When talking about popular game sub-genres, Megaways slots are arguably up there with being amongst the most popular titles within the iGaming space today. Since they first debuted, this collection of games has exploded in terms of overall notoriety, with this partially being down to the constantly shifting and changing mechanics that define these slots. As they are now staples of the online casino world, we here at Lottoland house an expansive number of these creations on-site, a number of which come from some of the most renowned production studios. Even with many of these games having similar blueprints, these differ from one another drastically thanks to the one-of-a-kind themes and additional gameplay features these come hand in hand with, something which has caused the genre to become extremely varied in turn.

What Are Megaways Slots?

Despite them now being cornerstones of the online slot world, you may still be unfamiliar with what exactly Megaways slots are. In essence, these are online casino games that have had Big Time Gaming’s dynamic playgrid mechanic integrated into them. The innovative Australian developers first introduced this feature all the way back in 2016, with the manner in which it redefined gameplay causing the first titles it was implemented in to become trademarks of the casino space. Even with the BGT being the proprietors behind it initially, they have since licenced out their trademark creation to a myriad of other studios, with a number of the leading names in the iGaming industry now adding their original mechanic into their new releases today.

How To Play Megaways Slots? 

Megaways slots actually have a number of moving parts to them, all of which work together to create that trademark gameplay blueprint they are known for. Where these differ from most other online slots is thanks to the random reel modifier, with this inventive mathematical equation resulting in the playtable layout varying from one spin to another. By default, Megways slots have a total of 6 reels; however, due to the shifting play grids, each of these columns could display anywhere from 2 to 7 symbols, with each of these varying in size.

With the maximum potential size of the playgrid in these games having the ability to reach 6x7, the payline count Megaways slots boast has also seen a significant increase. The totals can change between every spin depending on the layout, with there being the chance that a spin could have up to 117,649 active at the same time, with this number now becoming synonymous with the Megaways slots genre.

Reasons Behind The Popularity Of Megaways Slots

The constantly alternating play table layouts are not the only factor behind the boom in Megaways slots in recent years, with there being a handful of other aspects that come hand in hand with these creations that have also contributed to their rise. For example, many Megways slots actually feature cascading mechanics; however, this is not the case for all of them. In the instance a combination happens to be formed across one of the many branching paylines in these Megaways releases, this could see the symbols that formed part of it completely removed from the reels. This action could then cause a chain reaction, with various new symbols now cascading down from above the reels to fill the gaps that have been left behind, hence the name of the accompanying feature.

With the cascading mechanics comes another unique modifier in some Megaways slots, which is the rising multipliers. Once again, these are not found in all of these games, but they tend to be common inclusions. Within free spin rounds, if the cascading mechanic happens to be triggered at any time, this may see a multiplier value increase by 1x each time, with this component being another one that has defined this collection of games.

The mechanics of Megaways slots aren't the only thing that has made these titles such a hit either, with the versatility of the blueprint itself being another reason behind their growth. Due to it being a simple formula, many pre-existing franchises and collections of titles have now adopted their own Megaways spin-offs, with the dynamic playgrid features now blending with a whole plethora of familiar themes and other branded imagery. From games such as Gonzos Quest Megaways all the way to Return of Kong Megaways, these notable franchises have received complete gameplay overhauls, all whilst retaining their original visual style and alternative gameplay aspects.

What Are The Best Megaways Slots?

It is this exact versatility and adaptability that has made the Megaways mechanic an especially popular choice amongst developers, too, not just players. As a consequence of this, there are now more of these titles than ever before, making it hard to identify what exactly the best Megaways slots are. Even with the sub-genre being so expansive, we have still chosen a few standout titles that could deserve this status.

Beginning with Big Bass Bonanza Megaways, this specific game positions its play at the entrance of a jewel mine, with various shiny stones being included in symbol form. This release was one of the first to brandish the rising multiplier bonus, with it also having an extra row aligned above the central 4 reels, something that has also become a component synonymous with Megways slots.

With the Egyptian genre being so popular, one of the best Megaways slots within this category is Blueprint Gaming’s Eye Of Horus Megaways. Retaining all of the familiar hieroglyph and tomb-inspired imagery as its predecessor, this game also incorporates expanding wilds and upgraded symbol features in its main bonus round, with the changing reel set being the main aspect that makes this Megaways variant different from all other series instalments. 

From the forgotten sands of Egypt to the elaborate mansions of fancy swines, Piggy Riches Megaways is another of the best Megaways slots, not only thanks to its truly distinct theme and series of visuals but also thanks to the expertise of Red Tiger Gaming. Also featuring bonus wheels, this has become one of the stand-out Megwaways slots with a one-of-a-kind theme, alongside the retro-inspired Reel King Megaways sequel too.

Play Megaways Slots At Lottoland

These titles we have discussed are just a handful of examples of the extremely experimental and inventive Megaways slots currently available, with Lottoland presenting a diverse portfolio of these games online. Every single entrant in this catalogue provides its own nuanced bonuses and thematic elements, causing the genre to appeal to various user preferences as a result.