Slots have infinite features and characteristics – as we once said, they indeed come in various shapes and sizes.
Perhaps their beauty lies in the versatility, as game developers can experiment with each creation to no end.
There is one type of slot games whose main benefit includes double paylines. The slots, popularly known as pay both ways slots, are an excellent way to double the existing paylines in the game. However, we noticed that there is a deficit of such games on the market.
Let’s discuss why.
Slots that Pay Both Ways
Wait, let’s back up a little – you are probably wondering what we mean by double paylines. Before we start talking about the lack of these games on the market, let’s first see what constitutes slots with double paylines.
As you know, paylines represent the number of available winning combinations in slots. We already explained that they could be either paylines or winning ways.
The distinction relates to the number of paylines. If they exceed 40, we call them winning ways. Although modern games typically boast hundreds of ways to win (sometimes even thousands), paylines remain a famous mechanic.
One subset of payline slots is the pay-both-ways category. Mainly, this concept refers to games that pay winning combos in both directions – left to right and right to left.
To put it simply, you can hit a combo, and it will pay out regardless of the direction. In most cases, these games pay only one direction, but some slots pay literally both as separate combos.
Most games exclusively pay left to right, but with these games, you can do it any way you want. Other than the paylines, these slots are not different from regular slots. You play them in the same way, and you can choose between hundreds of themes and features.
Top Games with This Feature
If you have never explored this slot category, now is the perfect time to start. We have a couple of games that use the two-way-pay model that you must try.
Good Girl Bad Girl is the first game that took our breath away with its potential. This video slot is not new, but rather one of the legendary slots from Betsoft’s portfolio. It’s abundant in special features like Multipliers, Wilds, and Pick features. Players love the feature bonanza that matches the innovative both-ways payout system that Betsoft updated for the sake of the game.
NetEnt is the author of the Invisible Man, a stellar slot that pays out winnings in both directions. Pick and Click, random modifiers, heaps of Free Spins, and both-ways payouts are just the beginning in Invisible Man. The slot hides a plethora of other surprises that you will undoubtedly love.
Other titles with this add-on that we loved include Pragmatic Play’s the Catfather, Thunderkick’s Turning Totems, and Ice Hockey from Playtech.
The Lack of Two-Way-Win Slots
The market for slot games has a fair share of two-way-win slots. However, the players are wondering why aren’t there more of these titles. After all, they are exceedingly rewarding.
One possible clue to the answer lies precisely in its nature – they are exceedingly rewarding. Don’t get us wrong, all slots are great when it comes to payouts, but these games are different. Most of them do not have sky-high win potential, but they are entertaining, nonetheless.
Another possible explanation is that providers are nowadays leaning towards expanding winning ways. Thousands of winning ways are more popular today, and both-ways slots are tied to paylines only. Thanks to the expansion of innovative mechanics which include thousands of ways to win and expanding reels, this feature feels slightly outdated.
Will pay-both-way slots become a relic of the past; we are yet to see. For now, our only hope is that game developers might take a turn for the old-school features and start increasing their portfolios with these games again.
But only time will tell.