Ranking the 7 Best “Megaways” Online Slot Machine Games by Their Return to Player (RTP) Rate

At the moment, a new form of online slot gameplay known as “Megaways™” is all the rage. Developed in 2015 by Australian software designer firm Big Time Gaming, the Megaways concept takes any standard online slot game and turbocharges it in more ways than one.

Suddenly, a formerly static reel screen using the same boring 5×5 grid alignment transforms into something completely new. On each spin, a Megaways version of your favorite slot title sees the reel grid shift – shrinking and growing, stretching and contracting, and all to accommodate added or subtracted symbol spaces.

You can learn all about how Megaways slot games work here, but sufficed to say, the fluid and flexible reels spice things up immensely. While traditional online slots put 20, 50, or even 243 paylines in play, Megaways games average an astounding 117,649 paylines on a single spin. All told, the right reel alignment can create a whopping 248,832 of these juiced up paylines.

Even better, the return to player (RTP) rate on Megaways slots hovers above the standard online slot average of 96 percent. Below you’ll find the 7 best Megaways slot games offering the highest ranking RTPs around.

1 – White Rabbit Megaways (RTP = 97.72 Percent)

Fittingly, the very best RTP rate Megaways slots serve up doesn’t come from a third-party provider.

No, the fine folks at Big Time Gaming developed White Rabbit Megaways in-house, and it shows on every level. This game takes its theme from Alice in Wonderland, so you’ll be spinning familiar symbols like the Mad Hatter, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the Cheshire Cat straight out of the storybook.

In the base game, each of the 5 reels will contort to hold between 2 and 7 reel spaces during the base game. This dynamic reel alignment puts up to 16,807 of the Megaways paylines onscreen on any given spin.

Wild and scatter symbols abound, along with a free spins bonus round which unlocks even more Megaways paylines. Thanks to Extended reels which grow in size when you hit the right combos, the free spins can increase the symbol space count to 12. With a full 5×12 grid going, White Rabbit Megaways ups the ante to a ridiculous 248,832 paylines.

And with its 97.72 percent RTP rate, you simply won’t find a more playable Megaways slot than this one.

2 – Medusa Megaways (RTP = 97.63 Percent)

In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa was a monstrous creature with snakes for hair whose gaze alone could turn a man into a stone statue.

In the world of online slots, on the other hand, Medusa is a certified classic released by Nextgen Gaming back in 2012. And unlike its namesake gorgon from Greece, the new and improved Medusa Megaways certainly won’t leave you stuck in a rut.

At 97.63 percent, the RTP on Medusa Megaways is well above the industry baseline of 96 percent. And adding to the intrigue, this game utilizes a special Megaways feature known as the “Extra Reel.”

Along with a flexible 6-reel main grid – which can shift between 3-7 symbol spaces per reel – Medusa Megaways also sets four symbol spaces in a separate horizontal reel up top. This clever Extra Reel setup increases the Megaways payline count to 117,649, making Medusa one of the more volatile titles on the market.

Medusa Megaways also showcases the Cascading Winners feature – which slides symbols comprising a winning combo off the screen and replaces them, thus creating additional chances to collect payouts on the same spin. Throw in wilds, scatters, and free spin bonus rounds, and Medusa Megaways is scary in name only.

3 – Buffalo Rising ALL ACTION Megaways (RTP = 97.01 Percent)

Built by the guys and gals at Blueprint Gaming, the Buffalo Rising ALL ACTION Megaways slot offers the same 6-reel, 3-7 symbol space, Extra Reel design as found in the previous entry.

Accordingly, players will have up to 117,649 of the Megaways paylines working on any given spin. Patterned after Buffalo, one of the most iconic land-based slot machines ever devised, this online version centers around a Western prairie wildlife theme.

You’ll have wilds and scatters to play around with, but no free spin bonus round. Instead, Buffalo Rising ALL ACTION Megaways treats players to a bonanza of Buffalo Spins which come equipped with multipliers between 1x and 10x.

And with Cascading Winners cycling out pieces of previous winning combos – letting you fill the empties for free to collect even more dough – this revival of a true classic earns every penny of its 97.01 percent RTP.

4 – Gorilla Gold Megaways (RTP = 97.00 Percent)

Another smash hit from Blueprint Gaming, the Gorilla Gold Megaways game is also built on the tried and true 6-reel, 3-7 symbol space, Extra Reel foundation with 117,649 ways to win.

