Online Slots: What Makes a Game Great?
There are literally thousands upon thousands of online slot machines available in the modern market, and this is both a blessing and a curse if you are a fan of spinning the reels.
On the one hand, there’s enough variety to ensure that you never get bored. On the other, the choice itself can be overwhelming.
A good way to save yourself some time and find online slots that offer the best user experience is to think about the aspects which separate the best of the bunch from their sub-standard counterparts. With that in mind, let’s look at the main points of comparison which you can use to rate slots and decide if they’re worth your while.
Theme
If you want to enjoy the most popular slot games, the first aspect to consider is the theme, because this is the most subjective part of the experience.
A whole world of themes awaits you on modern casino sites, and these influence everything from the aesthetics and music to the kind of features and bonuses that are available.
From ancient Egypt and the Aztecs to games inspired by the Roaring 20s and space travel, there are a multitude of different styles adopted by developers to connect with particular target audiences.
It’s even easier to find slots that will click with your particular tastes if you are into specific rock bands, as there are officially licensed slots from the likes of Guns ‘n Roses, Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss. Meanwhile movie-themed slots are also prevalent, with blockbusters like The Dark Knight, Superman and Planet of the Apes all getting the online casino treatment.
A great tip, then, is to head to a reputable gambling site of your choice, and use the search tool it provides to look for a keyword that’s associated with a theme you know you’ll like. This should filter out the irrelevant games and get you straight to a surefire hit.
Bonus features
The core concept of most slot machines is basically identical; you pick some paylines to bet on, hit ‘spin’ and cross your fingers in the hope of getting a winning combination of symbols.
This is all well and good, but it can get tedious after a while. This is where bonus features come into play, mixing things up and breaking the rhythm of the game to introduce a bit of excitement along the way.
Bonuses can take many forms. Some slots similar to utlandskacasino.net will give you free spins if you meet a set of conditions. Others will have fully-fledged mini games that require you to complete a challenge.
Obviously if you are just looking for a back-to-basics slot experience without any other bells and whistles or distractions, then bonus features could be worth avoiding. Either way, it’s worth checking out games which have these added elements at least once, to see whether they float your boat.
Mobile compatibility
On a purely practical level, if a slot game doesn’t work well on your device, then it probably isn’t a good choice.
While the vast majority of games released in the last few years have been optimized and designed to work well on Android and iOS smartphones, this is not always a guarantee. And because online casinos are rarely responsible for developing slots in-house, the experience can vary from game to game.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that at a certain point, portable gadgets become obsolete due to hardware limitations, so if your phone is more than five years old, or at the budget end of the price spectrum, it might hinder your enjoyment of online slot games.
Odds
People who play slots want to win. The trouble comes when you don’t take the likelihood of this happening into account, and fail to realize that it can vary significantly depending on the game you play.
Variance is the operative word here; slots with low variance levels will pay out more regularly but will have smaller jackpots on offer so that operators can still make a profit, while high variance slots have heftier jackpots but much worse odds of winning.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that online slots are fixed. This is both unethical and against regulations. Any spin could be a winner, it’s just that the chances of a successful combo being landed upon is different.
Slots with fewer reels and symbols give punters a greater likelihood of achieving victory. The opposite is true of games with more reels, symbols and paylines. In short, go in with your eyes open and you should find the best slot with ease.
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