2024 is proving to be another exciting year for the online slot industry. It is for this reason that we thought it would be interesting to investigate the cutting-edge features and themes that are being employed by iGaming brands online that want to provide an excellent, well-rounded user experience. Although you may have travelled across borders in the past to visit luxury casinos, either within your country or abroad, we all know that you want to get a similar experience online without all the travel and air miles, all year round. More games are being released all the time and the influence of Virtual Reality (VR) and AI is being seen in increasing amounts, and it is these factors that we will explore here, integrating the online-offline experience for users.

The features that are included in a slot game are extremely important. There are so many slot games being released and it’s vital that companies put games on the market that are exciting and a bit different from their opponents.

Players want more than just a basic game that perhaps has some wilds, scatters and a free spins round. A game with some exciting features is one that will be played a great deal at online casinos. The industry has grown in popularity around the globe. For example, playing online Canadian slots is now something that’s being enjoyed in increasing abundance with players in provinces across the country. The same is true in countries across the world – and many iGaming brands are beginning to tap into less saturated markets in order to get in early and provide an online casino experience to people in those countries that perhaps cannot afford to travel to a physical casino.

One feature that has been employed in recent months is Megaways™. This is seen in the new Pragmatic Play slot game ‘Revenge of Loki Megaways™.  There are 117,649 different ways in which to get a win in this slot. Also included is a gamble feature that could see nine free spins suddenly turn into 18. A super symbol is also present in the bonus round so this is a prime example of a new game coming onto the market that offers its players a great deal and more.

Crash/burst slot games are also having a successful year. These begin with a not very exciting 1x multiplier but it will get higher as a plane makes its way up a meter. Where this feature is so exciting is that the plane may well crash and the player loses their bet.

This fear sees the player employing strategy to try and ensure a good win comes along. Cash out is possible, though just like in sports betting, a lower amount is received if doing so. Carry on playing and the potential win gets larger. ‘Crash, Hamster Crash’ has enjoyed success this year.

The past has not been forgotten though and slot companies are still willing to release fruit-themed games. They were the original slot games and many still want to play these retro games.

‘Triple Blaze’ from SYNOT Games includes them and only has three reels and five paylines. It’s the addition of modern-day features such as multipliers and a risk game that is important here. Their presence gives its players the best of both worlds, new and retro.

The theme of a game is still something that can decide if a game is a hit or a miss. Players like to try their luck on a slot that fits in with their interests. That’s particularly the case with the games that are movie/TV-related.

The use of Loki is another example of slot companies using already established characters as the theme of their games.

Players will be familiar with The God of Mischief from the Avengers movies and his own TV series. Those who love reading comic books will know Loki only too well from his continual battles with Thor.

Those comics that featured Thor and Loki were published over sixty years ago. The slot world may be one that never wants to stand still but it doesn’t think twice about bringing back characters from the past.

This year has seen Blueprint Gaming release ‘The Flintstones’ which was first shown on television in 1960. It’s a brand that remains popular in the 2020s and that is why releasing a slot game based on the series has been a hit this year. The same applies to the cult movie ‘The Goonies’ which saw a slot released in 2024.

One of the big hits of recent years has been the ‘Big Bass’ games. When you think of themes, fish probably don’t come to mind right away. However, this theme with its cartoonish fishermen has been a massive hit and new games continue to be released.

To keep the success going, the game links with other themes. There’s been a Christmas related game already and it’s another slot that has been given the Megaways™ treatment. ‘Big Bass – Secrets of the Golden Lake’ has kept the bandwagon rolling along nicely this year. More will be released in the future.

More interactive games are being seen in 2024. Those crash/burst slots see an element of skill being introduced into slot games.

An increased element of immersiveness is the way forward for slot games. VR and AI will bring that about and it promises an exciting future for the slot industry. The levels of interactivity will increase and players will be able to enter a three-dimensional world that will thrill them.

With all the themes that are present in the slot world, players will find themselves experiencing a wide range of adventures. Being able to manipulate items in the game will change the way in which we play online slots.

Millions are being spent on the technology that is needed to create this new style of slot games. New ways to entertain players will be found and there’s plenty of development on the way in the coming years even if it does mean having to wear a VR headset. Just ignore people who say you look silly wearing them.

2024 is evidently another exciting year for online slots. Steps forward in areas like VR is clearly helping people – who would love to be able to travel to global casinos that are on their radar, at the drop of a hat – to satiate their needs with a thrilling online experience.