Top Rated 5 Reel Slots
Though the classic three-reel fruit machines are still popular, 5 reel slots have become increasingly popular and are now the most popular type of slot games out there. Even though we’ve got hi-tech 3D slots coming onto the scene, you simply can’t beat a 5 reel slot machine.
In this article, we’ll tell you all about these popular games, including the best games to play and how you can find free 5 reels slots. Let’s go.
What Are 5 Reels Slots?
If you’re not at all familiar with slots, you might not even know what we mean by ‘reels.’ When slot machines first began in the halls of physical casinos, they’d have three spinning wheels – or reels – that usually had images of fruit (that’s why they’re often referred to as the fruit machine).
With the advent of online casinos, software developers have sought new ways to provide entertainment for players, and thus, 5 reels slots came about.
When we talk of ‘reels,’ we’re referring to the number of columns a game has. Most games have five reels and three rows, which means there are 15 positions and symbols. When you place bets, the reels will spin, and symbols will line up at random. If you have matching symbols in the right place, you will win.
5 reel slots often come packed with bonus features to keep you entertained. There might be bonus games with additional chances of winning, mini games that have a guaranteed prize, or special effect symbols. One example of a bonus feature is the Cascade or Avalanche feature. This means that winning symbols fall from the grid to leave gaps that are subsequently filled by new symbols from above. With this, you can win a second time, even when you’ve only had one spin.
Here are some bonuses and features you can expect:
- Bonus games – many 5 reel slots have bonus games. These often require a little bit of skill, and so if you can practice these with free 5 reel slot machine games, you’ll have a better chance of winning them.
- Free Spins – often, online betting platforms offer free spins to their players. Despite you not paying for these, you can still win real money prizes. Free spins are often awarded mid-game, too, as a prize, which gives you even more chance of getting a big win.
- Expanding symbols – when an expanding symbol lands, it feels the reel. Some expand horizontally too.
- Multipliers – these are special symbols that will multiply your winnings.
- Gamble features – some slots offer the ability to gamble in order to increase your winnings. Typically, you have a chance of doubling or quadrupling your winnings, but you also risk losing everything too!
- Progressive Jackpots – these games have a jackpot prize that grows whenever someone plays the game. The pot will grow and grow until one lucky person finally lands the big prize. Some progressive jackpot games have created millionaires!
- Respin feature – respins means that some symbols stay in position, and you can respin the others. Effectively, it’s an extra chance to win.
- Scatter feature – most scatter symbols will trigger a bonus when they land. Some offer payouts, too, and they don’t need to be on a specific payline for you to win.
- Wild Symbols – these can substitute for any standard symbol to help get a winning combination.
- Stacked symbols – some games will have stacked symbols that appear on top of one another. These can fill a whole reel.
- Sticky symbols – this means a symbol stays where it is for a certain number of spins.
Classic 5 Reels Slots
Slots have come a long way since their first invention in the late 19th century. Back then, they were mechanical with physical turning reels. The first such one was Liberty Bell, and this creation led to a huge overhaul of the gambling industry for sixty years following. Liberty Bell was the creation of a San Franciscan car mechanic called Charles Frey.
In 1964, another new creation was Money Honey, which was the first-ever 5 reel slot. It was also electric and so had sound effects too. This was developed by Bally, who had already successfully manufactured pinball machines.
A lot of the popular five-reel slots are still based on the same concept as Money Honey. With five reels, unlike 3 reel slots, they’re more attractive, more profitable, and very popular.
Some of the most popular five-reel slot titles are:
- Bloodsuckers
- Jokerizer
- Fruit Box
- Royal 40 Fruits
- Lucky Lady’s Clover
- Thrones of Persia
5 Reels Slots for Fun
Most people nowadays want to mix fun with a chance to win money, and that’s why 5 reel slots are popular by Rival online casinos. This all began when manufacturers saw how popular these games were after Bally’s creation. Once Atlantic City had legalized gambling in the 1970s, the number of reels being produced increased.
Shortly after this time, the first random number generators (RNGs) were created – and this is what all of the fun five reel slots are based on today! With random number generators in action, manufacturers could control the payout frequency. Thus, create less frequent but higher jackpot prizes!
This was the dawn of modern slots as we know them – but still, a long way off the digital 5-reel slots we’ve grown to love.
Free 5 Reels Slots
The great news is that many online casino platforms and software developers give players a chance to play 5 reel slots for free. Why would they do this? Well, it gives players a good opportunity to try games out without them risking their money. Once they know how the game is played (and how fun it is), they’re then more likely to go and gamble with online casinos real money to continue enjoying the game.
5 reel slots also have a huge range of storylines that gamblers prefer. And because there are so many different ones, being able to play for free in demo mode means you get to find out all about their plots while concentrating your real money bets on your favorite games. There are themes on every topic imaginable too.
How to play free 5 reel slots
The majority of online casinos, like Belatra games, will allow players to use the slot games in demo mode (you don’t need to download it). This means you’re not making any bets. Due to age restrictions, some providers do make you log in to the site so that you can prove you’re over the legal gambling. Even if you’re playing for free, many websites are cautious that giving free access could encourage underage gambling. The only games you won’t be able to try out for free are the live dealer games. For these, you’ll always need to make a deposit and place a bet.
During free play, the game will run as it would in a real money game. The only difference is that you’re given virtual money. No real money is involved, and so you can’t win real money either. Likewise, you won’t lose real money either. So, whenever you play in demo mode, it won’t affect your balance.
Playing demo games is great. It allows you to try out different games and online casino slots with no risk. As a beginner, it’s a good idea to play 5 reel slots for free because you can have fun as much as you like without gambling.