With that said, prepare yourself for a massive departure from any Megaways slot you’ve seen before when you try the Gorilla Gold version. This game essentially takes the 6-reel configurable grid (plus the Extra Reel on top) and duplicates it four times over.

In other words, instead of a single 6-reel grid, you’ll have four of them on the screen simultaneously. Each of these 6-reel grids can morph in the Megaways fashion, and all four produce different combos on the same spin. In essence, you’ll be playing four different “machines” every time you click “SPIN” on Gorilla Gold Megaways.

With wilds, scatters, free spins, Super Spins, and even Mystery symbols in the mix, Gorilla Gold Megaways offers plenty of features to go along with that sterling 97.00 percent RTP.

5 – Slots O’ Gold Megaways (RTP = 96.96 Percent)

Blueprint Gaming continues its strong run in the Megaways area by attaching this awesome gameplay mechanic to Slots O’ Gold.

As you can probably tell from the title’s distinct accent, Slots O’ Gold Megaways sticks with an Irish theme. Look for the Pot of Gold, the Horseshoe, and the Leprechaun among the higher value symbols.

The typical 6-reel grid can show between 3 and 5 symbol spaces per reel, good for a maximum Megaways payline count of 15,625. Among the fun features to shoot for are Sticky Wilds (Leprachaun), Mystery symbols (Rainbow Gold), and 50x Multipliers (Pot of Gold).

Of note, Slots O’ Gold is one of the rare Megaways games to put a major progressive jackpot up for grabs. The exact amount in the kitty will depend on which online casino platform you’re using, but they seed at $1 million.

You’ll need to land five Jackpot King Deluxe symbols on a base game spin, then collect 15 Crown symbols on subsequent bonus spins. Do that, and you’ll get to spin a prize wheel containing a wide range of progressive jackpot prizes.

At 96.96 percent RTP, Slots O’ Gold Megaways definitely lives up to the rich rewards promised to any player lucky enough to find the end of the rainbow.

6 – Queen of Riches Megaways (RTP = 96.90 Percent)

The second in-house title from Big Time Gaming to make the list, Queen of Riches Megaways is yet another entry in the steady stream of Cleopatra themed online slots.

That means the stock ancient Egypt oriented symbols await, such as the Scarab Beetle, the Eye of Horus, and various low-paying Hieroglyphics. You’ll be playing the stock 6-reel, 3-7 symbol space design on Queen of Riches Megaways, just without the Extra Reel component on top. Even without that nifty feature though, players can spin their way to 117,649 possible paylines to ratchet up the action.

The real hook which makes Queen of Riches Megaways special – besides that sweet 96.90 percent RTP – is the Reel Clone feature. When you have Lady Luck in your corner, one reel chock full of matching symbols will suddenly spawn identical clones on subsequent reels.

When these Reel Clone replicas line up, the abundance of matching symbols triggers tremendous payouts across the board. Add in Full Reel Wilds which can also be cloned, and Queen of Riches Megaways deserves its royal moniker.

7 – 8 Golden Skulls of Holly Roger Megaways (RTP = 96.86 Percent)

Last but not least, 8 Golden Skulls of Holly Rogers Megaways expands upon a great Microgaming slot most players know and love.

Everything here is pretty standard Megaways stuff, so expect to play according to the 6-reel, 3-7 symbol space, 117,649 maximum payline structure discussed previously.

Of course, no pirate-themed slot would be complete without a treasure chest of features to pursue while grinding that 96.86 percent RTP.

Rolling Reels replace winning symbols with second chances, Mystery symbols uncover needed matches to complete high-paying combos, and the Firepot symbols generate multipliers of up to 2,000x.

Conclusion

If you haven’t had the pleasure of playing a Megaways enhanced real money online slots by now, do yourself a favor and rectify that oversight immediately. Simply put, the Megaways concept has sparked a seismic shift within the world of slots, juicing the payline count from a few hundred tops into the six-figures.

With thousands upon thousands of Megaways generated paylines up for grabs on every spin, slot players will immediately notice how much more playable their favorite titles have become.

And when you do embark on your maiden voyage into the Megaways waters, sticking with the top-rated RTP titles listed here will always be your best bet.