- The Megaways engine can create up to 117,649 ways to win on a spin, which gives the game a huge amount of potential
- Avalanche-style reactions can turn one winning spin into a string of consecutive payouts
- The detailed mining backdrop and animated train make the game look lively and memorable
- The soundtrack can become irritating after a few spins
- There can be so much happening on screen that it is hard to follow every win
Bonanza Megaways is a landmark slot from Big Time Gaming that helped turn the Megaways format into one of online gaming’s best-known mechanics. It is loud, fast and full of movement, with a mining theme wrapped around a game built to produce constant action.
Bonanza Megaways Look and Feel
Bonanza Megaways uses six reels, with each reel showing anywhere from two to seven symbols. Above them sits a mine cart reel that can add four more positions, while the total number of available Megaways updates on every spin, ranging from 64 to 117,649.
The setting is built around a rocky cliff face, complete with a miner’s cabin, a waterfall and a working mill. When the reels spin, a train rushes through a tunnel, which adds even more motion to an already busy layout. The artwork is detailed, with plenty of texture in the rocks, moss and gemstones.
Visually, the game makes a strong first impression. The only real drawback is the soundtrack, which leans heavily into frantic bluegrass and can wear thin quite quickly.
How to Play Bonanza Megaways
Bonanza Megaways is a ways-to-win slot rather than a standard paylines game. Winning combinations land when matching symbols appear on adjacent reels, starting from the left, and the changing reel heights mean the number of possible combinations is always shifting.
The game also uses an avalanche system. When a win lands, the successful symbols disappear and new ones fall into place. That can create another win from the same paid spin, which is where much of the game’s excitement comes from.
On the main screen, the total bet can be adjusted from 0.20 to 5.00 per spin, and there is also an autoplay option. There is no turbo mode, although the pace is already quick enough that it hardly feels necessary.
Bonanza Megaways Bonus Features
Reactions Feature
This is the avalanche mechanic at the heart of the slot. After every winning combination, the symbols involved are blasted away and replaced, giving the reels another chance to connect and pay again.
Free Spins
The scatter symbols spell G.O.L.D, and collecting all four triggers 12 free spins. More scatters can appear during the feature, with each retrigger adding another five free spins.
Unlimited Win Multiplier Feature
Every time an avalanche continues after a win, the multiplier rises by 1x. The review describes this multiplier as unlimited, which gives the bonus round extra punch when the reactions keep rolling.
Gold Bar Free Spins Trigger
Gold bars in the carts above the reels can also award extra free spins. Three bars give five free spins, while four bars give 10, adding another layer of unpredictability to the feature set.
Bonanza Megaways Symbols
High-paying symbols:
The premium symbols are gemstones, including emeralds, sapphires, rubies and diamonds. Diamonds are the top symbol, with six of them paying 50x the total stake.
Medium-paying symbols:
The source review does not separate a specific medium tier, instead grouping the non-card premiums together as gemstone symbols.
Low-paying symbols:
The lower-paying symbols are the standard card ranks, running from nine through to ace.
Wild:
The wild is a bundle of dynamite. It substitutes for all regular symbols except the scatter, and it appears in the mining cart above the reels.
Scatter:
The scatter comes in the form of gold ingots marked with the letters G.O.L.D. Landing all four unlocks the free spins round.
Bonanza Megaways Real-Money vs. Free Demo
Bonanza Megaways is clearly set up to support real-money play, with a stake range starting at 0.20 and going up to 5.00 per spin on the main game screen. That gives players room to keep things modest or push the pace a little harder.
Outside the UK, you can play Bonanza Megaways for free to test it out before putting down real money.
Final Thoughts
Bonanza Megaways is an important slot because it introduced a format that went on to reshape a large part of the market. Even now, it still feels energetic thanks to the shifting reel heights, avalanche wins and bonus round potential.
Its biggest strength is the sense that every spin could suddenly open up into something much larger. The trade-off is that it can become chaotic, both visually and sonically, and some players may find the pace a bit much. Even so, this is a game that earned its reputation and still shows why Megaways caught on so quickly.
