Cluster Pays slots provide an exciting and innovative twist on traditional slot gameplay, offering players a chance to win by grouping symbols together rather than relying solely on paylines. Cluster Pays slots are a type of online slot game that offers a different approach to winning compared to traditional slot machines with paylines. In Cluster Pays slots, instead of aiming to line up symbols on specific paylines, players try to form clusters of matching symbols on the reels.
How to play cluster pays slots
Cluster pays slots work in a similar fashion to regular slots. Players spin the reels, and then the game’s Random Number Generator (RNG) gets to work. Players watch the symbols landing on the reels; if enough of them land in a cluster, the win automatically adds to their online balance.
A glance at the game’s pay table will confirm how much can be won from clusters of different sizes featuring various symbols.
Here’s how Cluster Pays slots work:
- Cluster-Based Wins: In Cluster Pays slots, wins are determined by forming clusters of identical symbols that touch each other horizontally or vertically on the reels. The size of the cluster and the number of symbols required to form a winning cluster can vary from one game to another.
- No Paylines: Unlike traditional slots with fixed paylines, Cluster Pays slots do not have defined paylines. Instead, they rely on clusters, making it more flexible and potentially offering more ways to win.
- Cascading Reels: Many Cluster Pays slots feature cascading or tumbling reels. When a cluster is formed and pays out, the winning symbols are removed from the reels, and new symbols drop in to replace them. This can lead to multiple consecutive wins from a single spin.
- Special Features: Cluster Pays slots often include special features like wild symbols, multipliers, and bonus rounds. Wild symbols can substitute for other symbols to help create winning clusters, and multipliers can boost the payouts.
- Varied Grids: The grid layout of Cluster Pays slots can vary, with some games featuring traditional rectangular grids while others may have irregular shapes or expanding grids as part of their unique gameplay.
- Cluster Meter: Many Cluster Pays slots have a cluster meter or some form of indicator to show the size of the current cluster and track progress toward forming a winning combination.
How do cluster pays slots work?
Most online slot games stick to the same mechanism – players need to match enough of the same symbols on adjacent reels on an active payline to trigger a win. Cluster Pays slots were introduced by NetEnt in 2016 and offer a different way to win.
In these games, matching a minimum number of the same symbol in a “cluster” touching each other forms a win rather than on specific paylines.
Since NetEnt made the first cluster pays game, other providers have adopted the mechanism, and now studios like Pragmatic Play, Red Tiger, and Play’n GO also have cluster pays titles.
Can you win real money on cluster pays slots?
It’s possible to win real money on cluster pays slots, although there’s never a guarantee. Cluster pays slots usually have an RTP of over 96%, but the built-in house edge does always give the advantage to the casino.
Players landing a real money win at a trustworthy online casino (one licensed with the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, for example) can withdraw their balance as real cash.
Best cluster pays slot game themes and features
Aside from the different ways to win, cluster pays slots are similar to other slot games. They each come with their own themes, like candy, fruit and gems.
Cluster pays slots tend to have more classic symbols rather than adventure themes like Vikings slots, Irish slots, or those focusing on animals. These themes are more common in standard slot games, but some cluster games (like Nero’s Fortune and Thor’s Lightning) do have immersive themes.
Cluster pays slots can also have special features like jackpots, bonus rounds, wilds, and multipliers. A popular feature of cluster pays games is “cascading reels”, where all symbols in a winning combination disappear, and more symbols fall into their place on the grid.
What are the best cluster pays slots?
The first game of this type was Aloha! Cluster Pays from NetEnt, and it remains a popular option. In this slot, players need to get nine of the same symbols touching each other to trigger a win and launch the Sticky Wins Respin feature. There’s also a bonus round with up to 12 free spins.
In Pragmatic Play’s Sweet Bonanza, players win by landing clusters of fruit or sweets on the six reels. The “tumble” feature removes winning symbols and sets off a chain reaction that can lead to further wins.
Reactoonz is a Play’n GO title with seven reels and seven rows. A win triggers when a cluster of at least five of the symbols land, and the game also features a “Quantum Leap” charge meter that can launch one of four bonus rounds.