by Joshua O’Connell
The pandemic disrupted loads of industries, together with slot machine improvement. Work didn’t stop regardless that workplaces have been closed, and for some time, so have been the casinos that might purchase these video games.
By the autumn of 2021, it was clear there was a back-up of some actually attention-grabbing video games that might seemingly make a splash as they got here out, that means a humiliation of riches for casinos and slot gamers alike.
Now, in 2022, these video games are hitting on line casino flooring in large waves, and so there’s loads of thrilling new video games to play. A lot of them fall into a number of themes, with widespread threads connecting them.
Let’s check out among the widespread themes many of those video games have in widespread.
A number of Accumulators
For those who play slots often, you’re seemingly aware of what an accumulator is, even when you don’t know the time period. An accumulator is a visible indicator that goes by means of numerous states to indicate a development. We all know them as pots, fireworks, piles of cash, and so on.
Newer video games are factoring in a number of accumulators, taking part in off the success of Fu Dai Lian Lian, which launched a 3 accumulator mannequin the place there are a number of luggage that may develop. Every bag enhances the free spins bonus, and you will get a number of enhancements for a single bonus. You too can in some situations retrigger a bonus with completely different enhancements.
Many observe the lead of that instance, whereas others combine it up in different methods, together with the 2 examples under.
Coin Combo – Mild and Surprise (previously Scientific Video games)
Coin Combo began out with a trio of video games, however now has six themes in whole. Every options three pots; the crimson pot stays the normal jackpot selecting pot, much like different video games like 88 Fortunes or Dancing Drums, whereas the inexperienced and blue pots award a bonus of free video games or a maintain and spin. Getting the blue and inexperienced pot to shut collectively will award a taller reel set than they award individually.
Smokin’ Scorching Stuff Depraved Wheel Hearth & Ice – Everi
Smokin’ Scorching Stuff Depraved Wheel Hearth & Ice
This model extension provides a second satan character, a second accumulator, and much more mischief accordingly. Every accumulator tends to its personal selecting bonus, which results in progressives. A Fired Up! Function can improve a progressive gained throughout a limited-time mode. Each devils can improve wheel wedges and nudge the wheel to a much bigger prize throughout the Depraved Wheel function.
A number of Reel Units
Video games just like the Surprise 4 sequence by Aristocrat have lengthy supplied the flexibility to play a number of video games at one time, however now the format is proliferating by extra producers because the screens get larger and able to doing extra directly.
Energy 4 – Mild and Surprise
The Energy 4 sequence is Mild and Surprise’s reply to Surprise 4. Every model carries 4 completely different video games, which might be blended or matched; you’re taking part in 4 reel units and you’ll set off a number of bonuses and so forth.
Energy 4 G+ Slot Machine
Among the many variations they’ve launched have been Final Hearth Hyperlink, that includes 4 of the favored themes for that recreation, and G+ Elite, that includes 4 basic WMS G+-era themes. The latter incorporates a selecting bonus to find out what number of reel units you get for the bonus, and the potential for successful a progressive.
Reel Enhance – Mild and Surprise
The Reel Enhance sequence is one other 4 reel set variation of video games by Mild and Surprise that take fashionable themes, connect them to a 4 reel set base recreation, however then have the flexibility to unlock extra reel units throughout a bonus spherical with much more potential. Themes to this point have included Fast Hit and Fu Dao Le.
Money on Reels
The idea of Money on Reels was popularized by video games like Aristocrat’s Lightning Hyperlink and Mild and Surprise’s Lock it Hyperlink sequence. Money on Reels means seeing these credit score prizes on symbols immediately on the reels; normally amassing some quantity, or another symbols earlier than or after it, can ship payout of these credit score prizes. However the way you acquire them has developed over time, retaining the video games attention-grabbing by providing numerous methods to play them.
Wild Wild Buffalo – Aristocrat
Wild Wild Buffalo combines two fashionable themes for Aristocrat – the Wild Wild mechanic, the place wilds are solely on the primary two reels, however amassing them each can ship Money on Reels prizes in the event that they land on consecutive reels, and the Buffalo theme of video games, which function clumps of Buffalos on the reels and multiplier wilds within the bonus.
Wild Wild Buffalo
The sport borrows from just a few different video games, such because the Jackpot Wheel from Buffalo Grand, which you get on the prime of free spins for an opportunity at successful progressives. The flexibility to retrigger with two cash is maintained from the Buffalo sequence. The wild symbols get x2 and x3 multipliers, in step with each Wild Wild and Buffalo.
Fortunate Envelope – Konami
Fortunate Envelope is a pair of video games by Konami that has the same idea to Wild Wild in that when you get the Wild Envelope on the primary two reels of the bottom recreation, you acquire coin prizes. However the variation is any cash that land once they seem are yours; they don’t should be on consecutive and successive reels.
Fortunate Envelope
The 2 themes have barely completely different bonus rounds; on one, Plum Riches, you solely want one wild image to gather cash; on the opposite, Jade Wealth, the wilds home the extra conventional x2 and x3 multipliers.
This recreation additionally provides a progressive choose; like many Asian themed video games, wilds can randomly set off the progressive choose.
Maintain and Spin
Lightning Hyperlink and Lock it Hyperlink have been additionally the unique video games that popularized the Maintain and Spin mechanic, which went hand in hand with the Money on Reels.
When you set off the best circumstances, in a Maintain and Spin you typically get three spins to enhance your board, getting three extra possibilities if you do. Nevertheless, like Money on Reels video games, the number of Maintain and Spin codecs has been slowly evolving, so it could actually shake up how a recreation works and maintain it attention-grabbing for gamers.
