Cascades and clusters
With cascades, winning symbols usually disappear and new ones fill the empty spaces. Clusters are groups of adjacent matching symbols; the game sets the adjacency rules and minimum group size. The presence of one feature does not confirm the other. Check the help section for the particular slot.
Adjacent symbols or matches anywhere on the grid
In Sweet Bonanza and Gates of Olympus, matching symbols can form a payout in different parts of the grid: they do not need to be adjacent. Fruit Party also uses cascades, but pays for an adjacent group. For example, matching fruit scattered in separate corners does not form a single cluster simply because of its total count. Cascades alone therefore do not explain a winning combination: first establish where the symbols must be, then how the grid refreshes after a payout.
Megaways and fixed paylines
In games with fixed paylines, the rules define the paying paths. Megaways uses a varying number of symbols on the reels and a corresponding number of ways to win. The maximum number of ways is not necessarily available on every spin and, on its own, does not let you compare the probability of winning.
Wilds, Scatters, respins and Hold and Win
A Wild usually substitutes for certain symbols, while a Scatter may trigger a feature based on how many appear. Expanding or sticky Wilds apply only where the rules provide for them. Hold and Win and Hold and Spin describe families of bonus features with held symbols and respins; their exact rules vary.
What carries over between spins
A sticky Wild retains its substituting role for the time specified in the rules. A cash symbol on a bonus grid retains a value that a separate character may later collect. A persistent cell multiplier retains the boost at that position even when the symbol changes. These are different forms of accumulation. Check when the state resets: after a cascade, a paid round, a free-spin series or the end of the entire feature. The word “persistent” alone cannot tell you this.
RTP, volatility and bonus buys
RTP describes theoretical return over the long term, while volatility describes the spread of results. A bonus-round purchase is paid for separately and may have its own parameters. Do not turn the name of a mechanic into a promise of returns: read the rules for the selected version.
Questions on this topic
Do more paylines mean a higher chance of winning?
The number of paylines or ways alone cannot tell you this. You need the payout rules and the parameters of the particular version.
Are all slots with bonus buys the same?
No. Their cost, the feature they trigger, restrictions and possible game versions differ. Check the parameters in the slot’s help section.