Slot games have become one of the most popular forms of online entertainment, thanks to their exciting gameplay, engaging themes, and lucrative bonus features. In this guide, we’ll explore the slots that stand out for their incredible bonus features, which not only make the gameplay more thrilling but also offer substantial opportunities to win big.
What Makes a Slot Bonus Feature Stand Out?
Before we dive into specific games, it’s important to understand what makes a bonus feature special in a slot. The best bonus features can significantly enhance your chances of winning, either by increasing the value of your spins, giving you free spins, or unlocking special mini-games. Here are a few characteristics of great bonus features:
- Free Spins – Extra spins without having to place additional bets.
- Multipliers – Increasing your payout with each win during a bonus round.
- Wilds and Expanding Wilds – Substituting for other symbols to form winning combinations.
- Progressive Jackpots – Offering potentially life-changing sums.
- Pick-and-Click Games – Allowing players to choose from various objects to reveal prizes.
With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the best slots with exciting bonus features.
Book of Ra (Novomatic)
Bonus Feature: Expanding Symbols and Free Spins
Book of Ra is one of the most iconic slots, offering a thrilling adventure as you explore the ancient pyramids. The main bonus feature in this game is the free spins round, which is triggered when three or more scatter symbols land. During the free spins, a randomly selected symbol expands to cover entire reels, offering massive payout potential. With its simple but effective mechanics, this slot is a favorite for those chasing big wins.
Why Book of Ra Stands Out
| Aspect | Explanation |
| Expanding Symbols | The Expanding Symbol feature during the Free Spins round can result in significant wins. If it lands on multiple reels, it covers the entire reel, creating huge payout combinations. |
| High Payout Potential | Expanding Symbols pay even when they are not on consecutive reels, offering greater flexibility in forming winning combinations. |
| Ease of Triggering Free Spins | The Free Spins feature activates when 3 or more scatter symbols (Book of Ra) appear, making it accessible and frequent compared to other slots. |
| Multiple Activation Chances | During Free Spins, additional scatter symbols can re-trigger the bonus round, providing more opportunities for big wins. |
| Player-Friendly Mechanics | Simple yet effective gameplay mechanics, making it appealing to both beginner and experienced slot players. |
Starburst (NetEnt)
Bonus Feature: Re-Spins and Expanding Wilds
Starburst is a visually striking and easy-to-play slot that features expanding wilds and re-spins. When a wild symbol lands on the reels, it expands to cover the whole reel and triggers a re-spin. This allows you to potentially get multiple wilds on the reels, leading to substantial payouts.
Why It Stands Out:
- The re-spin feature keeps the action exciting with every wild that lands.
- Frequent small wins, ideal for players looking for constant entertainment.
Mega Moolah (Microgaming)
Bonus Feature: Progressive Jackpot Wheel
Mega Moolah is famous for its massive progressive jackpots, which can change your life with a single spin. The game features a progressive jackpot wheel, which is triggered by landing three or more scatter symbols. The wheel offers four jackpots, including the coveted Mega Jackpot, which often reaches millions of dollars.
Why It Stands Out
| Aspect | Explanation |
| Progressive Jackpot | Offers the potential to win a life-changing amount, as the jackpot grows with every bet placed across the network. |
| Life-Changing Prizes | The progressive nature of the jackpot means it can reach massive sums, appealing to players aiming for huge wins. |
| Four Jackpot Levels | Includes multiple levels (e.g., Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand), ensuring there are frequent opportunities for players to win significant prizes. |
| Multiple Winning Chances | The four-tier system allows players of all budgets to have a shot at winning a jackpot, enhancing the excitement of every spin. |
| Engaging Gameplay | The progressive jackpot system adds an extra layer of anticipation, keeping players engaged as they chase the next big win. |
Gonzo’s Quest (NetEnt)
Bonus Feature: Avalanche Reels and Increasing Multipliers
Gonzo’s Quest is a classic slot by NetEnt that revolutionized online slots with its Avalanche Reels feature. Unlike traditional slots where symbols spin, Gonzo’s Quest introduces falling symbols that “land” into place. Each time a winning combination forms, the winning symbols explode and disappear, allowing new symbols to cascade down and potentially create additional wins within the same spin. This feature not only keeps the gameplay engaging but also increases your chances of landing multiple wins in one round.
The Avalanche feature shines even brighter during the Free Falls bonus round. Here, every consecutive win triggers a multiplier that increases with each cascade. For instance, the first win may apply a 1x multiplier, but as more wins are chained together, the multiplier rises, reaching up to 15x during the free spins round. This creates a thrilling gameplay experience where every win feels more rewarding than the last.
The immersive theme, centered around Gonzo’s search for the lost city of El Dorado, combined with the Avalanche Reels and increasing multipliers, makes this slot a timeless favorite. Players are drawn to the balance of innovative features and substantial payout potential, ensuring each spin feels fresh and exciting.
Bonanza (Big Time Gaming)
Bonus Feature: Megaways Mechanic and Free Spins
Bonanza is a trailblazer in the world of online slots, thanks to its Megaways mechanic, which offers up to 117,649 ways to win. Each spin feels like a new adventure, as the number of ways to win changes dynamically based on the number of symbols appearing on each reel. This variability keeps the game engaging, with the potential for massive payouts on every spin.
