What are Quest or Novelty type slots?

Ever since casino games became popular, the big money operators within the industry have been looking for any way possible to get people to wager their money on their games. Of course, the massive popularity of slot games, which continues to this very day both in real world casinos and online, mean that these games remain massively popular.

But within that, there is a growing sub-culture of games that do not fit easily into the definition of a slot, but which have been developed by companies that are more usually linked with slots. Indeed, many of these games are offered the same build up and releases as you would see for a new slot release.

However, what marks these games out as very different to your typical slot game is the fact that they do not really have any of the hallmarks of a slot game. No reels, no symbols on the reels to match up to try to win. Instead, what you have often is an entirely new game dynamic which can be loosely based on a slot, or which can be completely different to a slot game.

We have termed this small but growing number of games Quest or Novelty slots and over the years there have been a number of releases of this type of game and it has to be said it has been a mixed bunch both in terms of quality and popularity with players.

However, what we can say for sure is that in recent times, the quality of these more unusual games has improved markedly from those that were released several years ago now and these newer games often will draw in just as many intrigued punters as a new slot release would.

One of the best things about Quest or Novelty slots (although by rights, we should not really call them slots, as 'games' is a much better definition) is that they are only limited by the imagination of the developers and some recent releases have seen this brought to the fore with some very unusual games that are genuinely ingenious in their design and also huge fun to play.

So that said, although we have grouped these games together in this particular article, the truth of the matter is that these games are extremely different to each other and many not share any of the typical features that you would expect, nor indeed will they share many of the bonus features that you would come to expect from a slot game either!

With that in mind, let us now take a look at some of the ways in which the most popular quest or novelty type of games work. What is the generally accepted way you play these games and what are the key characteristics, if any, that they share?

How do Quest or Novelty games Work?

In truth, it is pointless stating just one way of how these type of games work because each game is very different to the next. However, they do share some basic characteristics that make them similar to each other at the most basic level (and which they share with slots too).

The first thing is that the player must wager a certain amount in order to play the game. This amount can be altered (as is the case with slot games) and the amount you bet, will determine the value of the amounts you can win as they are based on multipliers of your bet size. Again, this is pretty much the same as you would get on slot games.

Another similarity is that if you win, there are different levels of value you can win, most wins will be relatively small in value, but there is also the chance to win much larger prizes too, although how large these are do depend on the game and your initial bet.

What is very different though is the process that the players go through once they have made their bet in order to ascertain whether their 'spin' on the game proves to be a winner or not and it is at this juncture that the games vary greatly.

In truth, what happens when a 'turn' plays on a game depends on how the game has been designed and this is entirely based on what the developers have come up with. The scope of these games is rich and varied and It is best if we describe what happens in each one when we take a look at the individual quest or novelty slot games available in the final section of this article.

Suffice to say that these games are very different to a slot game in how they play out, but in essence you still bet some money at the start, play your game and then see if your bet turns into a winner based on the outcome and in that context, these games are similar to slots (or indeed, any other type of casino-based game you can play).

Do Quest or Novelty slots offer players a better deal than standard slots?

This is a good question but unfortunately, it is one that does have a somewhat vague and inconclusive answer. Given that we have already indicated that novelty games or quest type games can be very different to each other (and as such, can be very different in how they are set up and how they pay out) all we can say with any certainty is that these types of games offer you a similar chance to land wins as you would on a typical slot game.

Within that there is a caveat that some games, just like slots, are much higher variance, some are much lower variance and it is matching up these types of games with how you want to play that is the key to getting the most out of them.

The good news is that generally, these quest and novelty games are not the most expensive to play. Games can be played for relatively small stakes in most cases, so even if you are not sure you want to try a game, it is not going to be super-expensive to have a few games to see if it is to your taste or not.

What these games certainly do offer players is a new way to play for money that shares some characteristics with slot games, but which offers a very different playing experience and if you have become a little jaded with slot games, or just want a change of pace, then these novelty and quest games are well worth a closer look.

Generally speaking, these games tend not to offer quite as high a jackpot prize as you will get on slot games and as yet, I cannot recall any of these games offering a progressive jackpot prize, although that could change in the future of course.

