How online slot multipliers work
At Push Gaming, we always keep the player at the forefront when creating and designing our games. We work hard to ensure that our games are not only unique in the industry, but also offer an exciting and memorable game play. The inclusion of game features is one of the many ways that we do this and here, Kostas Vytsaras, our Senior Game Designer and Mathematician speaks to us in more detail about multipliers and how these work in online slots.
"Online slot players love multipliers because they have the potential to increase winnings many times over. While most multipliers range from x2 to x10, some can go as high as x1,000 or more! This means that multipliers are a big draw for players who want to play slots that provide the largest win potential, as well as delivering plenty of anticipation and excitement along the way.
But in addition to the different size of multiplier, there are different types of multiplier that trigger during different parts of the slot game. Below, I explain everything you need to know about multipliers and how they can help you unlock some truly massive wins while playing online slots."
So how do online slot multipliers work?
"Multipliers do what their name suggests. They multiply bets, line wins and total wins by a certain amount to significantly increase player winnings. The multiplier amount is usually between x2 and x10 but for some slot games it can be as high as x1,000, x2,000 or even x10,000! Multipliers are denoted by symbols that land during the base game or the bonus game and signify the amount at which the bet, line win or total win is multiplied.
This is an example of how a multiplier can increase your win when it is applied to the total win:
- The player stakes £1 and hits spin;
- During the game the free spins bonus round is triggered;
- During the free spins bonus round a x5 multiplier is triggered;
- The player wins a total of £5 during the bonus game;
- The x5 multiplier is then applied to the bonus win, taking the total win to £25."
What are the different types of online slot multiplier?
"There are different types of multiplier that developers build into their games. Some are easy to trigger but offer a lower multiplier, some are harder to trigger but offer a higher multiplier.
As a general rule, multipliers that land in the base game will be of a lower multiplier because they are easier to trigger. The same applies to multipliers attached to line wins or specific types or combinations of wins.
Multipliers built into bonus games are much harder to trigger so when they do land, they are of a higher multiplier amount. The same applies to multipliers attached to specific symbol combinations.
These are the main different types of multipliers:
Base Game Multiplier
Base game multipliers are not that common. Because they are easy to trigger the amount the win is multiplied by is much less than in the bonus game where they are harder to trigger.
In most cases, the base game multiplier will be attached to a certain symbol (usually a wild) and the winning combinations that involve that symbol will be multiplied with that value.
For example, if you land five J symbols, one of which contains a multiplier of two, then the multiplier will be on that active winning payline with the amount won from that payline multiplied by two.
Bonus Game Multiplier
Most slots that feature multipliers are built so that the multiplier is triggered during the bonus game. This makes it harder to trigger but as such the multiplier is often much larger.
Bonus game multipliers can be attached to certain features or symbols. Take our slot, Razor Shark, for example. Multipliers are triggered in the bonus game and increase when certain symbols nudge.
Let’s look at the different types of bonus game multipliers:
Free spins multiplier
Free spins multipliers are triggered during the free spins game and are usually attached to line wins and overall wins. Free spin multipliers tend to trigger frequently and with large multiplier sizes. Combining free spins and multipliers can lead to huge wins from a relatively small stake, which is why it is such a popular combination with developers and players.
Wild Multiplier
It is quite common to find wild symbols that also act as a multiplier. When they do, the wild symbol will substitute for any other symbol to form a winning line and then the multiplier will be applied.
Scatter Symbol Multiplier
In some slots, the collection of scatter symbol can also help to trigger a multiplier. In most cases, the scatter symbol does not have to be on the payline and can land anywhere on the reels to trigger the multiplier."
How do you know if a multiplier has landed?
"Slot developers know just how much players love multipliers so when they build them into a game, they like to make it obvious when the multiplier has been triggered.
In The Shadow Order, for example, when an orb symbol lands on a specific spot in the bonus game the multiplier increases by one. In Jammin' Jars the multiplier is attached to the wild symbols so when there is a win involving a wild, the symbols move and the multipliers increase. If a win involves more than one wild, the cluster win is multiplied with combined total of all the multipliers attached to all of the wilds."
Why do developers build multipliers into online slots?
"Developers include multipliers in their slots because they significantly increase the chance of players landing big, mega and even epic wins. As a game feature, they are also really easy to understand and players can actually see the feature working as multipliers increase and their winnings get bigger and bigger. That said, building multipliers into games is tough for developers as we have to balance out providing big win potential with the risk online casinos become exposed to.
We spend a lot of time fine tuning the math model of our multiplier games so that they offer the highest possible multiplier wins while also ensuring the game is viable for the operator. This means running millions of game simulations and then analysing the results. From this, we then tweak the game math until we get it absolutely spot on."
How will you know if a slot features multipliers?
"The best way to learn if a slot game features a multiplier is to read the pay table. Alternatively, when you open the game and the splash screen appears it will usually be highlighted on there."
At Push Gaming we have built multipliers into some of our most popular online slots including Jammin' Jars, The Shadow Order, Razor Shark and Tiki Tumble. 18+ Play Responsibly.
The original article may be found here: https://www.findmyukcasino.com/multipliers-in-online-slots/
