What do players expect from new slots?

Slots are incredibly popular in casinos, whether in online casinos or land-based casinos. Of course, the selection of slots is much larger in online casinos. They don't have to stick to the available space and can addendless new slot games to their offer.

The selection is correspondingly huge, so that one could think that players have already seen and played everything. Although players have certainly not played all of the 1.2 million slots worldwide, they want certain expectations to be met. We will take a closer look at what exactly these are in the following.

Better graphics

Players know very well how fast technology is advancing. A ten-year-old slot is simply not like a new slot, although it can certainly still be very interesting.

Developers are quite aware of this and usually hire the best graphic designers while using state-of-the-art programmes to design slots. Still, there are one or two developers who comparatively work with outdated graphic elements. For the developers themselves, better graphics are of paramount interest. The better the graphics, the more likely players will love the new game.

The latest hypes and hopes of gamers at the moment include:

• 3D graphics;
• Virtual/Augmented Reality.

Interesting game mechanics

Slots are generally always very similar. Their playing field builds up with five reels and at least three rows. Sometimes, however, there are only three reels. This concerns the structure of classic slots, on which modern slots are based. Since slots have existed in this form for 100 years, players expect to find something different in new slots.

Fortunately, some developers have already left the territory of classic slots and created new mechanics:

• Gigablox;
• Megaways;
• Cascade Slots;
• Cluster Pays.

Still, players expect to find something completely new in a slot, preferably something that has never been seen before, or at least not in the form presented.

Exciting theme

Slots are no longer only available with fruit symbols, but with various themes. Everything that exists in the world has already been immortalised in slots. From social themes to history to other cultures as well as films and TV series.

Players primarily choose a topic that they themselves are passionate about. For example, if they are a big fan of a certain film or series, the slot must reflect its storyline to some extent. If the slot is still very close to the original, players are naturally all the more enthusiastic. But even if the slot is not about a film or series, it should have a fascinating theme. With the theme of Egypt, for example, it becomes a little difficult, because there are already so many slots about Egypt.

As many bonuses as possible

New slots should offer players as many bonuses as possible. This already starts with the popular free spins. Some slots are a little stingy when it comes to free spins, so you might only get five or eight. Such a slot should be able to offer players something more, otherwise they would find it uninteresting.

You only get free spins in slots with special symbols. Outside of free spins, there could be other special symbols, perhaps in the form of multipliers or different wild variants. Some special symbols can also be collected in the game to activate another bonus. If this is the case, players will be committed to playing the slot for longer. In terms of different symbols, developers have been quite innovative:

• expanding wild symbols;
• Stacked Wilds;
• Sticky Wilds (stay in place).

As a bonus, there could also be built-in mini-games where players can cash in on extra wins. The easiest way to solve it is through a wheel of fortune, but could also be determined by selecting symbols. A little more interactivity with the game would come when the player has to guide a character through a path to get a bonus.

First class odds

Why would anyone want to play a slot whose RTP is below average? Players expect online slots to have a high RTP, which they can use to estimate how much they can at least win back from their bets.

In addition, there should be many winning opportunities, which can be achieved through several bonus symbols and features. Players do not necessarily expect a jackpot with new slots, but they do expect a high maximum win.

Security is equally important

Players expect that every new game is checked for fairness and that they have a real chance of winning. Unfortunately, it happened from time to time in the past that the algorithms of games could be changed to the advantage of an online casino.

Thanks to new technology, this has also become impossible, but players want to be on the safe side. They want to see in the game itself that it has been certified by eCOGRA and the respective online casino as well. In addition, a licence should be clearly visible. Searching long and hard for the details before playing a game is tedious for players and spoils the entertainment value.

Are we expecting too much?

Slot developers know the demands of modern players and try to satisfy them with their new games. Are these attempts always successful? Of course not. After all, it is very difficult to develop a safe slot with unmatched graphics, exciting game mechanics, an exciting theme, a large number of bonuses and a high RTP. Difficult but possible.