The main attraction of Bonanza is its free spins round, triggered by landing four or more scatter symbols (spelling the word “GOLD”). Once activated, players are awarded 12 free spins, with additional spins granted for extra scatters. During this bonus round, an unlimited win multiplier comes into play, increasing with every cascading win. The combination of free spins, cascading reels, and multipliers creates an exciting opportunity for massive payouts, especially if the free spins round is retriggered.
Dead or Alive II (NetEnt)
Bonus Feature: Free Spins with Expanding Wilds
Dead or Alive II is a high-volatility slot that offers a thrilling bonus feature with free spins. During this feature, you can land expanding wilds, which cover the entire reel, making it easier to form winning combinations. The bonus round also includes multipliers, which can increase your payout significantly.
Why It Stands Out
Expanding Wilds During the Free Spins Increase Your Chances of Hitting Large Payouts
- Mechanics of Expanding Wilds
Expanding wilds are a special feature activated during the free spins round. When a wild symbol lands on the reels, it expands to cover the entire reel vertically, effectively creating multiple winning opportunities in one spin. This feature boosts the chances of completing high-value winning combinations by substituting for other symbols. - Significant Win Multiplication
Expanding wilds not only increase the likelihood of forming winning lines but also multiply the payout potential. If multiple wilds expand across the reels during the same spin, players can land some of the most lucrative combinations in the game. For high-paying symbols, this can lead to staggering payouts.
High Volatility Means the Rewards Can Be Massive
- Risk vs. Reward Gameplay
High-volatility slots are known for their risk-reward structure. While wins might not occur as often, the payouts when they do hit can be incredibly large. This makes the game especially appealing to players who enjoy the thrill of chasing life-changing jackpots or significant returns on their bets. - Appeals to High-Rollers and Risk-Takers
The high volatility of the slot caters to players who are willing to endure longer periods of smaller or no wins for the chance to land huge rewards. It’s the perfect choice for those who enjoy an adrenaline rush and are comfortable with higher stakes. - Massive Rewards During Bonus Features
The combination of high volatility and features like expanding wilds ensures that the bonus rounds are where the biggest wins are likely to occur. When the free spins round is activated, and expanding wilds align with high-value symbols, the resulting payouts can be monumental, making the wait for a big win worthwhile.
The Dog House Megaways (Pragmatic Play)
Bonus Feature: Sticky Wilds and Free Spins
The Dog House Megaways slot features the popular Megaways mechanic, along with a free spins feature that includes sticky wilds. These sticky wilds stay in place for the duration of the free spins, significantly increasing the chance of forming winning combinations.
Why It Stands Out:
- Sticky wilds during free spins can lead to massive payouts.
- The Megaways mechanic provides up to 117,649 ways to win.
Fishin’ Frenzy (Blueprint Gaming)
Bonus Feature: Free Spins and Fish Symbols
Fishin’ Frenzy is a popular slot that features a free spins round, where you collect fish symbols. The fish symbols carry monetary values, and when a fisherman symbol lands during the free spins, the total value of all fish symbols is added to your payout.
Why It Stands Out
| Aspect | Explanation |
| Fish Symbol Collection Mechanic | The fish symbol collection mechanic adds a unique twist to the gameplay. When fish symbols appear, they can be collected for larger rewards, leading to exciting gameplay. |
| This mechanic allows players to track their progress and builds anticipation as they accumulate fish symbols, which can lead to big payouts at the end of the feature. | |
| The collection of fish symbols during base gameplay or bonus rounds directly impacts the win, offering a fresh and dynamic approach to traditional slot mechanics. | |
| Fisherman Wilds Increase Potential Payouts | The fisherman wilds are an exciting feature that comes into play during the free spins round. These wilds can land on the reels and help form winning combinations by substituting other symbols. |
| When a fisherman wild lands, it also triggers a reward for any collected fish symbols, directly boosting the potential payout during the bonus round. | |
| The combination of the fisherman wilds and the fish symbol collection increases the excitement of the free spins feature and maximizes the potential for big wins. |
Buffalo Blitz (Pragmatic Play)
Bonus Feature: Free Spins with 4x Multipliers
Buffalo Blitz, a popular slot by Pragmatic Play, offers an engaging free spins feature that can significantly boost your winnings. When you land three or more scatter symbols, the free spins round is triggered, and you are awarded 8 free spins to start. During this bonus round, wild symbols can appear with multipliers of up to 4x, increasing your payout potential with every win. These multipliers are particularly exciting because they can stack on top of each other, meaning that multiple wilds with multipliers can contribute to massive payouts in a single spin.
The wild multipliers in Buffalo Blitz play a crucial role in maximizing wins, especially when they land on high-paying symbols. For example, if a wild with a 4x multiplier lands on a top-paying symbol, the payout for that symbol is multiplied by four, resulting in much larger rewards. The excitement intensifies as these wilds appear during free spins, with the potential for even more multipliers to increase the payout further, creating an engaging and thrilling experience for players.
One of the standout features of Buffalo Blitz is the game’s incredible win potential, as it offers up to 4,096 ways to win. This means that with each spin, there are numerous opportunities to land winning combinations. Whether you’re chasing the big win during free spins or enjoying the base game, the high number of ways to win keeps the game fresh and exciting. With the addition of the multiplying wilds and free spins, Buffalo Blitz becomes a thrilling game with the potential for life-changing payouts.