry, and are named after.

Triggering the bonus games

Scatter icons are generally considered to be the number one way to trigger a bonus round. These symbols pick up their name, due to their ability to count anywhere on the reels. This means that they don’t need to be on any specific payline in order to be considered valid. Whilst two scatters is normally enough to pick up scattered wins, it typically takes 3 or more to trigger a bonus round.

Some slots have another special icon, known as the bonus symbol. These icons tend to be a bit less generous than scatters, in how they are counted.

Bonus icons usually need to appear on specific reels, although sometimes they can count when scattered on any reels. Like scatter symbols, you usually need 3 bonus icons to trigger a bonus round. Occasionally, having bonus icons on the first or fifth reels, or the first, third or fifth reels will be enough to trigger the bonus game.

Another possibility also exists. In some games, bonus rounds are triggered randomly. These don’t tend to be the best paying bonus rounds, but they are still pretty profitable. Players will not need to do anything to trigger these. They just happen, whether you’ve won a payline or not!

There are many types of bonuses

Four main types of bonus games can be identified in the most common bonus game slots. These rounds are the free spins round, the pick and win bonus game, a spinning wheel or a mini-game. Each of these bonus rounds is uniquely different from the others.

Free spins rounds

A free spins round is one of the most common bonus games. Here, the player will be given a number of free spins, which is usually determined by the amount of scatter symbols they have acquired on any one spin.

In the free spins bonus round, players will get to spin for free, and will win whatever they acquire. Special wilds are sometimes used in free spins rounds, and it is sometimes the case that your winnings can be multiplied. Free spin rounds can occasionally be re-triggered during bonus round gameplay, and sometimes they can’t.

Pick and win bonuses

Pick and win bonus games are another common second screen feature. These rounds permit the player to choose from a number of boxes, icons, symbols, etc. There are two types of gameplay here.

Some bonus game slots will allow you to pick once and win that prize, others will allow you to keep picking until you find a collect symbol. Prizes that are awarded in these bonus games can include coins, jackpots, or a combination of free spins, wilds and/or multipliers. It is also possible in pick and win bonuses that the slot may ask the player to accept their prize, or opt to pick again.

Spinning wheel bonuses

A simplistic bonus game is the spinning wheel bonus. In this bonus round, players simply spin a wheel to win prizes.

On occasion, there will be several wheels inside one another. You could progress onto the inner reels and win larger prizes, or simply claim the first prize you land on. The rules on spinning wheels are fairly common from slot to slot, although some bonus game slots use the spinning wheel as their jackpot winning feature.

Mini-games

There is no clear way to describe the mini game bonus rounds. These titles are basically designed in tandem with the theme of the slot. If you are playing a gangster themed slot, you may have to shoot cops to win prizes.

A racing themed slot may see you race against other cars, etc. Generally, the prizes in these bonus rounds aren’t spectacular, but the round does provide gamers with an entirely different style of gameplay, which is exciting.

Does the gamble feature count?

This really depends on who you ask. Most gamers will say that the gamble feature does not count as a special feature. It certainly does not count as a bonus round. This is because you can access it whenever you want, as long as you win a payline.

The gamble feature is usually a prediction based side-game, which offers you a 50% chance or less, of doubling up your money. If you win, you will double or quadruple your prize, but if you get your bet wrong, you’ll lose your winnings. In most cases, it is better to avoid gamble features in slots.