Top 5 Slots With 5 Reels According to Casino Hex Users’ Votes
Here are the top 5 five-reel slot games according to our user votes:
Dolphin’s Pearl by Novomatic
This is a ten line, five reel game with a maritime ocean theme. It is a 3D classic that has 9 paylines and an expanding grid. The game takes you on a journey through the deep blue sea, where you get to see all of the fauna and flora. It has an RTP of 96.4 and is of medium volatility. In terms of bonus features, you can access bonus rounds and have a scatter and a wild symbol. It isn’t a progressive jackpot, however, and there is no multiplier, free spins round, or autoplay function.
Bier Haus by WMS
Bier Haus is a German Beer-themed slot with 40 paylines. Its RTP is an impressive 96%, and it is a highly volatile game. There are many features in this game, including a locked wilds feature. The Wild symbol is three beers, and they generate a bigger win if you’re lucky enough! There’s also the chance to grab 80 best free spins bonus. This entertaining game is ideal for low to mid-rollers as the paylines aren’t fixed and can be increased in multiples of four to a maximum of 40.
Book of Ra by Novomatic
Novomatic’s Book of Ra is one of the most popular slot titles out there. Slot fans consider it to be a cult classic. It has a great Ancient Egypt theme and a simple layout. It has three rows and five reels with 9 paylines. The RTP is 92.13%, and it is highly volatile, meaning that you don’t win as often, but the prizes you do win are larger.
Cleopatra II by IGT
This is one of the most well-liked slots out there. It is a sequel to the original Cleopatra slot, but it has higher volatility. This means you’ll have a longer time playing between bigger wins. The Wild symbol (the Cleopatra II logo) will substitute all symbols except the Sphinx. It will also double your winnings if it is substituted into a winning combination.
Cleopatra II also has fifty free spins up for grabs as well as multipliers – with 5 Sphinx symbols, you’ll recoup 200x your stake and also get between 10 and 20 free spins.
Mega Moolah by Microgaming
Mega Moolah is a legend in the slots world. This progressive jackpot has even been given the moniker ‘millionaire maker’ as it has paid out millions in prizes. In fact, it is the biggest progressive jackpot that exists. It’s even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records! As well as the high payouts on offer, it also has a jackpot wheel feature, multipliers, and a free spins bonus round.
The theme of Mega Moolah is exploring Africa. You’re placed in a tropical savannah with the reel symbols all big animals. It has an RTP of 88.12% and has medium to high volatility. There are 25 paylines over three rows and five reels.
Tips to Play and Win 5 Reels Slot Machines
Winning on a 5-reel slot is largely down to chance, but you can improve things with a few strategies. It’s a good idea to understand all about how the slot game works and whether or not you can alter the number of paylines, for example. Understanding the symbols and their worth is also an important skill to have. This is why playing the game at Endorphina online casinos in the demo version is always recommended before you part with real money. Knowing how to use spreads is a good idea too.
How to play five reel slots
Step 1: Choose the slot and open the game at El Royale casino. Your screen will show the slot reels as well as the ‘max bet’ and ‘spin’ buttons. Your bankroll will be on the screen somewhere, usually in the corner.
Step 2: Look at the paytable. This will tell you what symbols are worth it and which ones you should focus on.
Step 3: Choose your bet and, if there’s an option, the number of paylines you want to play with. If you always want to have all of the paylines selected, choose ‘max bet.’
Step 4: Click on ‘spin’ to start the game, but check first Silver Oak casino review. After the reels have stopped spinning, you’ll be told if you have won or not and how much your winnings are. Some games allow you a chance to gamble your winnings to win a bigger prize in a bonus game. You can obviously lose these too.
Step 5: Keep spinning the reels as long as you want while keeping your bankroll in mind.
Here are some tips:
- Set yourself a bankroll for your gaming sessions that is just for five reel slots.
- Check the game’s RTP and choose the highest ones.
- Chase high volatility slots if you want bigger wins – but be wary that they won’t come around as often.
- Never chase any losses.
Pros and Cons
FAQs
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Which platforms are the best for playing 5-reel slots?
- Because lots of sites use the same software developers, you’ll find the most popular games available in many different places. The Mega Moolah game, for example, has players from every corner of the globe! The best platform to use would be one that’s licensed and regulated. Some of the most popular game developers around the world are NetEnt, Microgaming, IGT, and Play’n Go.
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How to choose a good 5-reel slot to play?
- This depends entirely on your own tastes and the themes you like. If you want to win small amounts regularly, you’re best playing a slot game with low volatility and a high RTP (above 96% will be above average). Higher rollers might be interested in games with lower volatility as these give bigger prizes, just less frequently.
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Why should you play a 5-reel slot over a 3-reel slot?
- Five reel slots tend to be more interesting and more modern. There are more ways to win – you can have slots with over 1000 paylines! There are also more bonus features like multipliers, wilds, free spins, and jackpots to be had. Don’t get us wrong, though. Three reel slots still have their place, and there’ll always be something nice about a classic fruit machine!
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How big are the bonuses for 5-reel slots?
- This depends entirely on the game you choose to play! Some games offer loads in the way of bonuses, while others don’t. It’s always worth checking out independent reviews before you play. The bonuses you get will vary hugely. The odds of winning will vary too.
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Should I go with higher bets when playing 5-reel slots?
- This really depends on the game you’re playing. The RTP percentage will play an important role, as will the volatility of a game and how long you can keep playing. Some max bets go in their hundreds per spin, so you really need to be a high roller to continue that long-term, hoping for a win. What’s important is that you set yourself a maximum and don’t go over it. Don’t chase losses. It won’t end well.
Robert is an editor at CasinoHEX.org. He checks dozens of online casinos daily. Robert’s career as a professional gambler started almost 7 years ago.
