Megaways Games
Megaways games have become the most popular new online casino product in the 2020’s. In this article we are diving deeper into the world of Megaways and the hottest games with this feature.
Traditionally slots and online casino slots have had a fixed number or reels, lines and paylines. This decades old status quo was rattled in 2015 by Australian game studio Big Time Gaming when they introduced world’s first Megaways game.
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What are Megaways Games?
What makes Megaways so special, is its unique dynamic game table where every one of the six reels can expand between 2 and 7 lines. This brings new variation in to the game as the number of paylines can be anything between 32 and 117,649 adding some extra spice to gameplay.
The simple idea behind Megaways Games is that there are two separate RNGs in one slot. Firstly, when a player hits the spin button, the number of lines per reel is randomly drawn. Once the grid is clear, next it is time to use the second Random Number Generator to dictate the final outcome i.e. what symbols will land and where.
At most, it is possible to get a full game table of 7x7x7x7x7x7 on every six reels enabling maximum winnings. Depending on the slot, the highest possible win can be up to 25,000x your bet size enabling fixed max wins up to $2,500,000.
Key Features of Megaways Games
Since a Megaways game can give player anything between 32 paylines up to 117,649, the volatility is extremely high. This is part of the excitement as you’ll never know how many lines you’ll have for your next spin adding a layer of extra thrill.
On average the Return-to-Player (RTP) is lower than usual for Megaways games to compensate for the heavy volatility. Basically this indicates that these slots tend to have less winning combinations in their key but on the other hand the wins are higher than average. If you can’t stand longer cold runs, then perhaps you should play something else.
Megaways technology has been licensed by Big Time Gaming and other studios such has Red Tiger and Pragmatic Play have made their own versions using the mechanics. This has resulted in combining other special features with Megaways, including cascading reels, bonus games and win multipliers.
Best RTP Megaways Games
There are loads of Megaways slots with outrageous RTP's. We listed the ones with the highest return-to-player percentages.
White Rabbit Megaways (97.77%)
Inventor itself, Big Time Gaming decided to mix things a bit in 2017 by creating an exception in their own concept. White Rabbit has 5 reels but each can expand up to 12 lines bringing the total number of possible paylines up to staggering 248,832 on a single spin. The max win is limited to 13,000x though but this is still the highest paying Megaways slot with 97.77% RTP.
Buffalo Rising ALL ACTION Megaways (97,01%)
This traditional Buffalo slot from Blueprint Gaming is the best paying ”normal” Megaways slot with an RTP of 97.01%. High volatility can make you work for your wins extra hard but the rewards are top shelf. New high roller edition enables max bets up to $1,000 per spin and max wins up to incredible $13,000,000.
Gorilla Gold Megaways (97.00%)
When nothing is enough, you get a game like Gorilla Gold Megaways. They have embedded four full Megaways grids in one game making it possible to have mind-blowing 470,596 paylines per spin. The max win is set to 20,000x with an RTP of 97.00%. This slot comes also from Blueprint Gaming studios.
Queen of Riches Megaways (96.90%)
Big Time Gaming’s second highest RTP slot is Queen of Riches Megaways. It has a traditional game table with 6 reels and expanding 2-7 lines. The RTP is very decent 96.90% and the volatility is marked high. Interesting is that the max win is 50,000x but the max bet is limited to 40.00$ per spin.
King of Cats Megaways (96.72%)
This slot is also from Big Time Gaming’s selection. Perhaps due to the licensing fees other producers are not able or willing to match the best RTP’s within the Megaways universe except for Blueprint Gaming. High max win of 56,620x and an RTP of 96.72% make this slot worth trying. However, the max bet is only $20.00 per spin.
Why Megaways Games are Gaining Popularity
Number one reason for players’ unconditional love for Megaways is the chance of a big win. Usually online casino slots with fixed max wins have been spitting out around 10,000x winnings per bet at tops. Now with Megaways, one could get his money back with up to 117,469 times per spin without jackpot features, in theory.
Overall high volatility and larger than average wins tend to draw attention from the players. Also this techonology brings additional excitement to the experience as among the symbols (outcome) the number of lines per reel is randomly drawn. Also online gamblers tend to get intrigued by new technological innovations such as Megaways games.
The Future of Megaways Games
It seems that the coming years look strong for both studios and Megaways aficionados. As Big Time Gaming has been actively licensing their tech to other game providers, we can expect a wider selection of Megaways slots in the future.
There are already several interesting new Megaways Games in 2024 coming down the pipeline of several gaming studios. We can expect for example the following titles in the coming year:
- Roar of the Bear (January 2024 – iSoftBet)
- Panda Money (February 2024 – Big Time Gaming)
- Pompeii Megareels Megaways (February 2024 – Pragmatic Play)
- Curious Cases of the Invisible Man (March 2024 – Jelly)
- Primate King (April 2024 – Red Tiger)
Playing Megaways Games Responsibly
The world of Megaways can be even more intriguing than traditional slots. That’s also part of the reason why they are so popular among players. Therefore it is good to remember to take breaks, set limits and enjoy these games responsibly. Every Megaways slot has an in-built tool for responsible use. You are able to set a loss limit every time you play using the autospin option.
Remember that if you feel like online casino gaming is causing you any work, school, social or financial problems, it is good to take a break and make a further self-assesment. Anonymous help is always available 24/7 on toll free call lines or internet chats.