Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing Your Ideal Slot Game

🎨 1. Pick Your Theme

One of the best ways to narrow down your list of slot games is to pick a theme. There are dozens of different slot themes available at the best real money casinos, so choosing a theme to focus on instantly eliminates the vast majority of options you can choose from.

No matter your interest, there’s likely a slot theme that caters to it, so choosing games by theme is a great way to make sure it’s something that you’ll enjoy. Some of the most popular slot themes we’ve found at online casinos include:

• Animals – There are a variety of animal-themed slots, from ferocious jungle beasts to cuddly household pets.
• Ancient Egypt – An iconic theme where players are transported back in time to raid the riches of the pyramids.
• Jungle – Go exploring in the wilderness, fighting off dangerous animals to get to the treasure within.
• Candy – Fun-filled slots stuffed with bright colours, upbeat sound effects, and candy-themed animations.

💸 2. Look For High RTP Games

The “RTP” or “Return to Player” rate of a slot game indicates your average rate of return each time you make a bet. For example, if you make a $100 bet when playing a slot with a 96% RTP, you can expect an average return of $96. However, the key word here is “average,” which is calculated over tens of thousands of spins – so don’t expect to get back exactly 96% each time you play!

The average RTP for a modern slot game is 96%; any RTP rate lower than that is considered below average, while any RTP of 97% or higher is considered above average.

While you won’t notice the RTP rate on a spin-by-spin basis, it’s important to choose games with high RTP rates as they’ll have a significant impact over your long term results and can help you maximise your deposit. For example, let’s look at the results of two players; Dave, who chose a low-RTP slot (90%), and Jim, who chose a high-RTP slot (97%):

As you can see, just a $0.07 difference in expected return can lead to huge savings in the long run.

⚖️ 3. Find Volatility Levels That Suit Your Risk Tolerance

While the RTP rate tells you how much of your bet you can expect to get back, the volatility level of a slot tells you how the game pays out. A low volatility slot will have a high number of lower-value payouts, while a high volatility game will have a lower number of high-value payouts.

Slots can have exactly the same RTP rates, but completely opposite volatility ratings – the amount you get back is the same, the only difference is how the game gets there.

Players who have a low risk-tolerance will prefer the predictable gameplay offered by low-volatility games, whereas players who play for short sessions and want the chance to win big will prefer high-volatility games.

🎰 4. Consider The Available Paylines

Our experience has shown that the number of available paylines can drastically change what it feels like to play an online slot game. Typically, games at new casinos that offer fewer paylines will offer a higher payout when you find a winning combo, but can be harder to hit, whereas games with more paylines are easier to hit, but will offer a layout payout per win.

So, as part of your search, consider which option most aligns with how you enjoy slot games. If you like the feeling of hitting big payouts, you may want to choose games with fewer paylines, but if you just enjoy the rush of finding a win, games with more paylines may be the right option.

From personal experience, I’ve always found games with low paylines to be frustrating to play. The configuration of symbols can make it look like you should be able to find a winning combo, but the restrictive paylines prevent you from doing so.

🧩 5. Choose Your Board Size

Another key variable of online slots is their board size. Some slots have simple 3×3 grids that are easy to follow, while others have game boards with dimensions of 5×5 or bigger. Our research has shown that the best new slots with larger game boards are likely to have more paylines, so your decision is somewhat impacted by your answer to the previous section.

That being said, we’ve found a number of slots that have large game boards but a low number of paylines, giving you a mix of experiences. We’ve also noticed that video slot games typically have larger reels, whereas classic reel games use smaller game boards, so pick the option that best suits your preferred style.

💵 6. Look For Betting Limits Within Your Bankroll

When playing real money slot games, it’s important to consider the size of your bankroll. Some games will have higher minimum bet limits, making them unsuitable for low-budget players. To avoid disappointment, we recommend checking the betting limits of a slot game before you play.

Based on responsible gambling best practices, you should only bet between 1-3% of your bankroll per spin when playing real money games. Doing so decreases your risk of ruin, allowing you to play for longer. So, if you have a bankroll of $10, you’ll want to play games with a minimum bet of around $0.10 per spin.

📱 7. Check For Mobile Compatibility

While many modern slot games are fully compatible with mobile gaming, we’ve found that some older games cannot be played on mobile or tablet devices. How much of an issue this is will depend on your personal gaming preferences.

If you plan to only play from your PC or laptop, mobile compatibility won’t be an issue. However, if you’re a regular mobile gamer, it’s important to consider how well a game runs on your device. We recommend playing demo versions of any potential slots at mobile casino sites, as this will give you an idea of how well it will perform before playing for real money.

🏆 8. Scout For High Maximum Wins

A great way to choose between similarly specced slots is by looking at the maximum win on offer. It stands to reason that the higher the payout, the better it is for the player – especially if they offer comparable RTP rates and volatility levels. After all, wouldn’t you prefer to play a game that offers 10,000x your bet over one that offers 5,000x your bet?

If you’re the kind of player who lives for big jackpots, we recommend that you check out progressive jackpot slots. These games have a jackpot prize that grows after each spin, creating prize pools worth millions of dollars.

🎡 9. Look For Fun Bonus Games

A slot’s bonus features should be the most exciting part of the game, so don’t waste your time on titles with lacklustre mechanics that leave you wanting more. Some of the most popular bonus games include:

• Free Spins – A feature that offers multiple consecutive spins of a slot without charging your bankroll. For example, a game may offer a bonus round of 10 free spins if you find 3 Scatter symbols on your game board. We’ve found that the best slot games often combine their bonus mechanics, such as adding sticky wilds, multipliers, or expanding symbols into the free spins bonus.
• Prize Pickers – A bonus game where you pick prizes from a grid of options. These options are hidden until they’re selected. They’re typically available in games with multiple jackpot prizes.
• Bonus Respins – In this bonus feature, all standard symbols are removed and replaced with instant win prizes, which stay in place for the duration of the round. You’re given a set number of respins, which resets when you find an instant win symbol. When the game ends, you receive all the prizes you’ve accumulated to that point.

To see which bonus features you find the most fun, we recommend playing demo games to experiment with different mechanics in a no-risk environment.

⚙️ 10. Evaluate Base Gameplay Features

While many people look at the bonus games as the be-all and end-all of gameplay features, we encourage you to look at the base game mechanics. After all, the base game is what you’re going to be playing the most, so you want to make sure that it’s fun!

Some of the most popular mechanics offered in the base game include:

• Megaways Reels – The size of the reels changes each spin, offering up to 117,649 ways to win.
• Wild Symbols – These symbols can substitute for any symbol on the game board, increasing your chance of finding a winning combo.
• Cascading Reels – Winning symbols are removed from the board and replaced by the ones above, creating the potential for multiple wins in a single spin.
• Multipliers – Some games offer multiplier bonuses in the base game that can be triggered by finding multiple successive wins or using specific symbols to make a winning combo.
• Bonus Meters – Find specific symbols on the game board to charge the meter and unlock the game’s bonus features.

In our experience, games at the top crypto casinos offering these features are much more fun to play than a bog-standard slot with no interesting mechanics.

🧠 Summary

After completing the steps in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to finding your perfect slot game! Remember to try the demo versions of prospective games to give them a test run for free, and always gamble responsibly.

If you want to find the best online slot casinos, check out our list of recommended options and expert reviews.