play grid slots & cluster pays slots free

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how do grid slots work?

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no fixed paylines

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cluster pays mechanic 

Those new to the grid slots format can often be confused about how you win on these games after discovering they are payline and payway free. Of course, nearly all online slots have to feature a payline to award you a prize, don't they? But this is where the grid slot comes into its own with a unique and thoroughly innovative pay mechanic. Bunches of symbols or "Matching Clusters" are formed, and wins are paid on a grid slot, typically when five or more symbols that match are adjacent anywhere within the playfield. Is bigger better? It is when you're playing grid slots, and the bigger the cluster of symbols you create, the larger the payout will be.

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scatter pays Mechanic 

The scatter pays element of grid slots works much in the same way as the cluster pays engine, but there is one major difference. Rather than the symbols having to be adjacent to each other in a scatter pays slot, they can be anywhere within the playfield for a win to be paid, as long as there is enough in view to meet the requirements on the paytable. This now incredibly popular sub-niche of grid slots first started to gain traction with Pragmatic Play's Sweet Bonanza and has since gone on to be one of the driving forces behind not just content for Pragmatic but for the grid slot genre as a whole. 

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cascading reels

Whilst not all grid slots you come across will utilise the cascading reels mechanic, a significant number of these games use this feature as the main catalyst for everything that takes place throughout the slot. This feature tends to be very popular with players because winning symbols disappear from the reels and are replaced with new ones. This can lead to several cascading wins per spin, giving multiple wins, extra chances to trigger a bonus feature, and longer playing time.

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how are features triggered on grid slots?

Grid slots opt for several ways to award players their potentially lucrative bonus rounds. The most common method we see used throughout slots, in general, is when a set amount of scatter symbols landing in view will award a free spin feature. Whilst this method is also used in the grid slot niche, the developers of these games have also been a little more creative in how players can trigger the features within them.

Several grid slot games, such as Relax Gaming's Temple Tumble Megaways, require the player to hit multiple cascades to initiate the bonus. Each successful reaction during these style of slot games will unlock more of the playing grid, with the ultimate prize being a full-size grid and a feature trigger.

Bonus meters are another popular format that slot developers use within this genre. Games that include Play'n Go's Reactoonz have a meter that is filled when consecutive reel cascades take place, and filling all of the bars on the bonus meter will bring the bonus feature into play.

In recent times, ELK Studios have taken feature triggers to a new level in grid slots by adding a bonus ball that needs to be manoeuvred into position through winning combos on the playfield. This has been a revelation for players as new exciting mechanics and ideas are continually being added to the cluster pays market, showing that the niche still has plenty of room for development. 

what modifiers & features are included in grid slots?

It's certainly safe to say that grid slots are action packed with exciting and entertaining features to keep you on the edge of your seat. Throughout the variety of cluster pays slot games currently on the market, you will be able to find a game with the modifiers and features you like the most. We have listed below the typical features you can expect to see whilst playing grid slots.

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• Free Spins: A bonus round that is generally triggered in grid slots by landing a designated amount of scatter symbols, although some slot providers also add unique ways in which a bonus may be activated, such as collection meters or unlocking a played to its full potential.

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• Mega Symbols: Online grid slots like ELK's Dead Man's Gold feature mega-sized block symbols that can cascade down at the start of a spin or during a reel cascade, which can result in enhanced wins.

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• Multipliers: In some cluster pays games and grid slots, a global multiplier may be present that resets between losing spins in the base game but remains constant or can be increased during the bonus round.

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• Multiplying Wilds: These can be present in gird slots in the base games and bonus features. When they help to form part of a winning combination, their value will be applied to the win. In certain games like Retro Tapes, each individual multiplier involved in a win will apply its value to any formed winning combo, making them incredibly valuable and giving players the potential to create some magnificent wins.

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• Roaming Wilds: When a roaming wild is active in a grid slot, it generally moves position when it has helped form a win or at the beginning of each spin. These can be particularly exciting if more than one of them is present on the reels simultaneously.

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• Expanding Grids: Who doesn't love even more chances to win? And when you play grid slots that can grow in size, that is precisely what you get. An excellent example of this would be NetEnt Gaming's Lost Relics 2, where discovering special treasure chests in the bonus round can help increase the size of the playfield from 6x6 up to a massive 10x10.

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• Feature Buy: The number of grid slots, now also categorised as bonus buy slots, has skyrocketed over the years as players want instant access to these highly entertaining bonus rounds. Nearly every cluster slot you now play will have this facility available unless it has been restricted in your jurisdiction. 

best grid slots

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#5 star clusters megaclusters (big time gaming)

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#4 the border (nolimit city)

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#3 starlight princess (pragmatic play)

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#2 reactoonz (play'n go)

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#1 jammin jars (push gaming)

grid slots final thoughts

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