The mixture of Money on Reels and Maintain and Spin has been a potent one, with an growing variety of slot machines on the on line casino flooring having one or each options (many having each).
All Aboard – Konami
This sequence of video games has a standard All Aboard Function that initiates when six or extra prepare symbols are proven on the reels. These areas get changed by cash and a Maintain and Spin bonus begins.
All Aboard Slot Machine
The distinctive nature right here is that each spin the place you land a minimum of yet another prepare, all of the cash on the reels get collected, that prepare turns into one other coin that may be collected, and the usual three spins are reset. This provides you the flexibility to land prizes plenty of instances, together with among the flat or progressive jackpots.
Fortune Hyperlink 4 – IGT
This combines two fashionable ideas: 4 reel units can be found, every of which might be assigned certainly one of 4 fashionable IGT titles included on the sport. The second is the idea of a Hyperlink Maintain and Spin format (which they name Lock & Respin), which might be triggered when three Money on Reels prizes seem on any single reel set.
Fortune Hyperlink 4
The video games you possibly can select from embody Ocean Magic, Cleopatra, Wolf Run and Golden Egypt. One small contact I believed was good is you possibly can select between a stacked set of reels happening the massive monitor, or a 2×2 format much like a standard Surprise 4 format – no matter’s simpler so that you can observe.
Acquainted Themes
One widespread pattern, commonplace in something leisure actually, has been slot builders leveraging fashionable current slot machine manufacturers for brand new variations on a theme. Listed here are a few examples:
Gold Fish Feeding Time – Mild and Surprise
Gold Fish Feeding Time
This pair of recent slots carries ahead the idea of the completely different fish providing completely different bonus variations, however this time it takes on the a number of accumulator mannequin of getting every fish in a fishbowl. Every fish contributes an enhancement, such because the Gold Fish awarding cash, or the crimson fish awarding wilds that may lock or have multipliers. A number of fish will provide a number of enhancements to the identical bonus.
Mighty Money Extremely 88 – Aristocrat
This new model of Mighty Money brings the sequence full circle to the unique themes that bought the sport began, mixing components of varied Mighty Money video games over time. Enjoying a better denomination requires much less money on reels symbols to set off the bonus, and sure money on reels symbols have a special ribbon coloration, which might result in a Mighty Money Extremely 88 function.
Triggering the function will provide a choose yielding certainly one of three bonus improve choices: Double Up, Further Spins and Enhance Spins, all options which have popped up on different video games previously. The Extremely 88 Function offers you all three bonus upgrades directly.
Standard Manufacturers
After all there’s the common complement of fashionable manufacturers from different components of the world exhibiting up on slot machines, given they’ve a fan base. This 12 months is not any exception.
Monopoly Lunar New Yr – Mild and Surprise
The Monopoly model is an everlasting hit on the slot flooring, with video games going again a long time now, and this newest entrant is one other tackle the a number of accumulator mannequin for getting bonuses. Just like many on this type, a number of luggage can flip and improve the free spins function collectively, offering the possibility for multipliers, taller reels and progressives.
Wheel of Fortune Wild Spin – IGT
The Wheel of Fortune model is one other enduring one, which not too long ago celebrated 25 years as a on line casino recreation sequence. Wild Spin is certainly one of their newest video slots, adapting Scarab, one other IGT recreation, right into a Wheel of Fortune recreation.
Wheel of Fortune Wild Spin
Together with the amassing of bordered areas to show wild on the tenth spin, there may be additionally the flexibility to land three Wheel of Fortune symbols for a trademark wheel spin and the possibility for a credit score prize, free video games or a jackpot bonus with a maintain and spin function and the possibility for progressives.
Frenzy Mode
Frenzy Mode is a more recent idea, most regularly leveraged by Everi, the place a brief change in gameplay happens beneath the best circumstances, most frequently a time-limited occasion. This could yield a totally completely different purpose to attain for that portion of the gameplay, or add an extra factor that might not be there usually.
Cashnado – Everi
Cashnado is a superb instance of the time-limited occasions that may happen. The Money Seize bonus happens as an extra function throughout Cashnado Alerts, which have a 2:30 countdown. The video games additionally function a free spins bonus throughout commonplace mode.
Cashnado
A Key Pays function, which unlock Money on Reels prizes when a key seems on reel 1 or 5, doubles these prizes when keys seem on each of these reels.
5 Coin Frenzy – Aristocrat
5 Coin Frenzy Jackpots
The 5 Coin Frenzy sequence has a coin assortment function, and if you acquire 5 cash, a 5-spin frenzy mode is triggered with a recreation enhancement. Some video games within the sequence make the center reels taller for a greater probability to win, whereas others add wilds. Every improves the sport’s end result potential vs. the usual base recreation.
Conclusion
The pandemic didn’t disrupt slot makers from growing a complete array of video games, and in 2022 we’re seeing these video games lastly attain on line casino flooring. Lots of the video games cater to gamers who’re followers of themes and mechanics which have finished effectively on the on line casino flooring, which reduces threat for the slot makers and provides gamers an opportunity to search out new video games which have components they already love.
This could make for a powerful 12 months for gamers, casinos and slot makers alike, as an array of recent video games with nostalgic elements drive loads of exploration throughout on line casino flooring nationwide. For followers of recent video games, this may in the end be an ideal 12 months for locating all kinds of recent choices on on line casino flooring as these video games roll out.
Joshua O’Connell is the creator of Know Your Slots, a on line casino web site that talks about slot machines and the way they work,
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