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What makes the perfect online slot?
It’s somewhat difficult to define exactly what actually makes a ‘perfect’ online slot, because if we’re being honest each and every person’s definition of ‘perfect’ varies. We all have different tastes and preferences when it comes to online slot gameplay.
That being said, the expert team at Slot Gods, one of the leading sources of independent bias free online slot reviews have put their heads together to come up with a definitive list of the five things an online slot should have in order to be considered as a perfect online slot.
It’s not to say that any slot lacking any of the five elements listed below are not worth playing, because there are some incredible titles out there that don’t necessarily offer everything, but if you do come across a slot that does meet all our requirements then we’d say it’s as close to perfection as one can possibly get. Without further ado, let’s get into our checklist.
A fair return to player percentage
Arguably the most important element of any online slot is the return to player, more commonly known as the RTP. If you’ve not heard of this before, we’d recommend taking note now.
The RTP signifies how much money as a percentage you can expect to receive back from a game over a sustained period of gameplay. Most online slots have an RTP ranging from somewhere between 88% and 97% with the industry average sitting at 96%.
If you want to receive value for money when playing a slot then you’ll want to be looking for a game that offers 96% RTP or above. The only time a lower RTP is acceptable is if you’re playing a progressive jackpot slot, as their RTP tends to sit around the 88% mark on average.
Volatility that meets players’ budget requirements
Volatility refers to how predictable an online slot game is and how often a winning spin will be registered. It is split into three distinct categories: low, medium and high volatility.
The volatility of the games you decide to play should match your bankroll and how much time and effort you’re looking to sink into gameplay.
A high volatility slot is one that pays out a lot of money, but infrequently, so would require a large budget and a lot of patience. A low volatility slot pays out more frequently and is perfect for players wanting quick gameplay with regular (but smaller) returns. A medium volatility slot, as you would imagine, offers players a happy medium.
There’s no perfect volatility that can promise results for every player across the board, as it all comes down to personal preference and budget. However, if you’re a new or casual slots player then low and medium volatility slots are probably the best choice.
Varied bonus features and mechanics
Naturally online slots players just want to have fun and play games that offer them the opportunity to trigger lucrative bonus features and mechanics.
It’s no secret that almost all modern slot games come bundled with a handful of common features, however, it’s not always the case that these features and mechanics are unique, more often than developers copy others when they see a winning formula that draws players in.
It’s all good and well playing an online slot that offers your standard features such as wild symbols and scatter symbols that lead to potentially high-paying free spins… But the highest rated slots go further than this, offering much more.
A truly great online slot will give players the opportunity to benefit from sticky symbols, multipliers, expanding reels, wheel-of-fortunes, pick and click minigames to name but a few.
It’s also worth seeking out slots that are somewhat out of the ordinary when it comes to mechanics. There are thousands of wonderful 5 and 6-reel slots available to play, but there are slots that boast truly memorable mechanics such as Megaways, Cluster Pays and Infinity Reels.
It’s not always the case that more bonus features and mechanics are better than few, but it’s these that make a game playable and truly exciting… So do your research and find a slot that has all of the features and mechanics you enjoy the most.
Engaging and unique design elements
A problem that routinely plagued the world of online slots in years gone by was that practically every third or fourth new online slot released looked just like another online slot. This is because many developers would see a particular game doing well and they’d copy it in the hope that players would play their iteration and enjoy it just as much.
This is why in the early days of online slots we saw so many Egyptian and adventure themed slots, copying cult classics such as Cleopatra and Rich Wilde. Thankfully, in this day and age there are a whole host of wonderfully designed slots with unique theming to enjoy.
Design isn’t necessarily make or break when it comes to absolutely defining a perfect slot, but it goes a long way towards pushing a title into that category. If a game has eye-catching design, good animations and a catchy soundtrack then we’re going to remember it for that.
Players want to see slots that go the extra mile when it comes to design, that’s why beautifully-made games such as Vikings go to Hell, Street Fighter II: The World Warrior Slot and Hades Gigablox are so popular with fans around the world.
A high maximum win potential
The final element that makes a perfect online slot is a high win potential, because let’s be honest…none of us are playing slots with the dream of making a little bit of pocket change, we want to win life-changing sums of money whilst having fun!
There’s no average maximum win potential, practically every game offers something different, and this usually down to a few factors. Some slots will have a low maximum win potential because it offers players the chance to win a progressive jackpot, others will have a high win potential because they have more ways to win (think Megaways slots).
In an ideal world, all slots would offer HUGE maximum wins in excess of 100,000x the player’s stake, such as Dead or Alive 2, in addition to this they’d give players the opportunity to stake a decent amount of money meaning that if their luck comes in they can win a real wedge of cash.
The reality is that most slots aren’t that generous, however, any slot that offers players the opportunity to win more than 10,000x their stake should be given some consideration.
One thing to remember though, always check the volatility and RTP of your game before you start spending your money on it! It’s very easy to be drawn in by a big max win number, not realising that your chances of actually winning that maximum prize is near impossible.