What Are Megaways Slots? The 117,649 Ways Engine Explained

Megaways slots are online slots built on a licensed engine, originally developed by Big Time Gaming, where each reel shows a random number of symbols on every spin. Because the reel heights change constantly, the number of ways to win changes too, reaching up to 117,649 ways on the standard six-reel setup.

Instead of fixed paylines, you win by landing matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left, in any position. More symbols per reel means more ways active on that spin.

How the Megaways Engine Creates 117,649 Ways

The math is simple multiplication. On a classic Megaways game, each of the six reels can show between two and seven symbols. Multiply the symbol counts across all reels and you get the ways for that spin. When every reel lands at its full seven symbols, six reels of seven give you 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7, which equals 117,649 ways to win.

Some titles push further with extra reels or taller columns, advertising hundreds of thousands or even a million ways, but the mechanic is the same. Every spin the random number generator sets the reel heights first, then the symbols, so no two spins necessarily play on the same board.

Many Megaways games add a horizontal tracker reel above the main grid that adds extra symbols to the middle reels, boosting ways and often carrying special symbols during bonus rounds.

Signature Megaways Features to Know

Beyond the shifting reels, a few features appear across most of the catalog.

• Cascading reels: winning symbols are removed and new ones tumble in, allowing chains of wins from one spin.
• Unlimited win multiplier: in many free spins rounds, the multiplier rises with every cascade and never resets during the bonus.
• Scatter-triggered free spins: typically four scatters trigger the bonus, with extra scatters adding more spins.
• Gamble wheels: some titles let you risk your free spins count for a chance at more.
• Bonus buy: where available, you can pay a multiple of your stake to enter the feature directly.
• Max win caps: many Megaways slots cap wins in the tens of thousands of times your stake.

Megaways RTP, Volatility, and Whether They Suit You

Megaways games are mostly medium to high volatility. The base game pays frequently in small amounts thanks to the many ways, but the serious money concentrates in free spins, where the growing multiplier can turn a cascade chain into a monster hit. Expect RTP figures broadly in line with the online slot average, often in the roughly 95 to 96.5 percent range, though some casinos run configurable lower-RTP versions, so check the paytable in the actual game you open.

The format suits players who enjoy variety and big-ceiling bonuses, and who can sit through swingy sessions without chasing. If that is you, the engine has been licensed to many studios, so there are well over a hundred Megaways titles covering nearly every theme, with a broad selection available in the Blaze Spins slots lobby. Whatever you pick, decide your budget before the first spin and let the bonus come to you rather than betting up to force it.

One last practical note. Because ways change every spin, your stake covers all ways at once, so bet sizing is simpler than on adjustable payline slots.

FAQ

Fast answers about Megaways slots.

• Who invented Megaways? Big Time Gaming created the engine and licenses it to other studios.
• Is 117,649 the maximum ways? On the standard setup yes, though some variants advertise more with extra reels or rows.
• Are Megaways slots high volatility? Most sit medium to high, with big payouts weighted toward the free spins round.
• Do Megaways slots have paylines? No, they pay for matching symbols on adjacent reels in any position.
• Is Megaways fair? Licensed versions run on tested random number generator software like any regulated online slot.