Mechanics of removing winning symbols and new drops
1) Basic cascade cycle: what happens in one spin
1. Evaluation of the win in the current field state (by lines, ways, scatter pays or clusters).
2. Charges all found combinations/clusters of the current state.
3. Delete the symbols involved (dot by winning mask).
4. Void filling: New symbols "drop" according to gravity/source rules.
5. Field reassessment: if new wins arise, the cycle repeats (the cascade continues), if not, the spin is completed.
2) Payment patterns and their impact on removal/falls
Avalanche/Rolling Reels-Deletes symbols of winning lines/ways. New characters "fall" from above in columns; on Megaways, the height of the columns changes every spin, so the number of ways also floats.
Scatter pays 6 × 5 (Tumble): the number of identical characters "everywhere on the field" (usually 8 +) is paid. All involved are deleted; the field is "reassembled" by falling from above.
Clusters (grid 5 × 5/7 × 7): the orthogonally connected group 5 + is removed; gravity is more common from top to bottom, but lateral/radial "braces" are found. Geometry is important: how clusters connect after a fall.
3) Variants of "gravity" and sources of new symbols
Classic vertical: voids are filled with symbols from top to bottom within each column.
With the top track (Megaways): above the middle drums there is a horizontal tape that "throws" an additional symbol (often Wild) - increases the chance of continuing the series.
Radial/lateral/diagonal: in grids - alternative directions of attraction, less common "pull" to the center.
Special sources: Mystery tiles (open in one type), destructible blocks (after destruction, a "hidden" cell opens), "drilling" down (TNT/Temple families).
4) What exactly is being removed
Only symbols that won. Voids are compressed by gravity; the rest is retained.
Lines/ways: Removes the position of each winning line/combination on the reels.
Clusters - deletes the entire connected group; neighboring identical ones that did not participate (due to a break) remain until the next step.
Modifier exceptions: "explosions," "demolition of classes," "cuts" can be removed additionally (not only winners).
5) Behavior of special characters during removal/drops
Wild:
1. Evaluation of the win in the current field state (by lines, ways, scatter pays or clusters).
2. Charges all found combinations/clusters of the current state.
3. Delete the symbols involved (dot by winning mask).
4. Void filling: New symbols "drop" according to gravity/source rules.
5. Field reassessment: if new wins arise, the cycle repeats (the cascade continues), if not, the spin is completed.
💡The cascade is not formally limited by the number of steps: the stop occurs only at the first "empty" recalculation.
2) Payment patterns and their impact on removal/falls
Avalanche/Rolling Reels-Deletes symbols of winning lines/ways. New characters "fall" from above in columns; on Megaways, the height of the columns changes every spin, so the number of ways also floats.
Scatter pays 6 × 5 (Tumble): the number of identical characters "everywhere on the field" (usually 8 +) is paid. All involved are deleted; the field is "reassembled" by falling from above.
Clusters (grid 5 × 5/7 × 7): the orthogonally connected group 5 + is removed; gravity is more common from top to bottom, but lateral/radial "braces" are found. Geometry is important: how clusters connect after a fall.
3) Variants of "gravity" and sources of new symbols
Classic vertical: voids are filled with symbols from top to bottom within each column.
With the top track (Megaways): above the middle drums there is a horizontal tape that "throws" an additional symbol (often Wild) - increases the chance of continuing the series.
Radial/lateral/diagonal: in grids - alternative directions of attraction, less common "pull" to the center.
Special sources: Mystery tiles (open in one type), destructible blocks (after destruction, a "hidden" cell opens), "drilling" down (TNT/Temple families).
4) What exactly is being removed
Only symbols that won. Voids are compressed by gravity; the rest is retained.
Lines/ways: Removes the position of each winning line/combination on the reels.
Clusters - deletes the entire connected group; neighboring identical ones that did not participate (due to a break) remain until the next step.
Modifier exceptions: "explosions," "demolition of classes," "cuts" can be removed additionally (not only winners).