To finish, what I would say is that although they may appear very different to slots, just as Video Poker or even Virtual Sports does, the actual mechanics of you wagering cash, a mathematical process taking place and then from that. Whether you win or not is decided, is the same on all three types of game. Which can be good for players to understand.

What games can I try that offer Quest or Novelty gaming?

It took a while for the very first novelty games to hit casinos, but in recent years we have seen a number of these titles released, especially over the last 18 months or so. They are a somewhat mixed bag of options, each very different to the last but if you fancy trying your hand on something other than slot games then any of the following are a great place to start.

• Poke The Guy - Microgaming

What do you do when a huge monkey is rampaging across the world? Why you get a magical slingshot and hurl a variety of objects at it. Microgaming marketed this unusual game as "Simple, Silly, Fun" and that is precisely what it is. You decide how much you want to bet and depending on how much that is, you will sling a different object at the rampaging simian depending on your bet size.

On each turn in the game, the ape will move around a map on screen, which is populated with many different famous landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Sphinx, The Pyramids and many more. Your task is to hit the launch button on your super-slingshot and catapult your item at the gorilla. If you miss, then you lose. If you land a hit, then you will trigger a win.

Wins range from 2x to 500x your bet and you can bet from 0.05 per game up to 30.00 per game. It should also be said that this game is a little simplistic and even though it was released back in 2018, it does look somewhat dated compared to more modern releases.

• Fortress Charge - Crazy Tooth Studios

Of all the novelty and quest type slots, Fortress Charge is the one that is perhaps most like a slot, although that is probably pushing things a bit. The game is arranged into reels, but rather than matching symbols, you need to trigger a hero in the leftmost reel and then the hero needs to work their way across the reels to the rightmost reel to win the prize on offer there.

However, there is a twist. Each hero can only defeat one of the foes that can land on the other reels as standard, however they can pick up bonuses to allow them to defeat other foes, or land bonus symbols which allow them to move on to the next reel. You can also land cash prizes on the way over to the Fortress to land your prize, so you at least win something back if your hero does not make it all the way over.

Each spin is not guaranteed for a hero to land, so you can spin and not have a chance of a hero winning the day for you, but by the same token, you can land multiple heroes on a spin and have two or even three chances to win on a spin.

This is a very enjoyable quest-type game that has many similar features to a slot but which plays very differently and it is a great starting point for someone who chiefly plays slot games.

• The Incredible Balloon Machine - Crazy Tooth Studios

For me, this is the simplest and yet most brilliant of all the novelty games you can play that is available. The Incredible Balloon Machine is so simple, it is brilliant. Simply decide on the size of your bet which can be from 0.20 to 40.00 per game and then hit the button to inflate your balloon. There is a minimum inflate level to which the balloon must inflate, but after that, you can continue to hold the button down and inflate the balloon as you so wish.

As you hold the button down and inflate the balloon, the cash prize you can win will increase in value, however at some point, the balloon will pop and with it will go the prize. Your aim is to stop inflating the balloon at the best point and let it go, in order to win the cash prize.

This game takes about 3 seconds to understand but is hugely fun to play as well as innovative and beautifully realised by Crazy Tooth Studios. If you want a game to try out novelty slots, then this is where I would start.

• Max Damage and the Alien Attack - Microgaming

Perhaps the oldest of the novelty slot games, Microgaming released this slot several years ago which itself was a take on the famous Space Invaders type of game. A wager is made each time you shoot an alien spacecraft. Each time you see a spacecraft explode, you could win a prize of up to 25x your bet. The more spacecraft you shoot down, the more chances you have of a cash prize on each one, but conversely the more it will cost you in bets too.

To help you, you can collect a number of boosters as you progress through the game which offers you a chance at an extra life, a shield, damage booster to your weapons or a weapons upgrade.

This was an unusual dynamic and it was a hugely interesting game when it was first released because it is so different to the norm. It still is available today and if you enjoyed old-school Space Invader-type games and want to wager some cash when playing one, then this is the perfect game for you to try.