Cluster pays slots award prizes when you land a group of matching symbols anywhere on the grid. You normally earn a payout if at least five identical symbols touch horizontally or vertically after spinning the reels.
We’ll explain how cluster pays work and how these games differ from traditional online slots with standard paylines. You’ll also discover the top seven games to try, including Reactoonz, Sugar Rush, and Aloha! Cluster Pays.
What Are Cluster Pays Slots?
Cluster pays slots are casino games that deliver payouts when clusters of matching symbols connect on the grid. The action normally unfolds on a large 5×5, 6×6, 7×7, or 8×8 grid, which looks similar to mobile puzzle games like Candy Crush or Bejeweled.
These games don’t feature traditional paylines, so you don’t need matching symbols to appear in specific patterns on the reels. Instead, they pay out when a cluster of identical symbols connects anywhere on the grid. They can touch horizontally or vertically.
You normally need five or more symbols to form a winning cluster. However, some cluster pays slots award wins if you land just four connected symbols, while others require at least six, so check the game rules before playing to confirm.
NetEnt launched the first cluster pays slot when it introduced Aloha! Cluster Pays in March 2016. The cluster pays mechanic proved popular, so leading software providers like Play’n GO, Push Gaming, Pragmatic Play, and Hacksaw Gaming also launched similar slots.
How Cluster Pays Work
Most cluster pays slots feature large grids and a wide range of symbols. Two things determine the size of your payout:
- Which matching symbol forms a cluster on the grid.
- How many symbols connect to create the cluster.
For example, Reactoonz by Play’n GO features eight core symbols. The most valuable symbol is a large pink alien, while the least valuable symbol is a green alien with one eye.
If you land 15 or more of the pink aliens in a cluster, you’ll be paid 750x your bet. Meanwhile, a cluster of at least 12 pink aliens pays 50x your bet, while you’ll get 20x your bet if at least 10 pink aliens appear in a contiguous group. Smaller clusters lead to smaller payouts. If only five appear, you’ll be paid 1x your bet.
By contrast, if 15 of the green cyclops aliens appear in a cluster, you’ll only get 3x your bet, as that symbol isn’t valuable. All the other symbols deliver much higher payouts.
Most cluster pays slots also have the cascading reels feature. If a winning cluster appears, those symbols disappear, and new symbols tumble down to fill in the gaps on the grid. This gives you the chance to rack up multiple wins from a single spin.
Popular Cluster Pays Slots
The best crypto casinos offer a broad selection of cluster pays slots. These are the top seven games to try:
- Reactoonz: This iconic slot from Play’n GO has emerged as the category’s flagship game. Cute aliens fill a 7×7 grid, and you’ll win if five or more create a winning cluster. There are loads of bonus features, from giant symbols to exploding wilds, and the cascading reels feature offers extra ways to win on each spin. The return to player (RTP) rate is 96.51%, which is above average for an online slot. Sequels like Reactoonz 2, Gigantoonz, and Gargantoonz are also popular.
- Sugar Rush 1000: A famous cluster pays slot from Pragmatic Play, which features bright, candy-themed graphics. You can win up to 25,000x your bet on this cluster wins slot, which is a sequel to Sugar Rush.
- Aloha! Cluster Pays: The original game that kick-started the genre. Aloha! Cluster Pays has a smaller grid than Reactoonz and Sugar Rush 1000, and the sticky win re-spins feature remains a favorite. The game also has a competitive 96.42% RTP.
- Hand of Anubis: This is Hacksaw Gaming’s most famous foray into the cluster pays slots genre. The game offers a gritty, horror-themed take on Ancient Egypt, plus a max win of 10,000x and a 96.24% RTP.
- Cluster Tumble: This slot is part of Relax Gaming’s popular tumble series, which also features Temple Tumble, Ancient Tumble, TNT Tumble, and many more games. Cluster Tumble plays out on a huge 8×8 grid, but you only need four touching symbols for a winning cluster.
- Jammin’ Jars: A fast-paced cluster pays slot from Push Gaming, which has a 96.83% RTP. The game features an 8×8 grid, and its key feature is Walking Wild Jars. If a jar is part of a winning cluster, it moves to a random position before the next cascade and increases its multiplier by 1. This can cause your winnings to compound significantly.
- The Border: A superb addition to the cluster wins slot category from Nolimit City, which has a dark cartel theme. The Border is an extremely volatile slot, which gives you the chance to win up to 44,288x, and it features Nolimit City’s signature xCluster, xBomb, xSplit, and xNudge mechanics.
FAQs
Cluster pays means a slot awards wins if you land a bunch of matching symbols anywhere on the grid. The symbols need to touch one another horizontally or vertically, and you typically need at least five symbols to form a connected cluster. The larger the cluster, the bigger your payout.
You normally need at least five touching symbols to form a winning cluster, but the precise number varies from one slot to the next. For example, you only need four symbols for a winning cluster on Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness, whereas you need at least six symbols on Gigantoonz. Check the paytable before playing to confirm.
Neither payout mechanic is better, as cluster pays slots and traditional payline slots suit different players. Cluster pays slots are worth a spin if you like fast-paced, dynamic slots with large grids and regular base game wins. However, most online slots feature traditional paylines, so you’ll have more options by delving into that category.
Ilija is a CCN writer with 7 years of experience covering all things crypto. Ever since a fateful run-in with Litecoin in 2013, he's been an avid investor and writer in the space. When he's not maniacally hacking away at his keyboard, Ilija spends his time either hiking in nature or holed up in his apartment gaming.
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