Hold & Win History
The Hold & Win function is found today in almost all slot lines of leading developers. She has become one of the most sought-after game mechanics in recent years. But the path to its popularity did not begin immediately: Hold & Win has its own history of appearance and consolidation on the market.
First Steps
The inspiration for future mechanics was bonus games with fixed prizes, where the player had to collect certain symbols. The idea of keeping badges on the field for repeated spins was not new in the industry, but it was the separate design as a full feature that became the key step.
The first versions of Hold & Win appeared in slots in the mid-2010s, when developers were looking for an alternative to standard freespins. The goal was to create a more visual and intense bonus where the player sees progress right on the screen.
Fixing mechanics
The turning point was the release of Buffalo Power: Hold and Win and a number of other games from Playson, which took mechanics to the next level. Slots with this functionality showed high player engagement:
From that moment on, the term Hold & Win took hold in the industry as a separate direction.
Mass distribution
After the success of Playson, many studios began to introduce mechanics into their games. Among them:
Gradually, the function became a universal standard, similar to how Megaways was entrenched as a separate class of mechanic.
Reasons for success
Simplicity. The player does not need to learn complex rules: collect symbols - get a prize.
Visibility. Each new character remains on the screen, creating a sense of progress.
Excitement. Resetting the respin counter by 3 with each new icon makes the process tense and dynamic.
Jackpots. Built-in Mini, Minor, Major, Grand increase interest and expand the range of payments.
Modern stage
Today Hold & Win is not only a classic form with coins, but also dozens of variations:
Mechanics have become an obligatory element of the portfolio of almost every studio, and for players - a familiar and favorite format.
Result
The history of Hold & Win began as an attempt to offer an alternative to freespins and turned into a full-fledged direction of game design. Only a few years have passed from the first experiments to mass implementation, and today Hold and Win occupies the same place as other cult mechanics, becoming an integral part of the modern online slot market.
First Steps
The inspiration for future mechanics was bonus games with fixed prizes, where the player had to collect certain symbols. The idea of keeping badges on the field for repeated spins was not new in the industry, but it was the separate design as a full feature that became the key step.
The first versions of Hold & Win appeared in slots in the mid-2010s, when developers were looking for an alternative to standard freespins. The goal was to create a more visual and intense bonus where the player sees progress right on the screen.
Fixing mechanics
The turning point was the release of Buffalo Power: Hold and Win and a number of other games from Playson, which took mechanics to the next level. Slots with this functionality showed high player engagement:
- simple rule logic;
- clear launch conditions (collect a certain number of coins or tokens);
- possibility of winning fixed jackpots.
From that moment on, the term Hold & Win took hold in the industry as a separate direction.
Mass distribution
After the success of Playson, many studios began to introduce mechanics into their games. Among them:
- iSoftBet - with the Hot Coins series and other slots;
- Spinomenal - added modifications with expanding characters;
- Booongo (now part of Booongo/Caleta) - actively developed a line of Hold & Win games for the Asian and European markets.
Gradually, the function became a universal standard, similar to how Megaways was entrenched as a separate class of mechanic.
Reasons for success
Simplicity. The player does not need to learn complex rules: collect symbols - get a prize.
Visibility. Each new character remains on the screen, creating a sense of progress.
Excitement. Resetting the respin counter by 3 with each new icon makes the process tense and dynamic.
Jackpots. Built-in Mini, Minor, Major, Grand increase interest and expand the range of payments.
Modern stage
Today Hold & Win is not only a classic form with coins, but also dozens of variations:
- with multipliers;
- with expanding drums;
- with additional bonus rounds;
- with progressive jackpots.
Mechanics have become an obligatory element of the portfolio of almost every studio, and for players - a familiar and favorite format.
Result
The history of Hold & Win began as an attempt to offer an alternative to freespins and turned into a full-fledged direction of game design. Only a few years have passed from the first experiments to mass implementation, and today Hold and Win occupies the same place as other cult mechanics, becoming an integral part of the modern online slot market.
