Below, I dissect bonus rounds, bonus symbols and other bonus content in Spinomenal video slots. I’m going to update this section regularly as soon as I encounter additional features while reviewing the video slots of this studio.
Almost every video slot from Spinomenal or another company has at least one bonus feature. They can be basic, e.g. a wild or a scatter that pays in any position. When it comes to 5-reel slots, about 99% of them (based on my expertise and observations, though I have no stats in this respect) have a bonus symbol at least.
As for Spinomenal slots, I cannot say they are poor in bonuses, since most are equipped with free spins, wild symbols and a Bonus Buy. On the other hand, many features are repetitive, and some video slots look like replicas due to their identical or very similar mechanics (e.g., consider 777 – Thunder Hits and Chase the Fruits).
I believe that the key issue in Spinomenal slot bonuses is the lack of a creative approach. After playing 20 random slots from this studio, you will start seeing patterns transferring from one game to another and another… without any modifications.
Let’s review one example: Take a look at Poseidon’s Rising, Story of Hercules and Age of Pirates. Each video slot has a Free Spin trail that awards an extra feature every time you activate free spins, e.g., Moving Reels, Moving Wild, Expanding Wilds and Extra Wilds.
This bonus is excellent, but seeing it in a few games raises a question of the provider’s ability to create something new and unique. Let’s review the most typical features you can see in Spinomenal video slots.
Bonus Buy in Spinomenal slots
Almost every video slot in the Spinomenal collection has a Bonus Buy button near the Spin button. Clicking it opens up a box indicating the cost of the feature, usually, free spins.
In the screenshot above, you can see that 10 free spins cost x106 times the total bet, but this value can vary greatly, e.g., x52 in Western Tales and x39 in Origins of Lilith. I cannot recommend using this feature unless you are a risky player, as my experience shows that your Win/Loss ratio will be much less than 1.0.
Double symbols in Spinomenal slots
This feature is not unique, as other providers also have it. The reels and rows of a video slot represent a grid; for example, 5 columns and 3 rows create a 5×3 field with 15 cells, in which 15 symbols are positioned at a time. When you have five matching symbols on a payline, you win a five-of-a-kind combo – this is the longest combo in video slots.
With this feature, you can have two symbols in one cell, which gives you a maximum of 10 of a kind. You can also have a mixed set of pictures on a payline, e.g., two single and three double pics, which results in 8 of a kind (1+1+2+2+2).
Where to find: Origins of Lilith, Nights of Egypt.
Respins in Spinomenal slots
In broad terms, a respin is one bonus (free) spin awarded randomly or after meeting a specific condition. Sometimes, you can get a batch of respins (e.g. 3) at a time; this depends on the game.
For example, in Frankenstein’s Rebirth, you receive one respin when the ‘Chase!’ icon appears in any place. Respins give you a free chance to create a winning combination and get a cash prize.
Where to find: Frankenstein’s Rebirth, Chase the Fruits.
Wheel of Fortune in Spinomenal slots
This type of bonus is widely known as a wheel of fortune, although Spinomenal does not refer to it by that name. I’ve encountered only one video slot (Westside Glory) with this feature in the Spinomenal library, but I expect to see more of them in the future. The logic of the feature is that the wheel has three (or more) spinning circles. You start on the outer segment, which has normal prizes, then you advance to the next circle with better prizes, and finally, you make it to the inner part with the best awards.
In some video slots, the wheel acts as a preliminary bonus before free spins. It aims to determine the number of free rounds and other variables for the free spin feature (multipliers and other modifiers).
Where to find: Westside Glory, Nights of Egypt
Mini-bonus before free spins
You unlock free spins as a result of hitting three scatters or in any other way. Before free spins start, a slot game can run a mini-game designed to determine certain parameters of your upcoming free spins, e.g. their duration, a win multiplier and so on.
For example, a bonus reel triggers before free spins in Book of Sirens. It randomly picks a symbol that will serve as an Expanding symbol during free spins.
A selection feature is another type of mini-game coming before free spins. For instance, in Westside Glory, you can choose the number of FS (10 to 20) and the reel on which a stacked wild will appear in each spin. Once you take a pick, the free spins will run.
Wild symbol variations
A wild symbol is one of the most basic elements in modern video slots, but it is not frequently found in classic 3×3 games. In its simplest form, it serves as a substitute for non-bonus symbols, helping them create winning combinations. Some Spinomenal video slots award when five wilds line up, e.g. x3,000 in Hallow Reels, while others do not pay out when wild symbols match.
There are more than 20 variations of wild symbols and associated features, including Expanding Wilds, Shifting Wilds, and Stacked Wilds. Spinomenal video slots also use many features centred around the idea of substitution. Let’s explore some of them below.
Moving Wilds
The idea is that a wild symbol covers an entire reel and changes its position after a spin. In the screenshot, Moving Wild is on reel 2, but it will change its location before the next spin and will stop on another reel.
One of the Moving Wild variations features a predictable sequence of shifts: it starts on reel 1, then shifts to reel 2, then to reel 3, and so on. Reaching the rightmost column, it can disappear on the next spin or start moving back to the left, depending on the slot.
Expanding and Stacked Wilds
An Expanding Wild is a large (usually 3-symbol high) wild symbol that covers a whole reel. It lands as a normal, 1-cell symbol and then expands up and/or down. If the wild that has appeared on the reels cannot create a combination, it does not expand. In the above screenshot, both wilds help the 10s form a winning combo.
Stacked Wilds have a similar effect but a different design. They neighbour each other on a specific reel, so they do not need to expand, because they already occupy two, three or more positions vertically. They are stacked, like boxes in a warehouse. So, both Expanding and Stacked wilds have a similar functionality.
Big symbols in Spinomenal slots
Many providers have this feature, including Spinomenal. A big symbol is usually square and has a 2×2, 3×3 or 4×4 size. When you get it on the screen, it will act as 4, 9 or 16 identical normal symbols. Look at the screenshot above. The watermelon occupies four positions. If there were a single watermelon on reel 1, there would have been a 3-symbol combination involving the big watermelon. Big symbols can also appear partly when a portion is outside the reels.
Where to find: Buffalo Rampage – Hold & Hit, Colossus Fruits.