Cascading Reels: What are they and how do they differ from standard slots?

When it comes to online slots, games developers are always trying to push the boundaries, integrating new and exciting technology that is lapped up by many casinos up and down the country.

Play at casinos such as William Hill and MFortune and you’ll find hundreds of slots all offering that something a little bit different. However, when it comes to differentiation among slots, the invention of cascading reels has really started to mix things up.

Of course, sometimes you can’t beat the classics, but if you’re looking for something different, then cascading may well be worth a try. But what are they and how do they differ from standard reel slots? Well, here’s our guide to exactly that…

 

Firstly, Understanding Standard Reels?

If you’re completely new to online slots, then you’re probably going to need to know what standard reels are first. These are the classic style slots that you’d expect to see on the many casino floors of Las Vegas or even on the fruity in the corner of your local pub.

They’re the bog-standard reels that spin round and if they land matching symbols on them, along a recognised payline, then you win. Slots such as Mega Moolah and Crown of Egypt are good examples of this slot, as are the thousands of others available to play.

To play them, you have to spin the reel and once they’ve finished spinning, that particular game has ended and you will have to make another wager to spin once again.

 

What Are Cascading Reels?

Now, onto cascading reels. These aren’t massively dissimilar to the standard reels you get with most slots. However, they come with a bit of a difference. 

While you make your wager as normal and the reels spin as normal, once the reels stop this is where the cascading element comes into play. Firstly, like standard reel slots, if you land matching symbols along paylines then you will pick up those winnings. 

However, those symbols will then disappear from the reels and the symbols above them will cascade into their positions. This can then create further wins by matching symbols along the paylines, and they will ultimately continue to cascade until there are no further winning combinations on the reel. In which case, at this point the game has finished and it’s time to start all over again.

They’re an interesting take on the slot machine and have become more and more popular over the past decade as players start to look for something different. They’re still a little bit of a rarity, but if you can find them they’re well worth playing.

 

Why Play Cascading Reels?

The main reason for playing cascading reel slots is that they offer more chances to win following a win across a payline. It can help in picking up some nice jackpots, while you also tend to see multipliers and bonuses added in if you do pick up consecutive wins. 

They’re new and exciting and often come with more intriguing and exciting themes, as well as just offering a bit of fresh air to many online slot sites.

 

Watch a Cascading Reel Slot in Action

 

The Most Popular Cascading Reel Slots

If you are looking to get started with some cascading reel slots, then there are some great titles out there to get you started. It’s always worthwhile kicking off with some free spins on them to get the hang of things, but once you’re up and running you may never look back.

So, what are the best cascading reel online slots around today?

Gonzo’s Quest

This NetEnt slot was one of the real trailblazers when it came to cascading slots and still stands up today as one of the finest out there. The medieval-themed slot has fantastic graphics and a great storyline to boot. You can play Gonzo’s Quest slot at Play Ojo casino.

Bonanza

Big Time Gaming have combined cascading reels with the Megaways feature to offer even more ways to receive a payout in Bonanza. There’s a total of 117,649 different ways to win in this slot. Need we say more? 

Lara Croft: Temples and Tombs

Based on the famous video game character, Microgaming have done an excellent job of taking you on an adventure, with a wealth of bonuses and a total of 243 different ways to win. Play Lara Croft: Temple and Tombs with Betfred Games and get 100 free spins.

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