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Quick Intro to Slot Machines
Slots machine games come in all shapes and sizes. The online casino arena is peppered with top-tier software providers, each of which delivers an extraordinary selection of online slots games. These spin and win attractions are the most popular online casino games, since there aren’t any complicated strategies to employ with slots games. But for slots aficionados, there truly are masterclass slots and mediocre slots.
Today, we’re going to pull back the curtain on online slots. While they all present in the same way – digitally on your screen – there are tremendous differences between them. Our fascinating reveal all begins with a brief discussion of slot machine functionality. This forms the bedrock of our discussion, since your online slot games selection depends wholly on how these wondrous machines work for you. Without further ado, let’s get started.
How do Online Slots Work?
While mechanical slots rely on a cumbersome physical apparatus with steel parts like cogs, pins, wheels, levers, springs, and the like, online slots are computer-generated wunderkinds. Remarkable audio-visual elements are instantly generated on your screen, on PC, Mac, and mobile. Slots outcomes are determined RNGs. These random number generators are complex algorithmic programs which ensure that the outcome of every spin is random.
Slot machines feature reels, symbols, in-game features, functions, and rounds of play. They’re all different, and yet they are presented as a unique category of online casino games. The prestigious honour of the best online slot game is not one to be taken lightly. Players routinely seek out the best online slots according to their preferences, like risk/reward preference, minimum/maximum bets, features and functions, jackpot potential, volatility and variance, et al.
The simplest explanation of how online slots work from a player’s perspective is as follows:
- Select your preferred slot machine game
- Choose your bet size according to the coin value per line
- If there are variable paylines in play, select your preference
- Click the spin button
Now that you know how online slots work, let’s take a look at some of the online slot game variants available to players and the best online slots in each category. Broadly speaking, there are classic slots, video slots, jackpot slots, and Megaways slots games available to players. Each of these presents as a unique category of slots for various reasons.
Our in-house slots aficionados have poured over the data, using deep search techniques on the Internet. We gathered tremendous feedback from myriad online casino operators, software providers, and players. Given the gravity of the topic, we cross-checked our references, and updated our listings according to the latest statistics, and tested each of these games to ensure they meet with the highest industry standards for your entertainment pleasure.
The Online Classic Slots Games
Classic slots games feature prominently with players nowadays. These retro slots showcase fruity symbols like watermelons, lemons, pineapples, grapes, and cherries, as well as bars, bells, shamrocks, and lucky horseshoes. While the definition can encompass rudimentary slot machine games and video slots, a classic slots harkens back to the original slots of Charles August Fey era, and his iconic Liberty Bell.
In a strict sense, classic slots games run on 1 – 3 paylines, with just 3 reels in play. It is worth pointing out that modern-day slot machine manufacturers, and online software providers create video slots with a vintage-style look and feel. These can also be considered classic slots games.
The following classic slots are widely regarded among the best in the business:
- Cosmic Cat Slot – 96.52% RTP developed by Microgaming
- Total Overdrive Slot – 96.90% RTP developed by Betsoft
- Hit It Hard Slot – 96.3% RTP developed by Elk Studios
- Vegas Wins Slot – 96% RTP developed by Booming Games
- Lucky 9 Slot – 96.11% RTP by Wazdan
- Lucky Staxx Slot – 95.38% RTP developed by Playson
- Sevens & Fruits Slot – 96.31% RTP developed by Playson
- Sakura Fruits Slot – 96% RTP developed by Amatic
- Flying Ace Slot – 94.95% RTP developed by Microgaming
- Triple Magic Slot – 95.45% RTP the by Microgaming
And the winner is… Triple Magic Slot by Microgaming. While there are many similar classic slots games, this one exemplifies the essence of the classic slots style games with the cherries, bars, stars, and red sevens. The runner-up for best online classic slot game is Lucky 9™ slot by Wazdan which puts a truly digital spin on the classic fruit-Slot experience.
The Online Video Slots Games
The best online video slots games are a lot more difficult to pin down. The vast majority of online slots games available today are video slots, and there are literally thousands of them to consider. Top-tier software providers mass-produce extraordinary video slots games every year, adding to the tally of fine attractions.
Video slots mimic video game technology, with 5 or more reels, 3, 4 or more rows, and 20+ paylines in play. Beyond the reel grid format, video slots are filled with features, including expanding reels, collapsing reels, video overlays, 3D visuals, booming casino audio, gamble rounds, bonus rounds, pick’em rounds, free spins, wilds, and scatters.