5) Behavior of special characters during removal/drops
Wild:
- * One-offs - disappear with the win.
- * Sticky - Remain in N stages/end of spin/bonus.
- * Giant-Wild 3 × 3in grids can split into 2 × 2 and 1 × 1 with the next steps - catalyst long series. Multipliers:
- * Global by batch (×1→×2→×3→×5 stages, etc.).
- * Unlimited in Megaways freespins - grows on every reaction and does not reset until the end of the bonus.
- * Cellular - the cell remembers the × after the cascade and enhances future clusters entering it. Scatter and bonus symbols:
- In some games, they can drop out during the cascade and count for a bonus trigger; in others, only considered in the primary spin "score." See the rules for a specific slot.
- * Megaways: Keep an eye on the top track and the "openness" of the middle drums.
- * Scatter pays 6 × 5: evaluate how many "viable" rearrangements the screen gives after removal.
- * Grid 5 × 5/7 × 7: read "pre-critical" shapes (almost 2 × 2, Wild bridges, cut lines).
- Bankroll benchmarks: 200-300 bets for moderate Tumble/grid; 300-400 + for Megaways/aggressive grids.
- Limits and pauses: fix stop loss/stop wine/time limit; after a strong breakthrough - pause or decrease in par.
6) Order of calculations: important nuances
Simultaneous assessment of wins within a step (all lines/clusters are summed up), then a single removal → drop → a new check.
Cluster collisions: if a single large cluster is formed after deletion, it will be evaluated in the next step, and not in the current one.
Modifier timings: transformations/explosions/cuts are applied after removal, but before re-evaluating the win - this creates "ladders" of the series.
7) How cascades affect math
RTP is set by the version of the game and the probability table. Cascades do not automatically increase RTP, they redistribute returns across multiple payouts in one back.
Volatility is usually higher: one successful series is able to repeatedly exceed the average spin gain, especially with global/cell factors and persistent Wild.
Hit rate bases are often elevated (many minor events), but EV is concentrated in long series and bonuses.
8) Typical modifiers extending batches
Mystery characters/transformations: get to the cluster threshold or close the "breaks" by ways.
Removing a character class: frees large arrays for a new fall.
Destructible blocks: Each deletion "reveals" a field, increasing the chance of the next match.
Moving Wild Multipliers (grid): converge and sum ×, creating a "snowball."
Top track (Megaways): Throws symbols/savages to the center, keeping the reaction "breathing."
9) Frequent misconceptions
"After a long drought, the cascade is obliged to set." No: every spin is independent, PRNG doesn't "remember" the past.
"Ante Bet is always more profitable." The bonus frequency is higher, but the effective rate is growing (usually + 25%); RTP/volatility depends on implementation.
"Buying a bonus reduces risk." Reduces the uncertainty of the entry time, but not the variance of the bonus itself; series of weak bonuses are possible.
10) Practical takeaways for Australia players
Check the RTP version of a specific slot with your operator (there are ~% 96/95/94 in the same title).
Read the rules about Scatter timings: do they count as dropped during the cascade, and is the retriever valid.
Consider an effective bet: with Ante Bet, the consumption for the distance is higher; when buying a bonus, fix the number of buy-ins and stop-loss.
The pace of spins for the genre:
11) Short check list of "cascade quality" of the slot
Are there any series amplifiers (track, blocks, transformations, persistent Wild)?
How are multipliers applied (by series, cellular, global in freespins)?
Are Scatters counted during the cascade? Are there any retriggers?
What is the speed of animations and readability of falls on a mobile?
What RTP configuration does the operator have and does Ante/Buy Feature exist in your jurisdiction?
Result
The mechanics of "removing winning symbols → new drops → re-checking" are the core of cascading slots. The series length, volatility and real slot potential depend on what is removed, how and how the voids are filled, which amplifiers are turned on between steps. Understanding the algorithm and timings, you can consciously choose titles, correctly evaluate the "viability" of the screen and manage the bankroll - especially important on highly dispersed Megaways and 7 × 7 nets, popular with Australian players.
