Slot Symbols & Features Part 3: Bonus Games

It has been suggested over the years that video slot machines are defined by their bonus games. Such thinking is rooted in the belief that standard slot play doesn't vary much from one game to the next. Rather, it is bonus play that sets different games apart. Regardless, it cannot be denied that bonus games make video slot play tremendously more entertaining.

This post, which is the final offering in a three-post series, will delve into video slot bonus games and how they work. Once you have a grasp on the bonus game concept, you will have a better understanding of what is going on next time you play a slot game. It goes without saying that bonus games can be confusing to new players.

Free Spins Bonus

The Free Spins Bonus game is by far the most common type of bonus in video slots. It is a bonus that does exactly what its name implies: it gives you Free Spins. Let us break that down for better understanding of how it all works.

On a standard spin, you must place a bet before spinning the reels. Almost every video slot we've seen has a default bet that is already set when the game first starts. You can just go with that bet and start spinning right away. Alternatively, you can adjust your bet up or down as you prefer.

You then spin the reels and wait to see where the symbols fall. After any winnings are paid, the process repeats. You can change your bet or click the 'spin' button to continue with the same bet placed on the previous spin.

In a Free Spins Bonus game, you don't place a bet; it costs you no extra money to spin the reels. Here is the interesting thing: the game bases your winnings on the last bet you placed. So if you placed a £100 bet on the standard spin that triggered the Free Spins Bonus game, all of your free spins will be based on that same amount - even though you aren't placing any additional bets.

How Free Spins are triggered

Nearly every game that offers a Free Spins Bonus relies on Scatter symbols to trigger the bonus. The general rule is that you must land three or more Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels during standard play. The standard spin pays out and then the free spins start. In most games, free spins are conducted automatically.

Re-Triggering Free Spins

There are some Free Spins Bonus games that allow you to re-trigger additional free spins. It is like giving you a bonus inside the bonus game. Generally speaking, re-triggering is a matter of landing those same Scatter symbols. For example, you might land three Scatter symbols to trigger the Free Spins Bonus. Every time you land three or more Scatters during bonus play, you re-trigger an additional 10 free spins.

Before we move on, you should know that a typical Free Spins Bonus game starts with a minimum number of free spins and then goes up from there. Most free spins games also include multipliers. Take a look at the first post in this series to learn more about how multipliers work.

Pick'em Bonus

Also known as 'picking' games, Pick'em Bonus games dispense with the spinning reels during bonus play. Instead, you are given a number of objects or symbols to pick from. Behind each one is some sort of prize. It could be a cash prize, a Free Spins Bonus, or even a multiplier. You keep picking until you choose a symbol that ends the game.

Picking games can be awarded randomly or require you to land a certain number of bonus symbols. It is entirely possible to have a video slot with both a Free Spins Bonus game and a picking game.

Spinning Wheel Bonus

Spinning Wheel Bonus games are also known as 'Wheel of Fortune' games. In this type of bonus, you are presented with a Spinning Wheel featuring a number of different slots representing different prices. You spin the wheel in order to win the prize represented by the slot the wheel stops on. Think of it like a roulette wheel for video slots.

Trail Games

Yet another kind of bonus game is the Trail Game. This is almost like a board game within a video slot. You roll dice, spin a wheel, etc. in order to move a character along a trail. Every spot the character lands on reveals a prize. You keep moving along the trail until you either reach the end or you uncover a landing spot that returns you to base play.

Off-the-Reel Bonus Games

Pick'em, Spinning Wheel, and Trail Games are all known as off-the-reel games for the simple fact that a separate game screen pops up on top of the reels. None of the games utilise the reels either. A good example is Mega Moolah's progressive jackpot bonus game. When it is randomly triggered, a new screen pops up and offers you the chance to spin the progressive jackpot wheel. Meanwhile, the reels remain inactive in the background.

Progressive Bonus Games

Any of the previously mentioned bonus games can be presented as a progressive bonus. If you are familiar with progressive jackpots, you probably already know where this is going. The progressive principle is intended to create rather large jackpots by pooling resources from multiple players. The Mega Moolah progressive jackpot offers the perfect example.

Mega Moolah's progressive jackpot bonus game is a Wheel of Fortune game. It is randomly triggered throughout standard play. It is considered progressive because every player playing the game at any given time is also contributing to the jackpot with every bet placed. That jackpot continues to grow until someone wins it.

Other non-random progressive game bonuses can be triggered by hitting a certain pay line with the correct symbols.

Gamble Bonuses

We round out this series of posts with the Gamble feature. Although this feature is not technically a bonus game, many people consider it to be along the same lines. The gamble feature is one that allows you to gamble the winnings you earn on a standard spin.

Let's say you win €10 on a standard spin. You could gamble to double that money. Win the gamble and your earnings jump to €20. Lose the gamble and you lose your €10. Note that gamble features are 50-50 bets. You choose between two suits from a deck of cards, odd or even numbers, etc.

Also note that there is generally a limited number of times you can gamble in a single session. Maybe a game limits you to five bets. If you hit all five on a €10 gamble, you walk away with €320. But remember that each gamble is an all-or-nothing deal.

This concludes our multi-post series on video slot features. We hope you learned a thing or two by reading. If so, we trust that your enjoyment of video slots will be greater for it. Now get out there and play.