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Reel Respins Slot Feature

Slot machines aren’t generally known for giving players second chances. Players often have to put up with the knowledge that they were this close to making a winning combination of symbols, without any way to impact the results. One little symbol in the wrong place could be the difference between hitting a major jackpot and walking away with nothing.

Over the years, there have been a number of ways in which developers have tried to give players the opportunity to change these near misses into wins. Fruit machines have nudges and holds, while more traditional slots have experimented with ideas like cascading symbols or locked wilds to keep at least parts of the screen intact while offering more chances to win. One of the newest innovations is known as “reel respins,” and it allows players to get a second crack at fixing a promising spin – if they are willing to pay for it.

Replay at a Price

Slots that utilize the respins feature typically behave like standard games, at least at first. Your goal will normally be to match symbols from left to right across the reels, and you’ll be able to decide how many coins and what denomination to play at. Hit the spin button, watch the results come in, and collect your winnings – it’s like every machine you’ve ever played before.

The difference comes after that first spin ends. At the bottom of each column, there is an additional respin button. Clicking on this option will allow you to spin only that single reel again, keeping the four others locked into place. After you’ve spun again, you’ll once again be awarded prizes, after which you can start a new spin – or choose to respin a reel yet again.

If this sounds a little too good to be true, that’s only because we’ve left out one major detail. These respins come at a cost, which is displayed next to each button. The price of each will depend on your potential winnings, which is based on what exactly is sitting on the other four reels. If you already have four of the same high-value symbol lined up, for instance, it’s likely that you’ll be charged a hefty premium if you want to respin for a chance to make five-of-a-kind.

Difficult Decisions, But Potentially Great Rewards

Because this feature uses variable pricing, it is designed to leave you with difficult decisions that will make you think about how you want to use your money. When the prospect of a major jackpot is on the line, you’ll certainly be tempted to pay for another shot at it. But will you really want to spend hundreds of dollars in an attempt to win?

Questions like those make these games a great choice for players who love highly volatile slots. There’s never a lack of action when it comes to reel respins: any time a spin comes even close to a big prize, you’ll have the ability to keep spinning again and again, provided you want to keep paying for the opportunity.

On the other hand, this feature won’t offer much to players who like to play it safe and avoid big risks. In the bright side, you’re never forced to respin; however, if you’re not going to use this option, then it isn’t going to add anything to your play experience, either, making it a bit of dead weight for those who aren’t interested in it.

Feature Coming to More Games

At the moment, there aren’t many slots that use the respin feature, but this appears to be changing. Already, at least one new game released in 2016 includes this option, and we suspect that others will follow in the months to come. Right now, this is more or less a Microgaming exclusive: the company has been starting to add the feature to some of their 243 Ways style games, and we suspect this is where you’ll see more of this idea in the future.

For the moment, the following titles are among those that allow you to pay for respins:

Reel Gems: This relatively simple game uses a classic precious gems theme. Along with the chance to respin, players can also gain access to a free spins game.
Dragon Dance: Released in late 2015, this machine uses a Chinese dragon theme in conjunction with the reel spinning feature in order to create a festive and fun atmosphere.
Bikini Party: Even in the middle of winter – this game was released in February 2016 – this beach volleyball-themed slot is clearly designed to make you feel the sun’s warm rays on a hot summer day. The respin feature is a major part of the attraction to this title, but there are also free spins games and plenty of other ways to score big wins.