The Number of Megaways Games Blasts Towards 400

Megaways, the brand name for a distinctive style of casino slot, has been front and center of the online casino industry for a few years now. First launched by a then-little-known Australian developer, Big Time Gaming (BTG), in 2016, Megaways games have evolved to become one of the most popular online casino products.

The games are unique, for several reasons. But perhaps most importantly, you should note that Megaways slots are made by multiple games developers. This is due to the unprecedented decision by BTG to license Megaways technology to its rivals. BTG is a popular games studio, but it’s not a massive operation. Licensing its intellectual property to others, including big developers like SG, Pragmatic Play, and NetEnt, meant that 100s of Megaways games could be created within a few years. More seem to be coming to the market all the time.

A new genre of online casino games

In that sense, Megaways should probably be considered a genre of casino games, rather than a brand. Indeed, many casinos have dedicated Megaways sections, so as to differentiate them from other video slots. The current number of official Megaways games is around 350, and it will soon surpass 400, then probably 500, and who knows after that. They are among the most popular casino games online. But should you care? That is to say: Are they worth playing?

Like anything with a distinctive style, Megaways games might divide opinion. The games can be based on anything, ranging from traditional slot ‘fruits, 7s and bars’ to the Seth MacFarlane movie, Ted. But regardless of the theme, there is always the underlining Megaways gameplay and prize structure, and that equates to volatility.

If you aren’t familiar with Megaways, the payline structure shifts with every spin. At a maximum, it might change to over 100,000 winning ways (the so-called Megaways). As such, players aren’t aiming to get a line of 1 symbol. Rather, they aim for multiple “ways”, i.e., wins on multiple paylines. This ensures the game is made up of relatively small prizes for each line, but they can award huge payouts when filling the reels with the same symbol.

Each developer brings unique experiences

Of course, the games have more variety than that. If there are 100s of games released on the market, there has to be something to differentiate. And, many Megaways games have unique bonuses and reel-modifier features. A good example is the range of Megaways games from the endlessly creative Blueprint Gaming. Among them Rick and Morty Megaways, which is based on the popular cartoon, has four distinct bonus features.

Perhaps the question of whether Megaways games are worth playing becomes a question of your choice in casino games. You can play for low stakes or high, but their volatility means they are arguably not for the faint-hearted. Probably not a style of game to choose when trying to make wagering requirements for a bonus, either.

But broadly speaking, the games are popular for a reason. That popularity grew organically, too, as players spread the word that a distinctive style of slot – the original was Dragon Born, but Bonanza Megaways was an explosive hit for BTG – was available at casinos. After that, the trend grew like wildfire. So, this style of game seems to have a big future. Worth checking out if you are a slots fan, but don’t forget about that volatility.