Since its market launch in 2016, Megaways slots have become unavoidable. Instead of having to memorize numerous paylines at the start of a game, with Megaways it’s obvious how winnings are achieved, especially when playing big bass bonanza slot not on gamstop.
Additional features like tumbling wins and multipliers add excitement. There’s never any certainty about what the next spin or bonus features will bring.
Those who wager real money on Megaways online slots can take advantage of a gigantic winning potential. Below we explain how Megaways works and provide a list of selected top slots in the genre.
What Are Megaways Slots?
Megaways refers to slot games where the number of paylines changes with each spin. Unlike video slots with fixed paylines, the exact position of the symbols is irrelevant, as long as they appear consecutively.
Originally, slots were limited to 117,649 Megaways. Now there are also games with more than 200,000 ways to win. The layout is the determining factor in each case.
A typical feature of Megaways games is tumbling reels: after a win, winning symbols disappear, and new symbols fill the gaps. This makes it possible to win multiple times in a row with a single bet.
Free spins without a deposit are extremely rare on Megaways slots. However, you are free to use any winnings from free spins on Megaways slots.
Megaways offers immense winning potential, often amounting to a thousand times the initial stake. However, volatility also increases, meaning the risk of experiencing long losing streaks.
Big Time Gaming – Inventor of Megaways
Big Time Gaming was responsible for the very first Megaways feature back in 2016. Although players might remember it more from the BTG slot Bonanza Megaways, the feature was initially used in Dragon Born.
Today, Megaways can be found on numerous slot machines in online casinos in the UK. Big Time Gaming has decided to license the feature to interested providers. Red Tiger, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, and other developers have made extensive use of Megaways over the years.
Incidentally, the popular bonus purchase was also introduced by Big Time Gaming, albeit under the name Feature Drop. However, the concise term “Bonus Buy” quickly became the standard.
The 5 Best Megaways Slots Without GamStop
There are now well over 100 online slots featuring Megaways. Fortunately, Big Time Gaming has licensed the game many times, giving other developers the opportunity to add a Megaways version to their popular game series.
1. Bonanza Megaways
Released in 2016, Bonanza Megaways was one of the first video slots to feature Megaways. You’re mining for precious stones in the middle of a mine shaft. After winning spins, all the stone blocks involved in the win explode, making room for new symbols. During free spins, a multiplier is active, increasing by 1x after each win. Mine carts travel on the middle reels, and special wilds and scatters further heighten the excitement.
Although Bonanza was one of the first games to use Megaways, the slot impressively maintains a high position in the charts. Clearly, Big Time Gaming has already succeeded with Bonanza in fully exploring the strengths of Megaways slots.
2. The Dog House Megaways
In 2020, Pragmatic Play expanded The Dog House slot with Megaways. During free spins, the player must choose between Sticky Wilds or Raining Wilds. Raining Wilds grant additional spins but disappear after each spin. Sticky Wilds, on the other hand, remain in place until the free spins end. Multipliers appear as 1x, 2x, and 3x. Combined with Megaways, this offers fantastic winning potential.
Similar to other Pragmatic Play games, there is a bonus buy option that automatically triggers free spins. However, this requires a 100x wager, which must be won back before you can collect any winnings.
3. Divine Fortune Megaways
With Divine Fortune Megaways, NetEnt has essentially overlaid its eponymous Progressive Jackpot Megaways slot with its own version. Popular features like Falling Wilds, which grant re-spins and move down one position after each spin, remain in this Megaways slot. If Wilds land on other Wilds, they expand to cover the entire reel. Scatters trigger conventional free spins. A key advantage: Wilds always fill the entire reel during free spins.
What the Megaways slot machine lacks is the progressive jackpot. While jackpots can still be won, they are limited to a maximum of 500 times the stake.
4. Gonzo’s Quest Megaways
To this day, Gonzo’s Quest, released in 2011, remains one of the top mobile slots. Gonzo’s Quest Megaways followed in 2020, building upon the strengths of the original. One notable feature is the Avalanche Reels, which ensure that new stone blocks cascade down after wins. Simultaneously, a multiplier increases up to 5x if winning sequences last long enough. During free spins, every multiplier is worth three times more than usual.
New are the earthquakes, which shake the playing field and remove low-value symbols. The Wilds marked with a question mark are unaffected and remain in place until the end of a spin.
5. Madame Destiny Megaways
Madame Destiny Megaways, like The Dog House Megaways, is a sequel to a slot without Megaways. This slot machine offers a whopping 200,704 Megaways when all reels have seven rows, including the additional symbols on the middle reels. As in its predecessor, players search for the crystal balls, which offer payouts of up to 100x. Free spins start with a multiplier between 2x and 25x, which doesn’t increase further. However, you can benefit from the Tumble feature, which allows for multiple wins with the same stake.
The maximum win of 5,000x is unusually low for Megaways slots. Conversely, however, the chance of unlocking the highest multiplier increases. Nevertheless, the volatility is relatively high and should not be underestimated.
Conclusion: Megaways Opens Up Unforeseen Winning Opportunities
It’s no surprise that Megaways slots enjoy continued popularity. Both the ever-changing layout and the exciting features of these slots provide plenty of fun. Although the number of Megaways is overwhelming, these slots are especially appealing to beginners who are tired of narrowly missing out on wins simply because a symbol didn’t follow the payline. Megaways are refreshingly easy to understand without sacrificing any of their winning potential.