Slots Bonus Games

Online slots games offer two broad opportunities of winning. One is by getting certain combinations on the reels that offer payouts. This is the staple diet for slots players. The culinary delight is provided by the bonus games that have now almost become mandatory. Certain combinations on the reels trigger the bonus games. Players then move to these bonus games that provide additional winning opportunities. Over the years online slots developers have created different types of bonus games. And as in the matter of cuisine each player has his own favorites. Therefore it is essential that the player checks out the prospective slot game for the bonus games it offers. If the bonus game is not to his liking there is no point in playing the online slot game.

The bonus games in slots can be fitted into generic groups and it is best to understand them in these terms. To start with there are two broad categories. The first is the free spins bonus round. As its name suggests this bonus round entitles the players to a number of spins of the reels for which he does not place any wager but is entitled to the payouts. For calculating the payouts in monetary terms the wager is considered to the same as the one that led to the free spins. There are several parameters in the free spins bonus round that keep getting varied. The most important is the number of free spins. To add spice to the free spins bonus round the payouts are multiplied a number of times. In some rounds the number of free spins and the multipliers are fixed and in others they are determined by the combination that triggers the free spins. Another crucial parameter is whether the free spins can be re-triggered or not.

The second category of bonus rounds is often called the bonus game on the second screen or pick and choose / x of y bonus round. In this game the reels vanish and the screen displays a setting that goes with the theme of the slot. The player is required to perform certain tasks the outcome of which will decide how much he wins. The simplest task is to select one of a given number of objects that reveals the number of credits won. Slightly more complex forms allow players to choose more than one objects and player can win the total of the amounts or the maximum of the amounts revealed. Some slot games put a twist in the bonus round. Some of the objects have a booby trap and the game ends when the booby trap is picked. In some games the players keep what they have accumulated before picking the booby trap and in others they lose everything.

Some bonus games on the second screen are multi level games. If players succeed in the first level they advance to the second level where they can win credits. But if they fail in the first level then it is game over.