What are Cluster Pays Slots?
What Are Cluster Pays Slots & How Do They Work? Best Cluster Pays Slots on Stake
Cluster Pays slot games are popular at online casinos like Stake.com as they offer payouts when groups of matching symbols land on the game matrix. They’re also rich in bonuses and offer inventive features like cascading reels, wild symbols, scatter symbols, mystery symbols, and free spins to deliver big payouts.
Let’s look at what you can expect from Cluster Pays slots as we introduce you to the best Cluster Pays games to play right now at Stake Casino.
What Are Cluster Pays Slots?
Online slot machines with the Cluster Pays mechanic deliver payouts when winning groups of symbols land on the game matrix, as opposed to when matching symbols land on conventional paylines.
Who Created Cluster Pays?
NetEnt was the first studio to develop a Cluster Pays slot with their 2016 release of Aloha! Cluster Pays, and there are now countless Cluster Pays titles available from most of the leading iGaming studios out there.
How Do Cluster Pays Slots Work?
To win a payout while playing cluster slots, you need a minimum number of symbols (usually 5) to land in a cluster next to each other on the game grid.
These types of online slots don’t have conventional paylines, meaning you don’t need to rely on symbols landing in a pre-determined pattern from reel one. As long as the adjacent symbols drop next to each other on the grid, you will earn a payout when the minimum number of symbols lands.
Alongside this inventive mechanism, Cluster Pays slots typically play out on larger game grids to allow relatively sized clusters to form. It’s also common to see other features in Cluster Pays slots, like cascading reels that remove winning symbols from the grid to be replaced by new ones from above.
Cluster-winning video slots may also offer a sticky win re-spin feature, which is triggered when a winning cluster increases, the size will "stick", and the remaining winning symbols will re-spin.
How to Play Cluster Pays Slots
To play Cluster Pays slots online, you must create an account at Stake Casino. Then deposit your local currency or cryptocurrency to fund your gameplay and decide how much to bet each time you spin the reels.
It’s a good idea to check the paytable before placing your bets so you know how many symbols need to land in a cluster for you to earn a payout. What’s more, you should also find out the most valuable symbols in the game.
Types of Cluster Pays Slots & Key Characteristics
Since NetEnt pioneered this mechanic back in 2016, there are now numerous types of Cluster Pays slots:
Megaclusters: Megacluster slots were invented by Big Time Gaming, the studio that brought us the Megaways mechanic. The key feature of these games is a chain reaction, which plays out on a shape-shifting grid to offer many different ways to win.
Cascading, Tumble or Avalanche: Another popular feature in Cluster Pays slots is cascading reels (or tumbling/rolling reels, or avalanche mechanic). This slot mechanism refers to when winning clusters land on the grid, they are removed and replaced by new ones from above. This continues until no new winning combinations are formed.
Random Wilds: Some Cluster Pays slots serve up random wilds that can be added to the game grid anytime. This is significant, as the appearance of random sticky wilds can help you form winning clusters when you are a symbol short.
Differences Between Cluster Pays & Other Slot Mechanisms
Cluster Pays slots deliver payouts when groups of identical symbols land with at least one of the four corners touching on any reel, paylines, or position. Here’s how they differ from other types of pay mechanisms commonly found in slots:
Single paylines: These are the simplest slot games and have just one payline on which winning combinations can land.
Fixed paylines: Some games have a fixed number of paylines (perhaps ten or 20) and offer set patterns on which wins can land throughout the game.
Variable paylines: In some games, you will find a variable number of paylines, which can increase and decrease as you spin the reels.
Megaways: Pioneered by Big Time Gaming, the Megaways mechanic typically offers 100,000+ ways to win.
Number of reels: Cluster Pays games are typically played on much bigger grids than standard slots, as they need to accommodate sizeable max wins.
Learn more about how traditional paylines work, and how they differ from cluster pay slot mechanisms with our slot paylines guide. You can also check out our guides to other slot features and functionalities like Respin slots and Single Reel/Paylines slots!
Who Makes the Best Cluster Pays Slots?
You will find Cluster Pays slots from most leading casino game providers, including those introduced above. We also recommend Cluster Pays slots from other studios like Nolimit City, Quickspin, and Games Global.
Browse through our best games and newest slots to enjoy Cluster Pays games from the best iGaming studios in the business.
Top Cluster Pays Slots on Stake Casino
You will find Cluster Pays slots from most of the leading game developers. Each of these games features thrilling bonus rounds and fun themes.
One of our favourite Cluster Pays games is Pragmatic Play’s superb candy-themed slot game Sugar Rush, a 7-reel slot that boasts a tumble feature and a generous free spins bonus round. Pragmatic Play has fully embraced the Cluster Pays mechanic with other games in the same saga, such as Sugar Rush Xmas and Sugar Rush 1000.