The following 10 are considered among the best online video slot games:
- Buffalo Slot – 94.85% RTP developed by Aristocrat
- John Hunter and the Aztec Treasure Slot – 96.5% RTP developed by Pragmatic Play
- Finn & The Swirly Spin Slot – 96.61% RTP developed by NetEnt
- Cleopatra Slot – 95.02% RTP developed by Wager Works
- Immortal Romance Slot – 96.86% RTP developed by Microgaming
- Gonzo’s Quest Slot – 95.97% RTP developed by NetEnt
- Starburst Slot – 96.01% RTP developed by NetEnt
- Game of Thrones Slot – 94.86% of RTP developed by Microgaming
- Book of Ra Deluxe Slot – 95.1% RTP developed by Novomatic
It’s extremely difficult selecting the best online slot game from the video slots category, but we tied for first place with John Hunter and The Aztec Treasure slot, and Finn & The Swirly Spin slot. Coming up in a close second was the ever popular Gonzo’s Quest slot by Net Entertainment. Our selection is based upon immersion, engagement, entertainment appeal, winning potential, audio-visual prowess, RTP, and the quality of the software provider.
The Online Jackpot Slots Games
Jackpot games are arguably the most-played online casino games in the slots series. There are several different types of jackpot games, notably Daily Jackpots, where players compete with one another on a jackpot network for the Daily Jackpot shared by a variety of affiliated slot machine games. Like Progressive Jackpots which also take a percentage of every real-money wager and add it to the Progressive Jackpot prize pool, Daily Jackpots also do that, but they pay out every single day before the countdown timer hits zero. Naturally the size of traditional Progressive Jackpots is far greater than the size of Daily Jackpots. Let’s take a look at the best jackpot slots games:
- Progressive Jackpots
- Snack Time Slots – by Section8 Studio
- Aztec Realm Slots – by Section8 Studio
- Piggy Payout Slots – by Eyecon
- Fluffy Favourites Mega Jackpot – by Eyecon
- A Nightmare on Elm Street Slots – by Section8 Studio
- Daily Jackpots
- The Goonies Slot – by Jackpot King
- Safari Riches Slots – by Section8 Studio
- Tiki Fruits Totem Frenzy Slots – by Red Tiger
- Ramesses Rumble Slots – by Section8 Studio
- Gonzo’s Quest Megaways Slots – by NetEnt and Red Tiger
There are hundreds of incredibly entertaining Progressive Jackpot slots and Daily Jackpot slots. Naturally, top titles like Mega Moolah and Tunzamunni from Microgaming are always up for contention, as are Major Millions, Mega Fortune, and Beach Life. Our selection certainly pays tribute to these great jackpot slots, but we absolutely love the classic horror jackpot slot – A Nightmare on Elm Street, replete with its truly scary game play and musical score. It’s got a whopping jackpot, and it’s entertaining to the max.
In terms of Daily Jackpot games, you can’t go wrong with Safari Riches slots, and Gonzo’s Quest Megaways. Enjoy these fine jackpot games!
The Online Megaways Slots Games
The best online Megaways slots games are exceptionally challenging to single out, owing to the extreme entertainment value of these multi-ways-to-win video slots games. For those who don’t know, Megaways slots games function on an entirely different game mechanic to traditional jackpot slots, classic slots, or video slots.
With Megaways, every spin of the reels generates a unique number of ways to win. With Megaways slots, it’s possible to generate up to 117,649+ ways to win. These 6 reel slots can feature up to 7 symbols per reel, but typically have anywhere from 2 – 7 symbols showing. With 6 reels and 7 symbols per reel, it’s 7x7x7x7x7x7 = 117,649 ways to win.
Top 5 Megaways slots games
- Bonanza by Big Time Gaming
- Genie Jackpots by Blueprint Gaming
- White Rabbit by Big Time Gaming
- Chilli Heat Megaways Slot by Pragmatic Play
- Break Da Bank Again Megaways by Gameburger Studios
Summary
The best online slot game is one which rises above the rest in its category. Slots are available across 4 major categories including classic slots, video slots, jackpot slots, and Megaways. While penny slots are certainly a specific category, they refer more to the denomination of coin values. We have presented a listing of the best online slot games for each category. The top slots typically change according to player preferences, and our lists are updated accordingly.
