What Makes a Slot Stream Worthy?

So Much Choice, So Little Time

With such an abundance of online slot games out there, currently at our disposal, each title differs from the last, in some shape or form, from their intrinsic mechanics and in-game features to overall volatility and potential.

It may all feel like a bit of a minefield, as a player, when trying to decide on where to place your hard-earned stakes and, whilst it may feel easier to simply fall back on your go-to favourites, quite often sampling something a little different can go a long way…

So, what about when you’re not actually playing slots but, instead, watching them?

Yep, a good old, hearty slot stream, where thousands of eyes are glued to a screen for 3 hours of spinning reels, cascading clusters, countless bonus teases and more ups and downs than a jack-in-a-box glued to the back of a racehorse…all in the hope of sending viewers off to bed satisfied and achieving a bit of profit for good measure.

An effective slot stream is all about a mixture of informative content, great entertainment and a wide variety of games played; the latter two arguably being key since playing slots and simply watching them can be very different kettles of fish, so what must be considered when deciding upon an entertaining, stream-worthy slot to play in front of an audience?

We’ve outlined some of the core factors that, we believe, make for a perfect mix of, both, easy viewing and excitable potential when it comes to selecting games to present to our viewers.

First Impressions

As with most things in life, a lot can be immediately learned about something from that all-important first impression.
How something looks and is presented, how something sounds, how something feels…it all counts more than you might think, and opening a slot game to a well-presented, vibrant layout with sharp visuals and aesthetics can be more than enough to instantly grab one’s attention.

They always say if you put your love into something, it will love you back and feeling that a slot studio hasn’t brushed over a game’s initial charm often means they haven't brushed over its core model either.

It’s difficult to mention vibrancy and visuals without casting your thoughts straight to 4ThePlayer who, with a vast catalogue of screen-popping offerings from 9K Kong in Vegas to 10000 BC 2 DoubleMax, strike all the right notes in terms of curb appeal, making many of the provider’s games great examples of visually entertaining options for a stream.

How something looks and is presented, how something sounds, how something feels – it all counts more than you might think.

What’s Featured?

Whilst there are still many out there who enjoy playing a more 3-reel 3 row, traditionalist approach with online slot gaming, when it comes to watching someone else play for hours on end, perhaps not so much.

Likewise, you can often have too much of a good thing too, meaning that round after round of head-spinning, wall-climbing, extremely-volatile, feature-filled frenzies can prove just as exhausting.

That’s why it is important, during any slot stream, to take a diverse stance when it comes to opting for a game, primarily for its included features.

Everyone’s tastes and preferences are different, and we understand that, so a feature-rich title from, say, Nolimit City can be perfect for getting that adrenaline flowing for viewers at home, whilst a more bonus-focused game such as Push Gaming’s “Big Bite Push Ways” can also make for easy viewing.

Classic Blueprint Gaming titles also remain just as popular, amongst an audience, today as they always have, almost the Hovis “Best of Both” (other breads are available!) of the online slot world, with hits such as “Rick and Morty” and “The Goonies Return” serving up a perfect concoction of base game entertainment and a tiered Bonus Round model to promote viewing longevity.

The Grind!

Ahh, the fabled grind…

Notoriously found within ample, slotty offerings out there in the big, wide world, a “grind-game” can easily make for the most tiresome of viewing as well as the most exciting!

When we associate the word “grind” with a slot game, we simply mean that certain in-game features require a lot of spins or achievements to unlock.

In some instances, this could take hundreds or even thousands of spins, an example being 10,001 Nights by Red Tiger, whilst “Power Combo” models under the Games Global umbrella can see bonus triggers at any time during feature progressions.

When it comes to stream-friendly games, the key consideration must be “does the reward outweigh the time?”

If the answer is no, it doesn’t necessarily banish a game to off-stream purgatory as, quite often, audiences enjoy the thrill of the chase, so long as there is enough to keep occupied along the way.

It might be the case of playing a game for a short time every stream until that endgame is finally reached, so long as a game can be adapted to, it may be deemed stream-worthy.

It’s almost impossible to imagine a greater example of a grind more popular on stream than the Wild Swarm series from Push Gaming.

The ability to alter betting levels and the thrill of finally seeing that hive shake, rattle, roll and burst just goes to show that an audience can stay focused during a long stream, so long as the rewards can potentially warrant.

Popularity

Any slot stream is going to attract a particularly niche audience, primarily one with at least some interest in… well, slots…making it a particularly important aspect to consider viewers’ favourites and popular choices where possible.

Although some of these games may not come across all that stream-friendly a hundred percent of the time, if the demand is there then it shall do little harm in giving it a try.

There are ample numbers of online slot providers who would feature high up on many viewers’ lists of favourites, from Pragmatic Play to Hacksaw Gaming, each with a wide range of titles in their roster.

The beauty of this is that even though a handful of a popular studio’s games may be difficult to air on stream, there will be plenty that won’t be, making for a rich bag of entertaining spins an audience will be more than happy kicking back and watching.

When it comes to games and popularity, it can be often found that those which have managed to stand the eroding sands of time continue to make for the most attractive, so just because a classic release may be classed as museum-worthy, you still can’t beat a golden oldie…just take Big Time Gaming’s back catalogue as a prime example!

The Potential

OK, so we’ve touched on aesthetics, features, entertainment value and popularity but we know all too well what an audience really wants to see…wins, wins and more wins…and big ones at that!

Although not the be-all and end-all, a highly volatile slot game with a max win potential of 999,999x bet will likely be found in higher demand than a low volatility game capped at 2,000x bet amongst a streaming audience.

This, of course, is not always the case as lower volatility, higher inclusive gaming is notably continuing to grow in popularity of late, and so long as all other aspects of a game makes the grade, there is no reason to suggest it cannot be deemed worthy of some screen time.

We do, however, now live in a world where bigger is supposedly better and, with “Big Win” videos flooding the interactive airwaves, audiences turn up stream after stream licking their lips at the prospect of a five-figure plus max win opportunity.

Strangely enough, this can work against certain games being completely worthy of guaranteed stream time, with a consideration of base game play and feature buys needing to be considered.

A stream of nothing but highly volatile bonus buys can be a short stream indeed and, though buys do occur, it is important to remain as relatable to an audience as possible.

When it comes to a fair mix of standard play, feature buy value and overall potential, few fare better that Relax Gaming; much of the studio’s catalogue remaining popular within the community, including the “Tumble” series and classics from Hex to Volatile Vikings and, with a handful of streamable titles including that infamous “Lucky Boost” Bonus enhancer, there is always that added potential for huge returns.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of how a slot game categorises itself, each must be taken on its own individual merit when it comes to streaming.
There are going to be games which fit none of the above yet can still make a thrilling watch and it all comes back to that notion of personal choice

With such a large, dedicated audience at Hideous Slots, there will always be times where not everyone agrees with a choice of game, but it’s all about considering the overall goal of a stream’s intention…to entertain, to inform and, more importantly, to provide an inclusive platform for our community to come together.

With more and more slot games constantly being released, week after week, no matter what your on-screen preference, you can rest assured that there will always be a little something for everyone.