Play'n GO’s Reactoonz is another brilliant Cluster Pays online slot game, and you can also check out Reactoonz 2 for more of the same from these cheeky space aliens as they deliver big payouts and jackpot prizes!
Hacksaw Gaming also delivers some Cluster Pays fun in their awesome game, King Carrot, while Le Bandit is another popular Cluster Pays game from Hacksaw that sees a charismatic raccoon get up to all sorts of mischief.
The aptly named Dragons Clusterbuster by Red Tiger is another popular Cluster Pays slot at the Stake Casino, while we also recommend Relax Gaming’sCluster Tumble,Elk Studios’Cluster Slide, and NetEnt's Lost Relics, among other amazing Cluster Pays games available at our online casino.
Jammin’ Jars by Push Gaming is a high-volatility slot set on an 8x8 grid format. Exploding clusters and avalanche wins fill the screen as matching clusters of symbols land on the reels. Impressive multipliers and wild jars can help boost your winnings with ease. Don’t miss the sequel to this slot, Jammin’ Jars 2, which boasts giant symbols and the chance to win up to 50,000x!
Free Play Cluster Pays Slots
If you want the ultimate player experience and to get a better idea of how cascading symbols work, we recommend using the free demo play option at Stake Casino. You’ll have the chance to play each game for free without the risk of losing any of your preferred currency.
The same bonus features and mechanics can be found while playing free Cluster Pays slots which is perfect for those who want to learn before playing for real.
How to Win at Cluster Pays Slots – Tips & Strategies
Here are some tips to bear in mind as you spin the reels on Cluster Pays slots at Stake.com:
As with any type of slot game, always check the game’s volatility to see how it pays out. Low-volatility games tend to pay out smaller amounts more frequently, while high-volatility slots usually pay out larger amounts less frequently. Some cluster slot games may also offer the ability to adjust the volatility level.
Use our online casino guide to help you develop a cohesive slot strategy while playing at Stake.com.
Read our guide on how to play slots to give yourself the best chance of winning. You can also read through our other helpful how-to guides for further casino tips and tricks.
Stake Original games and titles found only on Stake tend to have high RTPs and offer excellent value gaming.
If you’re looking for games that offer the biggest payouts, check out our selection of Cluster Pays games that have in-game jackpots. Learn more about how these exciting features work and how lucky players can win big with our progressive jackpot slots guide.
You can also play Cluster Pays games with bonus buy options to access the bonus features for a fee, without triggering them on a random base game spin.
Odds, House Edge & Return to Player (RTP)
It’s important to consider the return to player (RTP) percentage of each Cluster Pays slot before playing. The industry average for slots is 96.00%, so it makes sense to look for games that boast a 96.00% RTP or higher. Read all about house edge and RTP before choosing which slot games to play.
It’s also a good idea to learn more about how provably fair games, random number generators (RNG), and slot volatility work together. These tools and game mechanics help to ensure that the odds are in your favour when playing online.
How to Deposit & Withdraw Funds to Play Online Slot Games
Did you know that you can play at Stake Casino by accessing your account using a passkey and other secure methods? Then you can deposit in a local currency or via cryptocurrencies.
The following local currencies are all available for you to choose from: ARS, CLP, CAD, VND, INR, and TRY. Depending on your preferences, you can also view your balance in other currencies. For more information about our local currency options , check out our community forum, as well as our local currency payment guide.
Playing with crypto is as easy as depositing crypto units into your account using coins like BTC, ETH, USDT, EOS, Doge, LTC, SOL, TRX and more. A seamless crypto payment system like Mesh is a good option for doing just that. You can find the full list of available cryptocurrencies, as well as our recommendations and guide for choosing the right coin for you.
When you’re ready, use fast and reliable crypto exchange platforms such as Moonpay and Swapped.com to buy your chosen crypto. Stake also supports Swap Crypto , a feature that allows you to exchange one virtual coin for another, directly in your wallet.
Our customer support staff is available to help with issues like depositing and withdrawing units, and more. The friendly team is on call 24/7 and can assist with anything you need, including learning how to use the Stake Vault to securely store your funds. Read our crypto security guide to find out more.
Stake Casino Promotions, VIP Club & Responsible Gambling
Before you jump in to play our wide range of Cluster Pays slots, learn more about what our casino bonus offers can provide. We also have an exciting number of promotions to choose from.
For even more exclusive rewards, join our VIP Club. You can look forward to rakeback bonuses, reload offers, and even a VIP host as you climb the levels. Our VIP FAQs post has all the information you need.
Remember to bet within your means and gamble responsibly. Find out how to stay in control with our Stake Smart guidelines. Use our monthly budget calculator and betting limit guide to determine how much of your disposable income you can afford to allocate to gambling.
