What game features are, and why they're worth understanding
Every slot in the Dukat.bet catalogue has its own combination of mechanics that shape how wins build up during play. Rather than a simple spin of the reels, most titles today add at least one extra feature, from a shifting number of symbols through cascades to the option of choosing your own risk level before a round.
Knowing these mechanics helps you pick a game that matches your own playing style and budget. Some players prefer more regular, smaller wins; others would rather wait for a single bigger hit after a longer quiet stretch. The difference between the two usually comes down not to the slot's theme but to the features driving it.
The table below sums up the eight most common mechanics in the Dukat.bet catalogue, what each one does, and which specific slot demonstrates it in practice.
| Feature | What it does | Example game |
|---|---|---|
| Megaways | The number of symbols per reel changes on every spin, pushing the number of ways to win up into the thousands | Piggy Riches Megaways, Mystery Reels Megaways |
| Cluster pays | Wins are counted by clusters of adjacent matching symbols instead of fixed paylines | Fire in the Hole xBomb |
| Respin | Part of the reels stay locked in place while the rest spin again, with values added up within the same round | Money Train 2 |
| Bonus buy | A direct purchase of entry into the bonus feature for a multiple of the stake, instead of waiting for a random trigger | Wanted Dead or a Wild |
| Risk selection | The player sets a risk level before the round, which changes the odds and strength of features | Wanted Dead or a Wild |
| Expanding symbols | A symbol stretches across an entire reel or position after a hit and factors into multiple combinations | Hand of Anubis |
| Tumble / cascades | Winning symbols disappear, new ones drop into their place, and wins can chain together with a growing multiplier | Temple Tumble |
| Collectible symbols | Special symbols are collected during the round instead of being paid out instantly, triggering a bonus feature once a threshold is reached | Le Bandit |
Each of these features is covered in more detail further in this guide, including how it affects the pace of play and volatility.
Megaways: when the number of symbols changes on every spin
Megaways is a system where the number of symbols on each reel changes with every spin. Instead of a fixed grid, one reel might carry three symbols while the one right next to it carries seven, which directly affects the number of possible ways to win.
Thanks to this variability, the number of ways to win in a single round can climb into the thousands. Taller reels generally mean more opportunities for combinations, but since their height changes randomly, no round ever looks quite like the one before it.
Megaways is often paired in the catalogue with a cascading system, where winning symbols disappear after a win and new ones fill the freed-up space. That means a single spin can deliver several consecutive wins without another bet, as seen in Piggy Riches Megaways or the symbol-reveal variant, Mystery Reels Megaways.
Cluster pays: wins by cluster instead of paylines
Cluster pays changes the basic principle of counting wins. Instead of lining up matching symbols on an active payline from left to right, it's enough for them to touch each other, horizontally or vertically, and form a connected cluster.
The game usually runs on a grid rather than classic reels, which also changes how you can gauge the size of a potential win during a round. Once a winning cluster forms, the symbols disappear and new ones fill the grid, which can trigger another combination within the same round.
This chain-reaction logic is typical of titles like Fire in the Hole xBomb, where the clusters are joined by a bomb symbol carrying a multiplier that can stretch the chain of explosions even further.
Respin and collectible symbols: building value within one round
Respin lets part of the reels lock in place while the rest spin again. Instead of the round ending after a single evaluation, the system carries on with another spin until the condition for ending it is met.
Collectible symbols work on a similar principle of a running counter that fills up over the course of a round. Instead of paying out instantly, the symbols are added to a shared total, and once a certain count is reached they trigger a bonus feature, usually a respin.
Money Train 2 builds its entire identity on this combination: collectible symbols with random values add up during the respin and get topped up with multipliers. A similar but differently shaped idea shows up in titles like Le Bandit, where symbols of the bandit character are collected instead of cash values.
Bonus buy and risk selection: when the player sets the course of play
Bonus buy lets you pay directly for entry into the bonus feature instead of waiting for it to trigger randomly during regular play. The price is usually calculated as a multiple of the current stake, and the feature may not be available in every jurisdiction or with every operator.
Risk selection goes a different direction: before the round, the player sets a level that changes the odds and strength of certain features. Higher risk generally means less frequent but potentially bigger hits, while lower risk brings a calmer, more predictable course of play.
You'll find both mechanics combined in Wanted Dead or a Wild, where bonus buy opens direct entry into the bonus sequence and risk selection also changes how wild symbols behave in duel mode. Both features are optional, and the game can be played without ever using either one.
Tumble, cascades and expanding symbols: what happens after a win
Tumble, sometimes called cascade, means winning symbols disappear from the grid once a win is evaluated. New symbols drop in from above to take their place, which can create another winning combination within the same round without any further bet.
Many tumble slots add a growing multiplier to the chain, one that increases with each additional cascade in a sequence. Temple Tumble is an example of a game where the first combination in a round typically pays less than the third or fourth, if the chain stretches far enough.
Expanding symbols work differently: instead of disappearing and being replaced, a single symbol stretches across an entire position or reel after a hit. That draws it into a larger number of combinations at once, as shown by Hand of Anubis during free spins, where the expansion triggers repeatedly throughout the whole bonus round.
How to pick a slot by its feature
Choosing the right mechanic mostly comes down to how much time and how large a share of the budget you're willing to put into a single session. Respin, collectible symbols and bonus buy tend to belong to highly volatile titles, where the wait is longer but the potential hit is bigger.
Megaways and cascading mechanics, on the other hand, can deliver a series of smaller wins within a single round, which feels smoother even on a lower session budget. Risk selection is especially useful when you want to shift the pace of play to match your mood without switching to a different title.
A full overview of how individual features relate to RTP and volatility is covered in a separate article on choosing a slot on Dukat.bet. Every slot in the catalogue, including the titles with the mechanics described above, comes with the Slots Bonus welcome offer of 500% up to €3,000 + 15% cashback for new players after registration.
It's always worth trying a slot's demo version before your first real bet to see how a particular feature actually plays out. The exact terms of bonus features are always listed in the paytable inside the game itself, since that's the official source of information from the developer.