Megaways is the most commercially successful slot mechanic innovation of the past decade. Invented by Australian developer Big Time Gaming (BTG) and first deployed in their 2016 title Bonanza, the system introduces a variable reel engine: instead of showing a fixed number of symbols per reel on every spin, each reel randomly displays between 2 and 7 symbols per spin. The number of ways to win changes entirely with each spin as a result, ranging from a few hundred on a low-height spin to 117,649 on a full maximum-height spin across six reels.
BTG licensed the mechanic to other developers starting around 2019, and the Megaways catalogue expanded rapidly. Pragmatic Play, Blueprint Gaming, Red Tiger, iSoftBet, Hacksaw Gaming, and dozens of others have released licensed Megaways titles. By the time the patent restrictions began to loosen in the early 2020s, the mechanic had become a genre category of its own — players search specifically for Megaways titles, and most major casino game libraries list them under a dedicated Megaways filter.
How the Variable Reel Engine Works
The Megaways engine assigns a random height to each reel independently on every spin. On a 6-reel Megaways slot, each reel draws a height between 2 and 7 at random. The total ways to win for that spin equals the product of all six reel heights multiplied together. If all six reels display 7 symbols simultaneously, the result is 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 × 7 = 117,649 ways to win. If reels come in at 3, 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, the ways to win for that spin are 3 × 4 × 2 × 5 × 3 × 4 = 1,440.
A win forms whenever matching symbols land on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel, on any row position within each contributing reel. Unlike paylines — where symbols must align on a specific path — Megaways wins only require adjacent reels, regardless of vertical position. Taller reels do not just add more symbols: they multiply the ways to win. A reel that jumps from 3 symbols to 7 symbols does not add 4 potential win positions — it multiplies the contribution of that reel by 7/3, which propagates through the entire ways calculation.
Some Megaways implementations add a horizontal reel running across the top of specific columns, which is how Buffalo King Megaways reaches 200,704 maximum ways to win despite using the same 2–7 per-reel range as standard titles.
Tumble Mechanics in Megaways Slots
Virtually all Megaways slots include a Tumble feature (also called Cascade or Avalanche). When a winning combination lands, the winning symbols are removed from the reels. New symbols fall from above to fill the empty positions. The resulting arrangement is evaluated for further wins — all at no additional cost within the same spin. There is no cap on how many consecutive tumbles can occur from a single spin.
The Tumble mechanic and the Megaways engine reinforce each other structurally. When a large win is removed from a maximum-height spin, the space left
behind fills with new symbols across all reel heights simultaneously — creating a wide, populated new arrangement with a real probability of forming additional winning combinations. The same tumble mechanic on a narrow 5-reel payline slot creates a much smaller replacement area with fewer adjacencies to exploit. This structural compatibility is why Tumble and Megaways became standard partners rather than independent features.
Progressive Multipliers in Free Spins
The most commercially successful Megaways free spins designs use a progressive multiplier that accumulates across the feature. The structure typically works as follows: the multiplier starts at 1× when free spins begin. Each tumble within a spin — each consecutive win removal and replacement — increases the multiplier by a set amount (often 1×, sometimes more). Critically, in the most popular implementations including Bonanza and Primal Megaways, the multiplier does not reset between free spins. It carries forward from the final tumble of one spin into the first win of the next.
By spin 8 or 10 of a well-developing free spins round, the multiplier may have reached 15× or 20×. Every win from that spin — and every subsequent tumble within that spin — pays at the accumulated multiplier. Combined with maximum-height reels and a high-value symbol dominant on the grid, this is the alignment that produces the large multiplied wins responsible for Megaways slots’ reputation for high ceilings. Getting there requires the multiplier to build during early spins and a strong symbol hit during later spins — neither is guaranteed, which is why the feature is high variance.
Top Megaways Slots
- Bonanza Megaways (BTG) — RTP 96%, Very High Volatility, Max Win ~A$10,000×. The original Megaways title. Unlimited progressive multiplier in free spins, gold mine setting, scatter pays on Tumbles.
