Cascading Reels, Rolling Reels, Avalanche – Is There a Difference?

Traditional online slots allow you to form winning combinations with each spin by landing matching symbols. However, slots with the above-mentioned features operate differently.

These features are popular among providers because they increase the chances of securing winning combinations in each round. Payouts continue to appear as long as winning combinations are formed.

The main points for all these features are as follows:

• You need to spin the reels and secure payouts
• Symbols that are part of winning combinations will vanish, leaving empty positions
• New symbols will take their place
• The game will continue, allowing you to secure big wins
• This process goes on as long as you form winning combinations

The answer to the question is straightforward. Each term describes the same mechanism: symbols that are part of winning combinations will vanish from the reels, and new ones will take their place.

As the process continues, as long as you secure wins, the feature remains popular among players. Even better, you don’t need to wager and risk any more money to secure additional winning combinations.

You just make a single bet, and the game continues with that wager until there are no additional wins left.

Therefore, developers may use different terms for one feature. There is no difference between cascading reels, rolling reels, and the avalanche feature.

Top-class software developers don’t rest on their laurels. They have all noticed how popular NetEnt’s avalanche feature is, so they have made sure to introduce this feature as well, but with different names. They didn’t want to copy the competition’s work and just give the same name, and it is understandable.

So, shortly after we witnessed new terms being introduced to describe the same mechanism. You can find various terms, depending on the provider:

• Rolling Reels – Microgaming is credited with this term. Jungle Jim: El Dorado is the game that introduced the rolling reels mechanism
• Cascading Reels – It is not yet known exactly which provider came up with this phrase, but it is one of the most popular ways to describe the avalanche feature
• Tumbling Reels – IGT introduced this term and uses it for all slots in its offer

Moreover, each game provider can add some modifiers to the avalanche feature. As an example, Microgaming has interesting win multipliers in addition to its rolling reels mechanism.

Currently, these mechanisms are very common in any game developer’s offerings due to the numerous benefits they provide. Let’s explore some reasons why these features are so popular.

• 

  There Is More Action with the Cascading Reels

  Before the introduction of the avalanche mechanism, players could only enjoy simple slots. The demand for more excitement was met by software providers with the release of the avalanche mechanism by NetEnt. This development made slots more visually rich and increased the industry's popularity.

  Cascading reels offer more action for players. Symbols explode, and new ones take their place, allowing numerous wins with just one single bet.

• 

  You Can Win Big Prizes

  The primary attraction of the avalanche feature is its ability to provide consecutive payouts, significantly increasing winning potential. If you are on a hot streak, you can secure substantial prizes. Furthermore, some game providers enhance this feature with win multipliers that increase as you secure more wins.

  Win multipliers reset after each round, but bonuses in certain games may allow the same multiplier in each round.

• 

  Players Just Fell in Love with the Avalanche Feature

  Players instantly fell in love with this feature, which is why it remains popular many years after its introduction. All reputable game developers incorporate this mechanism into their games. Basic slots, which only offer one chance to win, are less appealing to players.

Although the various names used by game providers might be confusing, they all describe the same mechanism. Game providers simply use different terms to avoid copying each other.

The mechanism is not complicated; try it, and you will likely fall in love with it. The wide range of online slots and features available today is excellent news for players. Check out our best online casino reviews to find the perfect gaming platform and start your own slot adventure!