8 slot types Updated 3 November 2026

Slots by type

Megaways, cluster pays, books, hold and win: eight kinds of slot

Eight ways a slot can pay or play, from Megaways and cluster pays to bonus buys and hold and win. Each type page ranks the twelve best, three per studio at most.

TypeSlots scoredTop scoreThe #1 slot
Megaways slots128.4/10Who Wants to Be a Millionaire MegawaysBig Time Gaming
High volatility slots788.7/10Razor ReturnsPush Gaming
Low and medium volatility slots147.7/10Le BanditHacksaw Gaming
Cluster pays and pay-anywhere slots238.5/10Jammin' JarsPush Gaming
Bonus buy slots568.7/10Razor ReturnsPush Gaming
Hold and win slots78.5/10Money Train 2Relax Gaming
Expanding symbol slots (book slots and expanding wilds)148.0/10Wanted Dead or a WildHacksaw Gaming
Tumbling reel slots358.5/10Jammin' JarsPush Gaming
Illustration: six towering slot reels of different heights rising like skyscrapers, symbols cascading between them, golden light shafts8.4/10Top

Megaways slots

Reels that change height every spin, up to 117,649 ways. Ten Megaways games ranked by RTP, max win and how good the free spins really are, plus the two we had to leave off.

Up to 117,649 ways Top max win 72,310x Medium-high to very high
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Illustration: a lone slot machine on a cliff edge during a lightning storm, the sky split by one huge golden bolt8.7/10Top

High volatility slots

Long dry spells, rare big hits. Twelve high and very high volatility slots ranked by RTP, max win and bonus quality, with an honest note on what the budget needs to look like.

High and very high only Max wins up to 150,000x 78 of our 105 slots qualify
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Illustration: a calm candlelit lounge with a slot machine paying out a gentle steady trickle of small gold coins into a bowl7.7/10Top

Low and medium volatility slots

Smaller, steadier wins that make a budget last longer, not grow. Eleven low and medium volatility slots ranked, with the budget maths and the trade-off in plain numbers.

Low and medium volatility Budgets last longer Top RTP here: 98%
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Illustration: a grid of glossy jewel-like symbols with one large connected cluster of matching gems lighting up gold8.5/10Top

Cluster pays and pay-anywhere slots

No paylines: groups of symbols pay wherever they land. Twelve cluster and pay-anywhere grids ranked, from Jammin' Jars to Reactoonz, with what makes one better than the next.

No paylines, just groups Top RTP here: 96.83% Medium to very high
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Illustration: a brass vending-machine style slot with a glowing golden ticket being pushed into a slot labelled only by an arrow icon8.7/10Top

Bonus buy slots

Games that let you pay to skip straight to the free spins. What a 100x buy really costs, why the RTP stays under 100%, where it is blocked, and twelve games ranked on their own merits.

Buys from 60x to 7,000x Not offered in the UK Buy RTPs stay under 100%
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Illustration: a grid of locked brass coin frames with glowing coins stuck in place and empty frames waiting, chains around the edges8.5/10Top

Hold and win slots

Coins lock in place and respins reset: the Money Train family and its rivals. Seven hold and win slots ranked, from 150,000x Money Cart rounds to a gentle 2,048x grid fill.

Locked coins, resetting spins Max wins 2,048x to 150,000x Three Money Train bonuses: 10/10
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Illustration: an ancient book lying open on a stone altar, one golden symbol expanding upward from its pages to fill three tall columns of light8.0/10Top

Expanding symbol slots (book slots and expanding wilds)

Symbols or wilds that grow to fill the reel: the Book of Dead formula and its cousins. Twelve ranked, with why the newer wild-based games beat the classic book slots on our score.

Book slots and expanding wilds Ceilings 4,500x to 300,000x Top RTP here: 96.58%
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Illustration: symbols tumbling and falling like a waterfall of gems into a reel window, mid-motion, sparkles bursting where they vanish8.5/10Top

Tumbling reel slots

Winning symbols vanish and new ones fall in, often with rising multipliers. Twelve cascading slots ranked, from Jammin' Jars to Bonanza Megaways, and what makes the chain worth watching.

Wins clear, new symbols drop Max wins 5,000x to 72,310x 11 of 12 high or very high
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