At RTP, we love a good bonus. Whether it’s spins, prizes, symbols, or anything in-between, there is nothing we like to see more than a feature-filled slot. However, bonus rounds are as varied and numerous as the slots that contain them, so sorting through the best can sometimes be a tricky task. With that in mind, we’ve pulled together a list of the best slots bonus rounds and even thrown in a few games where you can find them, for good measure.

Free Spins

Let’s start with the most well-known bonus in all of slots; the Free Spins round. This is one of those cases where the feature does exactly what it says on the tin, offering several spins that won’t cost you a dime. To trigger this type of bonus, you’ll generally have to land a specific combination of symbols, and these will most likely be scatters. Sometimes, the number of spins you can win will increase the more icons you land, so you can get a fair few free games if you hit more than the minimum requirement. While the potential to win without staking a wager is perhaps prize enough, spin rounds frequently offer other benefits too. These can be anything from multiplier to reel and symbol modifiers and could bump up the total of your wins a fair bit.

If you fancy checking out some of the best free spins rounds from this year, try the Norse-themed Vikings Go To Hell or the iconic Cleopatra on Kerching.

Re-spin

Like the previous bonus, this one will offer you a chance to win without a wager. However, there is a difference in that the feature only lasts for a single spin, so you only get one opportunity. While the limited number might not be as good, they often have much better modifiers and multipliers, so if you do land a win, it can often be quite big.

Here are a couple of examples of great re-spins rounds; the beautiful insect slot Butterfly Staxx 2 or the 20^th century-inspired Deco Diamonds.

Megaways

Now we come to the first and only branded bonus feature, i.e. one that was created by a single developer. The provider in question is Big Time Gaming, who premiered the feature in 2016 with Dragonborn, a medieval-themed slot with top of the line technology. Since then, the company has licensed this system to many other providers, and has birthed its own genre of slots. The Megaways mechanic changes how the slots fundamentally work, replacing the age-old formula of fixed paylines with something that offers much more variety. On each spin, you will have a different number of symbols and reels, which can result in an increased or decreased number of ways to win. The best of these titles can have up to 117,649 ways to win, which is a massive amount and could net you a tasty sum.

These are two of our favourite Megaways slots of the past year, the reimagined Irish classic Rainbow Riches Megaways or the gorilla epic Return of Kong Megaways.

Cascading/ Collapsing Reels

Now, you could argue this bonus belongs in the Megaways section since all of those slots come with some variant of this feature, as standard. However, there are plenty of non-Megaways titles with Cascading or Collapsing reels, so we feel it earns its own dedicated segment in this blog. There are more names for this bonus, such as Tumbling Reels but, essentially, they all do the same thing. When you land a winning combination, the symbols involved in that combination will explode or fall away, removing themselves from play, before new ones are generated to replace them. This can create new wins immediately after you’ve just landed one, and the reels will continue to cascade as long as the wins keep coming.

These titles both contain collapsing reels, so try out the retro-style Opal Fruits, or play a different kind of classic with Da Vinci’s Diamonds.

Expanded Symbols

This next bonus focuses entirely on the in-game icons and serves to make them even more rewarding. It’s a pretty simple bonus, as this simply means supersized versions of certain symbols will land occasionally. These will take up multiple positions on the reels and can exponentially increase the chance of you landing a win. It depends on the game but, often, you will be able to land wilds expanded too, which could be even more rewarding. There usually aren’t any triggering requirements. However, other bonuses might dispense more of them than you would typically land in the base game.

Get some giant symbols in the following games, the underground adventure Dwarf Mine or the colossal Wild Gladiators.

Added Symbols

Similar to the last bonus, this one concerns the symbols, although this has nothing to with size. Instead, games featuring bonuses of this ilk will see symbols randomly added to the reels. These can add that extra icon you need to form a winning combination, or maybe add another scatter to fulfil the triggering requirement. In short, it’s intended purpose is to give that last piece of the puzzle you need to land a guaranteed win or feature.

Looking for added symbols? Find them in the Egyptian-themed Wild Scarabs or the enchanting Pixies of the Forest 2.

Progressive Bonuses

For our final feature, we’re covering a type of bonus that can encompass quite a few different benefits. Progressive bonuses are ones that carry through your game session in the background or sometimes even stay behind when you leave the game. The typical form this kind of feature takes is that of a meter or bar which must be filled as you play the game. You might have to land a certain symbol multiple times, or the game might track the number of specific combinations you have landed.

However, once triggered, progressive bonuses can lead to huge payouts. This is because, rather than a bonus round or something similar, you will unlock a benefit that fundamentally changes how the game has played up until that point. The most popular examples are things like unlocking an extra reel, making the current reels more rewarding, or increasing the number of paylines. What’s more, they often won’t have a set endpoint, instead, ending when the stake level has changed.

For engaging progressive bonuses, try out the buccaneering slot Pirates Plenty Battle For Gold or the downright crazy Gorilla Go Wilder.