Australian software studio Big Time Gaming introduced the Megaways game engine to the world in 2015 with a slot called Dragon Born. However, it wasn’t until the release of Bonanza Megaways in 2016 that everyone sat up and took notice. Whereas previously, the number of symbols on each slot reel had always been fixed, the Megaways slot game engine allowed for a random number of symbols, typically between two and seven, to appear on each reel on each spin.
This dynamic innovation removed the traditional fixed number of paylines. Now, the number of ways to wins on any spin was variable, being determined by how many symbols appeared on each reel. In short, a 6-reel Megaways slot with 2 – 7 symbols on each reel offers up to 117,649 ways to win, which is mind-blowing.
In 2018, Big Time Gaming began licensing its unique game engine to other software developers, leading to an explosion of titles over the past five years. If this has whet your appetite for trying Megaways slots, here are five of the best you can enjoy at UK casinos.
Fishin Frenzy the Big Catch Megaways
Blueprint Gaming’s Fishin Frenzy the Big Catch Megaways is a 6-reel slot that reveals two to five symbols on each (reel). This setup means there are up to 15,625 ways to win on any spin. RTP is a reasonable 94.95%, and winning 5,000x your bet on a single is possible. However, the max payout is capped at £250,000.
While the Megaways engine keeps the base game interesting, the real thrills of Fishin Frenzy Megaways come during the free spins feature. This is triggered when three or more scatter symbols land on the reels. The precise number of scatters determines how many spins you get, with 50 being the maximum. During this feature, the fish symbols double as money symbols, which are collected when Frankie the Fisherman land on the reels at the same spin. Fisherman symbols upgrade fish to the next cash value on the bonus trail.
Big Bass Bonanza Megaways
Despite hitting casinos nearly three years ago, Big Bass Bonanza Megaways is still one of the UK’s favourites. This highly volatile creation is part of Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass franchise. The Megaways configuration uses six reels with 2 – 6 symbols appearing on each. This means that Big Bass Bonanza has a possible 46,656 ways to win.
In addition to the variety offered by the Megaways mechanic, this slot also features Tumble Reels. This triggers after hitting a win line. The winning symbols cascade, which forces other symbols to tumble down and new ones to complete the reel set, giving the possibility for winning combos.
As fans will know, Big Bass slots have one of the best free spins features. Players enter the bonus round with up to 25 spins. Fisherman symbols collect all fish money symbols on the reels, which can be as high as 4,000x your bet. You can also trigger more free spins and win multipliers for every four Fisherman symbols that appear.
Eye of Horus Megaways
This is another top Megaways slot at UK online casinos. It was developed by Blueprint Gaming and it has the same 6-reel, 2-6 symbol layout as Fishin’ Frenzy, meaning there are 15,652 ways to win.
Taking the theme from the ancient Egyptian deity Horus, this slot looks stunning visually and the gameplay is super smooth. Horus is the wild symbol, and it always expands to cover the full reel whenever it appears.
Three or more scatter symbols take players to the Eye of Horus Megaways free spins bonus. During this feature, when the Horus symbol appears, a ray of light is beamed from the deity’s eyes. This upgrades the lowest value symbols up to the next one on the paytable. In total, players can win six upgrades, leading to all the symbols being the highest value.
Bonanza Megaways
The game that kicked off the revolution. The quality of Bonanza Megaways is such that this slot still looks amazing eight years after being released by Big Time Gaming. It has six reels with 2 – 7 symbols of each and 117,649 ways to win.
Although Bonanza Megaways is rated as highly volatile, it delivers plenty of small wins, so it’s not as damaging on your bankroll as some other slots. In addition to the exceptional graphics and animations, the free spins bonus round has an unlimited multiplier feature that can take your big wins up to 12,000 times your bet amount. Quite simply, if you are going to try any Megaways slot, this will always be the OG or OGs.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Megaways
When in its pomp, Who Wants to be a Millionaire was one of the highest-rating TV shows in the UK, so it’s no surprise that this Big Time Gaming (BTG) branded slot hits all the right buttons.
It uses the most common Megaways configuration of 6 reels with 2-7 symbols on each, producing up to 117,649 ways to win on any spin. The slot’s artwork is like taking a trip down memory lane, with BTG doing a stellar job in recreating the iconic studio and soundtrack.
The free spins feature is where Who Wants to be a Millionaire Megaways comes alive. Once triggered, players are put in the hot seat where they can take the free spins they have already won or gamble them. The most you can win is 50 free games.
This slot also uses lifelines, which are an important aspect of the show. Therefore, where you have to choose A, B, C, or D as an answer, one of the three lifelines is randomly selected to help with your decision, so hopefully, you can win more free spins. Once in the bonus round, it plays like Bonanza with reactions (tumble reels) and multipliers helping boost the payouts.