When you first enter an online casino, you’ll be presented with a seemingly endless selection of slot games to choose from. For new players, it can seem a bit overwhelming to begin with and may even cause ‘decision paralysis’ – a sensation which occurs when too many options are at your disposal, thus making it difficult to make a selection.
One of the most effective ways to overcome this is to dive straight in using the ‘Play for Fun’ mode on any title that takes your fancy. The best online casinos offer this option as a way to play slots for free where demo credits are used instead of real cash.
This provides a great way to get a feel of how slot games work and analyse their potential payouts. And best of all, because you can keep playing on an indefinite basis (reloading the game to reset credits if needed), this will eventually allow you to unlock exciting bonus features sooner or later.
When it comes to picking a slot game to play for real money, there are various other aspects to consider depending on personal preference. They include:
RTP, Volatility and Playability
- RTP
Each slot comes with its own return-to-player (RTP) percentage. It represents the theoretical payout players can expect over the long-term, taking into account hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of spins. The higher this figure is set, the more chance of the slot dishing out winnings into your account.
Therefore, finding slots with an RTP close to 100% is a good tip if you’re hoping to play for an extended period. However, if you’re on the hunt for jackpot slots with large cash prizes, their RTP will be much lower to offset the potential mega payout that will drop at some point.
- Volatility
An often unknown and overlooked slot rating comes with its volatility level. This denotes the likelihood of a game paying out, as well as the value of these wins when they do arrive. Volatility ratings come in three main levels – low, medium and high – and are set by the game producer on an individual basis.
Relatively speaking, low volatility slots will provide a steady stream of moderate wins on a regular basis. High volatility slots behave the opposite way, being less likely to pay out but awarding much higher returns when they do. As a general rule, slots with high RTP ratings tend to be low in volatility, and vice versa.
- Playability
Some players prefer traditional, old-school slots as usually found in land-based casinos. These classic 3 or 5-reel slots use a simplistic gameplay model and a fixed number of paylines without too many distractions going on as you spin the reels.
Modern day video slots can be more complex, including moving background elements and an array of bonus features. Other innovative gameplay models, such as cluster pays slots (where you can win multiple times from the same spin) and megaways slots (with an extensive number of paylines), have also become popular in recent years.
Most Popular Casino Slots
If you’d prefer to start playing slots straight away, a good place to start is with the most popular games with other players. There’s good reason they have remained favourites for many years, providing the right blend of attractive gameplay and high win potential. Some of these standout games are:
Starburst
Starburst uses an intergalactic setting and a cosmic soundtrack to present its simple, yet very effective, 5x3 set of reels. Despite not including a separate bonus game, its low volatility rating provides plenty of wins from the base game whilst the ‘win both ways’ mechanism and expanding wilds feature are also player favourites. When active, this covers an entire reel with wilds whilst the remaining symbols are re-spun.
Mega Joker
Mega Joker replicates the look and feel of a classic Vegas ‘fruity’ slot machine. You first bet on the standard game for the minimum amount, where you can either collect any win or gamble it to activate the secondary 3x3 reels. On this ‘super meter’, you can increase the bet level for higher returns and also take home the incredible progressive jackpot included in the game.
Book of Dead
Part of the Rich Wilde collection of slots, Book of Dead has become an extremely popular slot due to its smart use of the familiar Egyptian theme and direct gameplay. With 10 fixed paylines, the standout feature comes in the form of a free spins bonus that is activated on finding three or more Scatter symbols. One of the game’s regular symbols is then randomly selected to expand when forming part of a win, leading to some incredible returns worth up to 5,000x on this highly volatile slot.
Sweet Bonanza
Don’t be fooled by the cute façade, Sweet Bonanza packs a real punch with a tasty win potential of up to 21,175x your total stake. The action takes place on a 6x5 grid with colourful fruits making up the game symbols. These pay out when a cluster of them are grouped together before being replaced by new symbols upon a winning combination. During the free spin bonus, the Rainbow Bomb Multiplier can boost your wins by up to 100x.
Temple Tumble Megaways
Using a megaways mechanic, Temple Tumble Megaways offers up to 46,656 potential ways to win upon each spin. Set deep inside the Cambodian jungle, the tumble feature can provide continuous wins by removing previously blocked positions and also lead to the free spins bonus when all are removed. Players then have a choice of three modifiers, including more spins or extra multipliers, which come at different velocity levels.