There are hundreds of online slot games released every month, with each one just hoping that it gets clicked on.
Online casinos often boast a library of thousands of slots these days, so even with the help of a promoted ‘New Games’ section, it’s very tough for a slot to achieve long-term success. Drawing from the most successful slots out there, here, we’re delving into the ingredients that make for a truly successful online slot.
Baseline Requirements for All Slots
The most important baseline requirement for any casino game to become a success is for it to have truly random outcomes and operate fairly. RNG and fairness are critical, as detailed by the industry experts at Casino Alpha, and players are advised to only go to platforms that regularly audit the RNG software of their slots with independent bodies like eCOGRA, TST, and iTech Labs.
Today, customers almost default to checking out online reviews before committing money to anything, with little nuance put into the review of reviews. Unfortunately, as National Strategic explores, reviews tend to come from heightened experiences of negative or positive, but as most expect things to work well, negative reviews are much more common. So, at the very least, slots need to be fair to avoid bad reviews.
Simple-Yet-Potent Mechanics
The most successful and popular slot games usually have one very simple but very potent core mechanic that’s usually the game’s feature. You can look at the huge success stories of Starburst and its expanding re-spin wilds, Book of Dead’s expanding symbol free spins, and the collect feature in the free spins feature of the award-winning Big Bass series that continues to expand, as Gambling Insider covers.
In all instances, there’s a clear way to trigger the feature, and that feature has a lot of potential to pay big. Now, a lot of this will be dictated by the volatility of the slot. Book of Dead is a famously high volatility game and, arguably, kicked off the current trend of most slots being made with high variance. When playing, spinners know that it’s all about getting to the feature and reaping the potential rewards. With Starburst, a low volatility game, the mechanic can be seen to trigger early and often, making for a regularly potent mechanic.
A Rewarding Experience
Slot players have a lot more information about slot mechanics these days. Generally, they know that when they play high volatility slots, it’s mostly about the chance to trigger a rewarding feature rather than getting regular base game pays. For those who gravitate to low volatility slots, the rewarding experience comes from regular wins on the reels and the occasional larger-than-usual payout from an eye-catching feature.
While people play slots to win prizes first and foremost, a rewarding experience goes beyond the payouts. Gameplay, slot design, feature themes and mechanics, and graphics all play into this. With so many rewarding slots out there, the game needs to be designed in a way that makes even the base game spins that don’t land wins enjoyable. Special animations on symbols, quirky characters, some kind of story, and celebrations on wins all help.
To be truly successful, an online slot needs to be fair, have one simple and potent core mechanic, and offer a rewarding experience beyond the payouts.
