Slot players always believe that they have a better shot of winning if they play with a greater number of paylines. While there is some truth to this, having a surplus of paylines often comes with drawbacks, too, not least decreased cash prizes. Moreover, the more lines you choose to play with, the more costly your stakes will be.
1024 Ways to Win slots do not fit that mould, though. Whereas a typical thirty-line slot might cost you $0.30 a spin with a minimum bet, you can often play 1024 Ways to Win games for that same stake. This increases your chance of landing wins on the reels, as you will essentially have over a thousand lines to play with. Not all may be available from the start; some may be unlocked while playing, but having over 1024 paylines is surely a good thing, right? To answer this, we need to take a closer look at how 1024 Ways to Win slots work.
When you first see the term “1024 Ways to Win slot machines”, you will instantly imagine a slot that has one thousand and twenty-four unique paylines for you to win on. However, this is not technically accurate. In fact, it would be closer to the mark to say that these games have no paylines at all. The term 1024-line slots really means that there are 1024 ways you can possibly win, not paylines per se. How a slot obtains a definition such as 243 ways, 1024 ways, and 3,125 ways is chiefly down to the number of reels and rows of symbols on those reels.
In the case of a 243 ways to win slot, you would be looking at five reels and three rows of symbols. This equates to 3x3x3x3x3, or 243. Now in 1024 ways to win slots, the calculation works differently. Here it is:
What does this mean in practical terms, though? Like 243 ways to win games, a 1024 ways to win slot means that you do not have to land a winning combination on paylines. Instead, merely having identical symbols on adjacent reels is enough to pocket a prize. However, this does not mean that you can win with right to left or vertical patterns – this is another concept entirely. Just think of 1024 ways to win slots as this – if you match up three (or more) identical symbols or emblems on adjacent reels, you are going to end up a winner.
Having the 1024 Ways to Win mechanic is unquestionably more favourable for landing wins than a 243 Ways to Win format, as you have now got an added row of symbols on each reel. Likewise, having 3,125 of them gives you a fifth row, making them even more ideal. Oddly enough, while it is easier to win, having such an extensive array of lines will affect other aspects of slots, though, not least the cash prizes you can win, volatility, RTP and high rates.
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There is no shortage of software providers who develop 1024 ways to win games. However, while Microgaming and NetEnt are best known for developing 243 ways to win slots, there are other providers who are mostly associated with creating and pushing 1024 Ways slots at casino sites. IGT is one such provider. Those developers running in Scientific Games’ (SG) umbrella are also firm fans of this format, and they include WMS Gaming. In fact, we would say that IGT and WMS Gaming are the two most prolific providers of games here.
The 1024 Ways to Win payline engine is not unique to the online casino world, either. In fact, you can commonly find these sorts of games in land-based casinos the world over. WMS Gaming and IGT have gone to great lengths to bring these brick-and-mortar slots to the digital domain.
While you are spoilt for choice for 1024-line slots, some stand out more than others. Microgaming’s take on the engine is best showcased in Hot Ink. At the same time, Stampede shows what BetSoft Gaming can do with the mechanic. Other notable games you may wish to have a crack at that feature the 1024 Ways to Win system include White Orchid, Buffalo, Pamplona, Jekyll and Hyde, and Wolf Moon. Just bear in mind that while each of these games has the payline engine, each will have its own array of features, varying RTP rates, volatility levels, stakes, and cash prizes. We would recommend poking around and testing a few free-to-play slot demos to find the best combination here.
Like most casino titles, 1024 Ways slot games have their pros and cons. We have highlighted a few of these below to better help you understand what to expect from these online slots.