This may come as a surprise to many, but online slot games are among the most played games in the world. There are several reasons for their popularity, the main one being the gambling aspect of the games which gives the opportunity for gamers to win money whilst playing. However, in terms of the slot games themselves, they have come on leaps and bounds over the past decade.
Gone are the days of the old Las Vegas one armed bandit slot machines. Modern slot games offer impeccable graphics as well as smarter gameplay which can also offer some sort of narrative.
We have worked together with SlotsHawk.com to showcase our compilation of the 11 most popular slot games of all time. These are among the most played games on the internet.
Book of Dead
An adventure themed video slot game which takes its inspiration from the Indianna Jones movies, Book of Dead revolves around the adventurer Rich WIlde who you must help explore ancient Egypt and (hopefully) find the treasure of the pharaohs. To begin, one of the most alluring aspects of Book of Dead is its high payout of 5,000x the initial wager. In addition, it is fairly easy to enter the Book of Dead bonus game as it requires the player to just match three scatter symbols on the slots reels.
Secondly, Book of Dead can be played by both beginners and high roller players. The minimum bet per spin is as little as £0.01 whilst the max bet is £50. Although Book of Dead was released almost 10 years ago now (2014), it is still available at the vast majority of online casinos and the reason for this is down to how loved it is. The graphics are top quality, the features are amazing and even the gameplay makes you feel as if you are taking an adventure in Ancient Egypt.
Starburst
One of the simplest games on this list but almost the one which has longest stood the test of time, Starburst by NetEnt is available at almost 100% of online casino sites. There is nothing particularly special about Starburst other than how easy it is to play. The fact that it is a low variance slot can be attributed to its popularity, however.
Basically, winning spins happen often in Starburst, albeit they are not usually for large amounts of money. There are plenty of slots gamers who play just because they enjoy spinning the reels. They are not looking for huge paydays, nor are they looking to gamble huge amounts of their own money. For the slot game hobbyist who just wants to relax and play some slots, Starburst is a fantastic choice.
Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways
Our first slot in this top 11 list which has the Megaways feature, Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways was released in 2019 and is essentially an improved experience upon the original Fishin’ Frenzy slot by developers Blueprint Gaming. The Megaways engine (which was developed by Australian slot dev company Big Time Gaming) adds more potential paylines to any online slot which it is implemented with. Thus, this increases the potential for big wins greatly.
Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways is a lively slot with a sea/fishing theme. Unlike Starburst, Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways is a high variance slot. These were built specifically for players who like to gamble. The bigger the bet you make when playing high variance slots, the more gamble there is. These games are notorious for their low hit rate/high payout rate. With that being said, Fishin’ Frenzy Megaways has a hit rate of, on average, one in every four spins. This is better than the majority of other similar slot games and is one of the reasons why we have included it on this list. Fishin Frenzy Megaways has plenty of advantages and it is available at plenty of online slot sites.
Bonanza Megaways
The second of a total of four Megaways slots on our list of the most popular slot games of all time, Bonanza Megaways was the first ever game which utilised the Megaways engine way back in 2016. Fast forward to the present day, and Bonanza Megaways is probably still the best of the bunch - it certainly remains one of the most popular. The slot features here are excellent, particularly the unlimited wins which is available at all times. In other video slots, unlimited wins are usually only available during the free spins round, but in Bonanza Megaways, it will always be in play.
The hit frequency of Bonanza Megaways is around 37%, which means that you will hit a win often. Furthermore, bear in mind that Bonanza Megaways is a high variance slot, so this is a quite outstanding hit rate. Our view is that Big TIme Gaming (the developers of this game) will release a new version of this slot within the next few years.
Big Bass Bonanza
The second fishing themed slot here, Big Bass Bonanza is a Pragmatic Play slot which was recently released in 2021.This slot was so good and popular that it produced several sequels, although the team here are confident in our claims that Big Bass Bonanza remains the best of them.
