When playing slot games, one of the most fascinating visual spectacles is cascading slot symbols. You watch as symbols in winning combinations vanish. This leaves empty spaces behind, and other symbols then fall from above to take their places. Symbols that didn’t previously lie on one of the game’s paylines could land in winning positions. It’s exciting that with only one spin you have the potential to rack up big wins.
How cascading slots work
Cascading reel slots start just like any other slot game where you hit the spin button and the reels spin. However, when you hit a winning combination, the symbols that formed it will leave the reels. From above, new symbols fall down to take their places. For example, if you get a six-symbol winning combination, six new symbols will replace your initial six symbols. These new symbols can form new winning combinations.
The cascades will keep happening as long as you keep getting winning combinations. One spin can turn into a chain reaction of payouts.
NetEnt was the pioneer of cascading reels and uses them in its popular slot game Gonzo’s Quest. The mechanic may also be called ‘tumbling reels’ or ‘avalanches,’ and many leading developers use it in their slot games. Michigan online gambling sites offer an array of slots with cascading symbols. At Play Gun Lake, you can use a mobile app to play slot games for real money, like the classic Da Vinci Diamonds by IGT, which features ‘tumbling reels.’
The transformation seems magical
Slot symbols normally remain static on the screen after you create winning combinations. In cascading slots, the symbols seem to take on a life of their own as they vanish and others appear. Exploding or dissolving symbols may include bursts of light and sparkles that create a feeling of pure magic.
Disappearing symbols
Many slot machines today include some of the same kinds of theatrical elements that delight us when magicians perform on a stage. In online slots the visual display may include symbols bursting into flames or shattering like glass. They may dissolve into gold dust or swirl in a vortex before vanishing. It’s easy for players to forget what mechanics enable these displays and to simply enjoy them.
The lighting may change to highlight the symbols with a glow as they depart. The sound effects can add to the almost mystical feel of the experience. You can have fun on the internet with games that have entertaining visual effects.
Simulating gravity
The falling motion of the symbols from above mimics the real-life effects of gravity. The timing and positioning of the falls are perfect, and the symbols will bounce around a little as they settle into place. It’s like a mirror of real-world physics and how objects respond to the pull of gravity. At the same time, the effect is quite magical as the symbols start to fall into place.
A sense of anticipation
It’s hard to beat that feeling of excitement as you watch the symbols fall into place. When you’ve been carefully budgeting your expenses, the idea that your fortunes could change in seconds is a very exciting prospect. The momentum starts to build as you see near misses that almost create winning lines.
Certain bonus features may be tied to the cascade mechanic, such as multipliers that increase with every cascade. You may trigger free spins after a specific number of cascades. Sticky wilds may stay in place for multiple drops, or grids may expand to unlock more paylines as you progress. Features like these can work with cascading reels to make gameplay deeper with higher win potential than standard slots.
