From New Spins to Spectacular Wins – Discover the Freshest Online Pokies

Online casinos constantly release new online pokies and casino games. The main reason they do this is to keep players interested and attract new players who are looking for something new and different. As such, online pokie developers are always working on new games and gaming mechanics to appeal to players’ changing tastes.

Today, we will briefly examine how online pokie features have evolved over the years and some of the newest features to look out for at Australian online casinos.

Old School vs. New School – How Game Features Have Evolved

The evolution of online slots is similar to what you have seen in brick-and-mortar slots. Older online slots stuck more to a traditional format. For example, many online casinos consisted of 3-Reel fruit pokies and 5-Reel video slots.

These games typically had standard features like wild and free spins games. Expanding wilds and Giant Symbols started as some of the earliest unique features of these games. Then you had variations on wilds like stacked wilds and walking wilds.

Over time, pokie developers started adding exciting features to attract players. It wasn’t long before online pokies were just as exciting, and sometimes more so, than brick-and-mortar pokies. Here are a few of the features that have developed over the years.

• Megaways – This is a variable way to win pokie, where each spin has a unique number of paylines. The top number of paylines ranges from 117,649 to 248,832, depending on the game’s bonus features.
• Cluster Pays Pokies – Rather than using paylines, cluster pays pokies use a grid and pay when symbols form a cluster of six or more.
• Scatter Pays Pokies – This type of pokies pay when a set number of symbols appear on the board grid in any configuration. Generally, you must land eight or more of a symbol on a board to receive a payout. The more symbols, the higher the payout.
• Cascading Wins / Cascading Reels – In these games, winning symbols disappear, and new ones drop onto the board. This continues as long as there are new wins, hence the cascade. Reel-based games refer to this as cascading reels, while cluster and scatter pays pokies refer to it as cascading wins. Some providers refer to it as an Avalanche feature.

Top New Features to Look For in 2024

Online game developers always look for exciting new features and mechanics to add to pokies. Here are some of the features to look for in 2024 and beyond.

• xMechanics – No Limit City has a revolutionary series of xMechanics that provide various unique game features to make them more profitable and exciting. Popular features like xWays, xPays, and xSplit are already part of pokies. However, there are close to 15 different xMechanics with new being developed regularly. The best part is that many games have multiple xMechanics, giving you even more chances to win.
• Merge Up – BGaming offers an exciting Merge Up feature for games. This is a variation on the cluster pays, and scatter pays models, where clusters of winning symbols merge to form higher-paying symbols. New symbols drop down to attempt to create new clusters. This can lead to big wins, and some games will even allow symbols to merge into scatters, which will help trigger free spin rounds.
• AI-Powered Pokies – Something to start keeping an eye out for are AI-powered online pokies. This form of pokie is currently being developed by companies like BetSoft and promises to offer tailored game experiences personalized to each player.

Top New Games to Try in 2024

Developers are releasing new pokies every month, so you’ll always find something new to try. Below are some of the best new games being released in 2024.

• Bahamut Merge Up – This game is set in a steampunk world that offers players a sense of whimsical adventure. This gem-themed game features the Merge Up mechanic and a free spins game with cell multipliers.
• The SlotFather: Book of Wins – Hold & Win – BetSoft recently released the newest addition in its SlotFather series. This game brings the Kingpin of crime on a new adventure where he is expanding his influence and gaining loads of cash. It features free spins with the Book of Wins and the Hold & Win bonus game mechanic. This game has impressive graphics and a world-class soundtrack, making this a fresh upgrade to a player favourite. Players will enjoy a 96.6% RTP on this game.
• Ancient Tumble – This game is Relax Gaming’s newest Tumble pokie, aka cascading wins. The game starts with a 6×6 grid with part of the board blocked by stones. Winning combinations break the stones around them to open up more of the board and give more ways to win. This game also has a free spins game that allows you to choose from four options, including a multiplier ladder mode where each win unlocks a rung on the ladder, up to a 100x multiplier. It has an RTP of 96.10%.
• Sweet Kingdom – This is one of Pragmatic Play’s newest cluster pays pokies featuring a sweet candy and treats theme similar to Candy Crush. The game has tumble wins and a free spins game with Immortal Symbols that can be collected for massive multipliers. This game has a max win of 10,000x your bet with a 96.52% RTP.
• Deadwood R.I.P. – This is one of NoLimit City’s newest releases with a crazy Old West theme and features the xBet, xNudge, xSplit, and the newest xRIP feature where winnings of less than your minimum bet are laid to rest (not paid out.) This game features Redemption Spins and Salvation Spins with xNudge multiplier wilds that remain throughout the round. Your goal is Final Judgement, which is 100,000x your bet.

How to Find the Latest Pokies

The best way to find the latest and greatest online pokies is by checking out the New Games section of your favourite Australian online casinos which can find by checking out our extensive list of casino reviews. Also, sign up for the newsletters at your casino for the latest updates. Another option is to follow the top gaming providers on social media or check out their websites for the latest game news.

Online game developers are constantly working to create the next big thing in pokies. This innovation has led to many popular pokies over the years and will continue to produce fresh and exciting games for years to come. Players will reap the benefits of new games with exciting features and mechanics that can bring big wins and tons of fun and excitement.