Slot Reels - The Different Slot Machines Reels and Mechanics Explained
You hit spin, watch the reels turn, and wait to see which symbols settle into view. A large win can prompt a delighted shout, while a losing result may bring a genuine sigh. For many people trying the latest online casino slots, that mixture of anticipation and emotion captures the experience.
Yet what actually happens inside a slot machine? The result on screen depends on several connected elements. Its maths model, RNG (random number generators) algorithm, RTP, variance/volatility, and reel mechanic each influence the presentation, the style of action, and the outcome produced by the game.
Many of these terms are familiar by now, since slot coverage returns to them so often. We also have guides to RNG and RTP and variance. Yet the reels themselves are easier to overlook: they are the rotating parts that display symbols as a spin plays out. In this guide, we turn our attention to slot reels and the mechanics that make them worth understanding.
The first point is that slot games come with many reel layouts and counts. Traditional machines generally used 3 reels and a single payline, whereas other games use 5, 6, 7, or far more reels, with some offering 100,000+ ways-to-win. There are also modern titles that do not use conventional reels in the usual sense.
The Basics of Slot Reels
The earliest slot machines had only a small number of reels. Each mechanical reel turned, and a payout was awarded when the reels stopped with the required matching symbols across the single payline. The value depended on the particular winning combination.
Many contemporary slots still use reels to produce a result, although the format has expanded well beyond three reels. At least 5 reels are common, and some online or digital games describe their reel count as infinite because the layout can keep expanding.
Reels can produce winning combinations, but modern games also commonly include bonus symbols. Scatter symbols may activate free spins, bonus games, or other features, while wild symbols usually replace regular symbols to complete combinations on active paylines.
Three Reel Slots
When slot machines first gained popularity, they generally used 3-reels. Most offered one payline, or at most 3, and a spin showing 3 matching symbols across that line produced a win. The amount paid naturally depended on the symbol combination that appeared.
Developers continue to release 3-reel games today, including titles with even nine reels. They are usually classic or retro slots designed to evoke the machines of an earlier era. Compared with modern video slots, they tend to feature few paylines and fewer bonus features.
Some 3-reel online slots worth considering:
Five Reel Slot Machines
Whether you play at an online casino or a land-based venue, there is a strong chance the game will use five reels. The most familiar arrangement is 5x3: 5 reels displayed across 3 rows.
Although that arrangement is widespread, developers try to distinguish their 5-reel releases through presentation and features. The best slots may pair striking graphics with bonus features, including free spins and mini games, and some may also include progressive jackpots.
More reels can create room for additional paylines. Among the available formats are 5-reel slots with 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 paylines, as well as games offering more. Depending on the reel mechanic, some titles use thousands or even hundreds of thousands of ways-to-win instead.
Some 5-reel slots to explore:
Seven Reel Slots
Although 5-reel slots remain the usual format, that standard is being challenged regularly. Games with seven or more reels are no longer unusual. Many such titles drop the traditional payline model in favour of newer systems, including Cluster Pays and Megaways. Later in this Slot Reels - The Different Slot Machines Reels and Mechanics Explained guide, we examine those mechanics and the special features attached to them in their own section.
Games with numerous reels often bring several bonus rounds and other extra features. Depending on the title, you may encounter cascading reels, horizontal reels positioned above or below the main reels, and further variations.
Popular 7-reel slots include:
Ten Reel Slots
There are now games with x, y, or z reels, and some let you unlock additional reels during play. More reels generally create more possible paylines, so it would be unusual to find 10 reel slots with only 3 paylines. Open the paytable for 10 reel slots and you will often see a long list of payouts covering numerous symbol combinations.
Some games featuring 10 reels:
Infinireels & Infinity Reels
The range of modern reel designs is extensive, and some games can potentially continue adding reels without a stated limit.
Infinireels and Infinity Reels are two well-known examples. NetEnt developed the Infinireels mechanic, while ReelPlay developed Infinity Reels. Both begin with three reels. When a winning combination lands, one additional reel is added and the game provides a re-spin. Another win adds one more reel, with the process continuing as long as the relevant conditions are met. In theory, the sequence could continue forever, which explains the names Infinireels and Infinity Reels.
Infinireels and Infinity Reels slots featured at online casinos:
Slot Games with Megaways
Reel count is not the only way modern slots determine a win. Some use alternative mechanics rather than traditional paylines, including the Megaways mechanic created by Big Time Gaming. Under this system, the reels operate differently from a fixed-payline game.
The word 'Megaways' appears in many titles because Big Time Gaming licensed the mechanic to other software providers after it became popular. Instead of matching symbols along set paylines, the player needs matching symbols in any position on consecutive reels. That approach resembles the arrangement used by Ways-to-Win games.
The crucial distinction is how many symbols may appear on each reel. Ways-to-Win uses a fixed number, whereas Megaways applies a random reel modifier that can show between 2 and 7 symbols on each reel. Consequently, the number of available 'paylines', more accurately called 'Ways-to-Win', changes with every spin. One result might provide 100, while another could create thousands; some games can reach 117,649.
Megaways slots to consider:
Video Slots without Reels (Cluster Pays No Reel Slots)
Some casino slots dispense with reels altogether and look more like mobile puzzle games, including Candy Crush. They can still deliver plenty of activity through features that allow multiple wins from one spin. Free spins rounds, wild symbols, bonus wheel symbols, multipliers, and similar additions may all appear. The main difference lies in how a winning combination is formed and paid.
In Cluster Pays slots, matching symbols must form connected clusters, usually with 5 or more symbols joined vertically or horizontally. Many such games also use avalanche reels: winning symbols disappear from the 'reels', and replacement symbols fall into the empty spaces. The new arrangement can create further wins, so the sequence repeats.
Popular Cluster Pays slot games include:
Reels Slots Compared to No Reel Slots (Our Opinion)
How do no-reel games compare with conventional reel slots, and is either format better? The answer depends on personal preference, although the variety now available is valuable. Its opinion was informed by having reviewed thousands of slots over the years; the comparison below reflects that stated perspective.
Cluster Pays games that technically have no reels usually feel more active. A single spin can lead to several chain-reaction wins, and these games often include a substantial selection of bonuses. The continuing movement can make it seem as though something is always developing.
That does not make Cluster Pays automatically better than reel games. Plenty of 3-reel, 5-reel, 7-reel, and 10-reel slots offer appealing features too. Their usual structure is more restrained, with one main bonus feature supported by elements such as wild symbols and scatter symbols.
