Play Gold Megaways

Gold has never been a particularly subtle theme, and Gold Megaways sees no reason to start practising restraint now. Big Time Gaming rebuilds an earlier title around six variable reels, reactions, multiplier Wilds and an expanding Megaways system. Among online slots, the unusual part arrives during Free Spins, where individual reels can grow to ten symbols and potentially push the grid towards one million ways. Spandau Ballet supplies the soundtrack, because apparently ordinary background music simply wasn't gold enough. 

Gold Megaways takes the wealth theme and stages the whole affair like an awards ceremony that has misplaced the concept of moderation. A glowing red curtain surrounds the reels, rows of lights frame the action and the symbols cover familiar luxury territory. Watches, cars, credit cards and jewellery make up the premium group, with card ranks occupying the cheaper seats. 

The purple and gold reel frame gives the game a knowingly retro appearance, while reactions and extending reels provide most of the visual movement. Compared with many similarly themed titles found at online casinos, the strongest bit of personality comes from the music. Snippets of Spandau Ballet's Gold accompany the action, with the track becoming more prominent during Free Spins. 

We can't fault the commitment. Even the Wild is a golden briefcase. 

The regular paytable begins with card ranks before moving into jewellery and luxury goods. Potential combinations can extend across all six reels, although the Watch can already produce a potential payout with two matching symbols. 

• Wild: The golden briefcase substitutes for regular paying symbols except the Scatter and Expansion Symbol. Wilds can appear on reels 2, 3, 4 and 5. 
• x3 Wild: Some Wilds carry an x3 multiplier. Every x3 Wild used in a potential winning combination applies another x3 multiplier to that result. 
• Scatter: Three or more Scatters anywhere on the reels activate Free Spins. Three Scatters start the feature with 12 spins, with 4 additional spins added for every Scatter beyond the third. 
• Expansion Symbol: Expansion Symbols appear during Free Spins and increase the height of the reel where they land. 

Reactions 

Regular potential winning symbols, excluding Scatters, take part in reactions. After a qualifying combination forms, those symbols are removed and new symbols drop down from above. 

The process can repeat when another potential combination appears after the replacement symbols arrive. Reactions continue until the new arrangement produces no further qualifying result. 

x3 Wild Multipliers 

Wilds appear on the four middle reels and substitute for ordinary paying symbols. Some arrive as x3 Wilds. 

If an x3 Wild substitutes within a potential winning combination, that result receives an x3 multiplier. Multiple x3 Wilds can contribute to the same combination, with another x3 applied for each qualifying multiplier Wild involved. 

Win Exchange 

Certain base game results can bring up the Win Exchange feature. A potential result worth at least x70 of the stake can exchange x70 for access to Free Spins, with the remaining value retained. 

Potential results between x20 and x70 may instead present a wheel where the entire value is exchanged for a chance of entering Free Spins. The size of the qualifying result affects the wheel configuration. 

Free Spins 

Three Scatters begin Free Spins with 12 spins. Each additional triggering Scatter adds another 4. 

Before the round starts, a wheel determines the initial number of Megaways. The starting configuration can reach 117,649 ways before any reel expansion takes place. 

Extending Reels 

Expansion Symbols become active during Free Spins. Whenever one lands, the symbol is replaced by two new symbols, increasing that reel's height by one position. 

Each reel can grow to ten symbols. Reaching ten symbols on a reel adds 8 Free Spins, while Wilds appearing on a fully expanded reel become x3 Wilds. 

If all six reels reach their full ten symbol height, the reel configuration reaches one million possible ways. 

Gold Megaways uses six reels with a variable number of symbols on each reel. Between two and seven symbols can appear per reel during the base game, creating as many as 117,649 possible ways. 

Potential combinations start on the leftmost reel and continue across adjacent reels. Symbol position within a reel doesn't matter, so matching symbols don't need to sit on a fixed horizontal line. 

Reactions then change the board after a qualifying result. Paying symbols disappear, replacements fall into the vacant positions and another potential combination can begin a further reaction. 

Free Spins alter those mechanics by allowing individual reels to grow beyond seven positions. Each reel can eventually contain ten symbols, raising the possible configuration to one million ways. 

For something in a similar retro, brightly lit or mechanically changeable neighbourhood, these three online slots make sensible comparisons. 

• Hot 4 Cash: Neon colours and a deliberately retro presentation give this Nolimit City title a similarly flashy casino floor character. 
• RWB Gems: Classic symbols, gems and an old school slot aesthetic make RWB Gems another choice for anyone who prefers uncomplicated wealth imagery with modern mechanics underneath. 
• Reactoonz Blitzways: The theme couldn't be much further from luxury watches, but changing win configurations, reactions and unconventional ways mechanics create a useful gameplay comparison. 

Gold Megaways starts with a fairly conventional collection of watches, cars and jewellery, then spends the bonus round stretching the reels until conventional becomes a rather distant memory. That's the part we find most interesting. 

Reactions keep the base game moving, but Extending Reels give Free Spins a proper sense of development. A reel reaching ten positions doesn't merely look bigger. Extra spins arrive, Wilds on that reel become x3 Wilds and the possible number of ways increases substantially. Starting the feature with a stronger Megaways configuration can therefore matter quite a bit. 

The wealth theme itself won't surprise anyone who has seen a slot machine before. The soundtrack and theatrical presentation give Gold Megaways more personality, though, and the expanding reel mechanic does considerably more work than another pile of shiny jewellery ever could.