- Extra Chilli Megaways (BTG) — RTP 96.2%, Very High Volatility, Max Win ~A$20,000×. Free spins with gamble mechanic to increase spin count or multiplier. BTG’s most volatile flagship.
- Primal Megaways (Blueprint Gaming) — RTP 96.3%, Very High Volatility, Max Win A$50,000×. Prehistoric theme, unlimited progressive multiplier, one of the highest max wins in the format.
- The Dog House Megaways (Pragmatic Play) — RTP 96.55%, Very High Volatility, Max Win A$12,305×. Sticky wilds with multipliers up to 9× during free spins, unlimited retriggers.
- Buffalo King Megaways (Pragmatic Play) — RTP 96.52%, High Volatility, Max Win A$5,000×. 200,704 maximum ways, wild multipliers 2×/3×/5×, additive multiplier stacking.
- White Rabbit Megaways (BTG) — RTP 97.72%, High Volatility, Max Win A$13,000×. One of the highest RTPs in the format. Reel extension mechanic adds rows during free spins.
- Hyper Gold
Megaways (Pragmatic Play) — RTP 96.5%, High Volatility, Max Win 5,000×. Gold rush theme, horizontal reel, progressive multiplier. - Eye of Horus Megaways (Blueprint Gaming) — RTP 96.37%, High Volatility, Max Win 10,000×. Egyptian theme, expanding wilds, symbol upgrades during free spins.
What Separates Good Megaways Titles from Average Ones
The Megaways licence is a framework, not a quality guarantee. The variable reel engine is mechanically neutral — it can be paired with a well-designed bonus round or a perfunctory one. The best Megaways titles integrate the engine with features that specifically benefit from the variable structure. The unlimited progressive multiplier in Bonanza works because maximum-height spins with a high multiplier amplify wins across a maximum number of ways simultaneously — the two variables reinforce each other. The sticky wild mechanic in The Dog House Megaways works because wide reel heights give wilds more positions to occupy and more adjacent combinations to enable.
Average Megaways titles add the variable reel engine to a bonus round that would work identically on a standard fixed-reel slot. The ways to win number changes each spin, but it is largely cosmetic rather than structurally meaningful. These titles tend to have more modest max win ceilings and less dramatic session variance.
BTG’s original titles and Blueprint’s licensed catalogue tend to show the most thoughtful integration of mechanic and engine. Pragmatic Play’s Megaways catalogue is mechanically competent and commercially polished but generally prioritises proven formula over mechanical innovation. Red Tiger’s Megaways titles are visually distinctive and occasionally introduce structural novelties — floating wild multiplier reels in Egypt Megaways, for instance — that differentiate them from the standard template.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many ways to win does a Megaways slot have?
A standard 6-reel Megaways slot ranges from a minimum of 64 ways (all reels showing 2 symbols: 2⁶) to a maximum of 117,649 ways (all reels showing 7 symbols: 7⁶). Each spin assigns a random height to each reel independently, so the actual ways to win varies on every single spin within this range. Some titles with additional horizontal reels can exceed 117,649 — Buffalo King Megaways reaches 200,704.
Do all Megaways slots have the same maximum ways to win?
Most use 117,649 as the standard maximum. Titles with additional horizontal reels exceed this — 200,704 in Buffalo King Megaways. Some implementations use a narrower row range (2–5 rather than 2–7) which reduces the maximum. Always check the specific game’s rules for its exact maximum ways to win, as it varies by title.
Are Megaways slots always high volatility?
The overwhelming majority of Megaways titles are high or very high volatility. The variable reel engine and Tumble mechanic
naturally produce a high-variance session structure, and most developers have designed their Megaways bonus rounds — progressive multipliers, unlimited retriggers — to reinforce rather than moderate that variance. Lower-volatility Megaways titles exist but are uncommon and rarely among the most-played entries in the format in Australia.