If you ask most online fruit machine players what their favourite titles are, many of them will say names with the word Megaways in the title, but what exactly are Megaways fruitys, and why are they so popular?
I’m a big fan of Megaways fruity machines, and so I’ve decided to take a closer look at them on this page. I’ve included a brief history of the Megaways engine, which can now be found in over 250 feature-rich titles from various award-winning providers.
I will also reveal the names of more than ten of the most popular Megaways fruitys that everyone should know about in 2024.
What are Megaways fruitys, and when was the first ever one released?
A Megaways fruity is an online fruity machine that features the now iconic Megaways mechanic. It was pioneered by a market-leading Gaming software provider called Big Time Gaming.
The first ever Megaways fruit was called Dragon Born. It was released in 2015, and it’s still around today. However, the Megaways technology didn’t get much attention when it first arrived.
The following year, BTG released another title called Bonanza, which also had Megaways, and was more successful. From around 2017 onwards, people started noticing Megaways fruitys. They gradually became more popular than regular online fruitys without Megaways.
At this point, some of you may be wondering what Megaways are. In its most fundamental form, Megaways is a term that refers to the number of possible winning combinations found in a Megaways fruity when you hit the spin button.
Most Megaways have up to 117,649 different ways to win per spin (therefore, up to 117,649 Megaways). However, some releases from a handful of providers have up to an incredible 1,000,000 Megaways (1 million different possible ways to win per spin).
Each spin is random, meaning you never know exactly how many Megaways will be active on the next spin until the reels stop spinning because each reel has different-sized symbols stacked on top of each other. They can measure anywhere from 2 to 5 symbol positions high.
The payout can be huge when all Megaways are unlocked, especially if you land a huge winning combo with high-value symbols.
When you combine this with the thrill of never knowing how many Megaways the next spin will have, you have your two main reasons why Megaways fruitys are so popular with fruity enthusiasts today.
The technology became so popular that Big Time Gaming eventually started licensing Megaways technology to other software providers/studios that make online fruit machines. In 2024, you can find over 250 Megaways fruitys from 30+ companies.
Megaways didn’t start out as a game-changer, but it certainly went on to become one and was the most important component ever in the evolution of online one armed bandit machines. They are now more popular than ever and can be found at hundreds of fully licensed and regulated gambling sites.
Most megaways titles today have 5 or 6 regular reels, plus 1 extra horizontal reel above the main reels.
When you land a winning combo, sometimes, the winning symbols explode from view, which causes the same number of symbols that just exploded to cascade down onto the reels from above and land in the empty symbol positions.
If this action creates another Megaways win, the same process will be retriggered automatically, and it will only stop when no more available wins are in view.
Better still, I’ve noticed that in most Megaways fruitys, when subsequent/consecutive winning combos land, a win multiplier will also increase in value and boost your total win even further.
What are the most popular megaways fruitys online today?
Apart from the Bonanza Megaways online fruity from Big Time Gaming, which is still popular today, many other popular Megaways titles have not actually been brought to you by this provider.
When you ask most people what is the best megaways slot, their response is usually one that WASN’T produced by BTG, but that’s not taking anything away from Big Time Gaming.
Some of the other most popular Megaways titles most people say are the following iconic titles:
- Eye of Horus Megaways
- Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways
- The Goonies Megaways
- Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways
- Mega Moolah Megaways
- Leprechaun’s Luck: Cash Collect Megaways
- Monopoly Megaways
- Extra Chilli Megaways
- Cash ‘N Riches WowPot Megaways
- Gonzo’s Quest Megaways
That’s not forgetting Diamond Mine Megaways and Diamond Mine 2 Megaways, Beetlejuice Megaways, Age of the Gods: King of Olympus Megaways, Cleopatra Megaways, Dynamite Riches Megaways, Piggy Riches Megaways, and Reel King Megaways.
Some of my personal favourites also include Ted Megaways, Rainbow Riches Megaways, Pirates’ Plenty Megaways, Gold Digger Megaways, Gold Cash Free Spins Megaways, and Max Megaways 2.
These famous ones are brought to you by various award-winning providers, such as Red Tiger Gaming, Pragmatic Play, iSoftBet, Games Global, and Playtech.
Final thoughts
If you want to try what everyone else is playing today when you next log in to your chosen iGaming site, remember to head straight to the Megaways section, where you can choose from a wide range of Megaways titles.
Remember to gamble responsibly and try not to chase any losses you incur straight after losing. I’ve found that setting win/loss limits and session time reminders helps me stay in much better control of my bankroll, but you might prefer setting deposit limits.
That’s what I like about online casinos: the fact that you can take advantage of a wide range of safer gambling tools when logged in. It keeps things safe and enjoyable, ensuring I always remain within my budget.