What are megaways and cluster pays, and differs from traditional slot mechanisms?

Casino

The world of online slots has moved beyond the traditional payline structure a staple for decades. Two of the most popular and ground-breaking additions to the online slot landscape are megaways and cluster pays. These new mechanisms have captured the imagination of players worldwide, offering a fresh and exhilarating gameplay experience.

Payline structure

Before we explore megaways and cluster pays, let’s briefly revisit how traditional slot games work. Most classic slot games feature a fixed number of paylines, typically ranging from 5 to 25. These paylines represent the various combinations of symbols that result in a winning combination. For a pay-out to occur, matching symbols must appear on a payline, starting from the leftmost reel and moving towards the right. The number of paylines in a traditional slot game determines the number of potential winning combinations a player achieves. Generally, the more paylines a game has, the higher the chances of landing a winning combination. However, this also means that players have to wager on multiple paylines to maximize their chances of winning.

 Revolutionary mechanic

  1. Megaways slots are a relatively new addition to the online slots world, revolutionizing the way players perceive and experience slot games. Developed by Big Time Gaming, the megaways mechanic introduces a dynamic and constantly changing number of ways to win on each spin.
  2. In a megaways slot, the number of symbols appearing on each reel varies, resulting in a different number of potential winning combinations on every spin. This mechanic is based on a complex mathematical formula that calculates the total number of ways to win based on the number of symbols appearing on each reel.
  3. For example, in a standard 6-reel megaways slot, each reel is between 2 and 7 symbols. If the first reel has 7 symbols, the second reel has 6 symbols, the third reel has 5 symbols, the fourth reel has 4 symbols, the fifth reel has 3 symbols, and the sixth reel has 2 symbols, the total number of ways to win would be an astonishing 117,649 (7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2).
  4. This dynamic and ever-changing number of ways to win is what sets megaways slots apart from traditional payline slots. Instead of being limited to a fixed number of paylines, players experience a vast array of potential winning combinations on every spin.

Different approach to winning

Cluster pays slots take a unique approach to winning combinations, departing from the traditional payline structure. In these games, winning combinations are formed by clustering or grouping matching symbols, on a payline. To achieve a winning cluster, a minimum number of matching symbols (typically 5 or more) must be adjacent to each other, either horizontally or vertically. These clusters form in any position on the reels, without a specific payline pattern. The distinct advantage of cluster pay slots is that multiple winning clusters form on a single spin, potentially resulting in massive payouts. Additionally, these games often feature cascading or avalanche mechanics, where winning clusters are removed from the reels, and new symbols fall into place, creating opportunities for new winning clusters to form.