Big Bass Bonanza is particularly attractive to high roller/VIP slots games given it has a maximum bet per spin of £250. Pair this with its max potential payout of 2,100x and it is possible to win a lot of money playing Big Bass Bonanza. Additionally, there are plenty of casino sites out there which will award their new players with free spins on the Big Bass Bonanza slot when they make their first deposit.
Gonzo’s Quest Megaways
One of the most anticipated online slot machines of all time, Gonzo’s Quest Megaways is a record breaking game and is easily one of the most played online games of all time. Its success has been due in part to how excellent its predecessor game (Gonzo’s Quest) was. It is flabbergasting to believe that Gonzo’s Quest Megaways was released over three years ago now.
Developed by two of the most respected development companies around in NetEnt and Red Tiger Gaming, there really are no disadvantages to this slot. To begin with, it has a return to player (RTP) of 98%, which means that theoretically speaking, for every £100 put into this slot, £98 will be returned. To put this into some context, the average RTP of a slot game is around 96%. Furthermore, Gonzo’s Quest Megaways has a max payout potential of 21,000x and it has a fantastic selection of features including cascading reels and respins. According to the experts on this subject, SlotsHawk.com, Gonzo’s Quest Megaways is the number one slot game to play.
Punk Rocker
A remarkable theme is on offer in Punk Rocker from niche slots developers No Limit City. This slot is themed around the Punk Rock era scene in London and features a number of different Punk Rock bands as well as lyrics.
Like all No Limit City slots, Punk Rocker is described as having ‘extreme volatility’. The experts at SlotsHawk tell us that extreme volatility essentially means that it is a high variance slot. Punk Rocker also offers plenty of features as well as an excellent maximum potential payout and an above average RTP.
Mega Moolah
The first progressive jackpot slot on our list is Mega Moolah. Known as the ‘millionaire maker’ as it has created more millionaires than any other slot, the biggest jackpot ever won was over £13 million which was won by a soldier from the English county of Cheshire.
Mega Moolah was released all the way back in 2006 but is still popular to this day. Of course, the likelihood of winning this jackpot is extremely slim, but that doesn’t stop punters from trying their luck. Although the graphics are really rather dated at this stage, the jackpot is the reason players keep coming back to Mega Moolah.
Jackpot Giant
Our second and final progressive jackpot slot in this guide to popular slots, Jackpot Giant comes with a norse theme and is a relatively unknown slot compared to the likes of Mega Moolah. The progressive jackpot, although it won’t get as high as Mega Moolah, still often goes above the £1 million mark.
The popularity of Jackpot Giant is obviously due to its potential progressive jackpot on offer. However, the base game is also exceptionally good, which is not always the case where jackpot games are concerned.
Dead or Alive 2
Wild West themes are common within the slot games industry, but Dead or Alive 2 is certainly the most popular western themed slot. All three features and bonus games are exceptional and they help to make Dead or Alive 2 one of the most interactive games.
In addition, there are still several online casinos which will offer free spins on Dead or Alive 2 to both their new players as well as to loyal players who play regularly.
Medusa Megaways
Mythology is a common theme within online slot games. Myths and legends offer developers a lot to work with and with Medusa Megaways, the games creators NextGen Gaming used the notorious Gorgon Medusa as the main theme within the game.
With the max payout potential set at 50,000x it seems that this is the main reason for its popularity, as well as its awesome theme, of course. We asked the experts at SlotsHawk for their opinion:
“Medusa Megaways is one of the most popular Megaways games, without a doubt. The theme is lots of fun and there are plenty of features too.”
Final Words
We hope you have enjoyed reading this informative guide to the most popular slot games of all time. Together with SlotsHawk, the team here at FreeGameEmpire have done our best to bring to you an accurate guide. You can read in-depth reviews on all of the slot games on this page at SlotsHawk.com, so that you can decide if they are the right games for you.
In addition, it is also possible to play all of the slot games for free. Please remember that you have to be at least 18 years of age to play them, even for free.
