Megaclusters™ Slots

What are Megaclusters?

Megaclusters is another paradigm shift in the evolution of slots created by Australian developer Big Time Gaming. As you might have gathered from the name, Megaclusters takes cluster pays grid slots and elevates them to the next level. BTG has taken elements of their highly successful Megaways mechanic and revamped it to fit the grid slot format. The result is another innovative step from a developer famous for redefining what we know about slots.

Megaclusters presents a brand new way of gaming that may appear slightly confusing at first. Keeping that in mind, we have put together a guide explaining all you need to know about this exciting way to play. By the end, you’ll know all you’ll ever need to know about Megaclusters, the new way to play.

How does Megaclusters work?

Since Megaclusters works hand in hand with grid slots, let’s do a quick recap over what that means. Grid slots are a relatively new way of playing slots that use rows, columns, but no paylines. Instead, groups of similar symbols land in clusters to form winners. Five of a kind is the typical minimum number required - touching horizontally or vertically, though occasionally diagonally may be accepted. Clusters can appear anywhere on the grid; they do not have to land in consecutive columns, nor do they need to begin on the first column. Once a winning cluster forms, it not only causes a payout but usually triggers an accompanying feature.

This is where Megaclusters comes in. When a winning cluster forms, each symbol involved explodes and is replaced by 4 smaller symbols. Like Reaction mechanics you might find running alongside Megaways, these new symbols can potentially create new clusters of their own, causing a chain reaction. Winners continue to form up and pop until no new clusters appear. Then it’s on to the next spin.

If we use the original Star Clusters as an example, the game begins in a 4x4 format, dropping 16 symbols onto the grid on each fresh spin. When these symbols created a winning cluster, each one pops to create four more small symbols that use the same amount of space. In this way, the base game grid can increase to 8x8 in size – even bigger and more chaotic during the bonus game at 16x16.

You might be able to see a connection between Megaclusters and its older sibling Megaways. It’s just a newer system, adapted to suit the grid slot format. Big Time Gaming has crafted another innovation that seems kind of obvious now, in hindsight. Yet, the genius lies partly in its simplicity, partly in the possibilities it has to offer a host of other slots from almost any theme.

What was the first Megaclusters slot?

The first Megaclusters slot unleashed on the gaming public was Star Clusters. Possessing symbols and a UI that is unmistakably BTG’s, the rest of the game is utterly new. From the inclusion of Megaclusters to the stunning potential to the trippy audio/visuals, the interest generated in the new way of playing slots was phenomenal. Some have labelled the look a little basic, but there is no denying that BTG shook up the iGaming world once again with Star Clusters.

Naturally, after the success of their last major breakthrough, everyone’s first question was – will Megaclusters turn out to be as massive as Megaways? While it is still too soon to make a judgement call, it is clear that grid slots received a major shot in the arm and will never be the same again.

What features come with Megaclusters?

It is early days, so we haven’t seen everything that Megaclusters is compatible with, but there are several features that already gel perfectly. The promising thing is that developers have already gone mental, creating some fantastic grid slots, so the added dynamic has the ability to be paired with all sorts of thrilling extras. As well as Reactions, other features you can look out for include:

• Free spins triggered by a consecutive number of reactions.
• Wild multipliers
• Progressive multipliers
• Expanded grid size due to symbols of ever-decreasing size.

As mentioned, the Megaclusters revolution is still a young one, so a major part of the excitement is seeing what will happen next. A significant number of developers use Megaways in their own games, and there is no reason to suspect that Megaclusters won’t be a licensing success as well. That being the case, prepare for a host of clever features being integrated with the possibilities that Megaclusters offers.

Wrap up

Grid slots have proven immensely popular thanks to games like Reactoonz or Jammin’ Jars, garnering hordes of dedicated fans. This is thanks to complex gameplay, high power math models, and huge potential, not to mention the sheer fun of rocking through long chains of consecutive winners. The genre has matured nicely, offering themes and gameplay to entertain practically any type of player.

The introduction of Megaclusters flipped all of that on its head, providing a brand new environment for gamblers to explore. Just as Megaways was a fundamental shift for slots, Megaclusters has the same next-level feel to it. With other developers no doubt eyeing it up, wondering how they would use it, players have plenty to look forward to. Will Megaclusters upend Megaways as the champion? Who knows, but we do know grid slots will never be the same again, thanks to a powerful mechanic whose full potential has yet to be tapped.