3D Slots
Do you know what a 3D slot is? A real-life cabinet game like the ones you see in casinos, arcades, pubs and clubs.
At the moment, all online video slots are 2 dimensional, because screens are 2 dimensional. However, there are plenty of slot games that aspire to that third dimension or attempt 3-d effects with their graphics or brand themselves around three-dimensional aspects.
We’ll have a look at them and then take a look at some 3D slot games titles in the genre.
What Are Three Dimensions?
We live, visually, (and without getting too lost in science or philosophy) in three dimensions: the vertical, the horizontal, and those dimensions have what we perceive as depth.
Screens – and before them paper or painting canvases – have only two of those dimensions. However, images on these screens are generally presented (though not always) as three dimensional. The great artistic trick of perspective allows artists to give the impression of “depth” with visual tricks.
The technology to produce genuinely 3-dimensional images isn’t here yet. There are 3-D screens, which use differently coloured images and glasses to produce a 3-d effect; and there are age-old visual techniques to produce those effects.
In fact, pretty much every slot game you see on any screen will have some illusion of depth to it: you will experience things coming up “behind the reels” or “in front” of the reels. Buttons will be shaded to appear as if they are real physical objects, which by their nature have depth.
However, there is no depth to an image!
So, in summary, all slots are 3D, while none of them are!
So What is a 3D slot?
If all games – and simultaneously no games – are three dimensional what’s this article for, and what games can you consider 3-D?
In many ways, and like most things in this business, it’s a self-claimed title, and will involve really working on – or making very obvious – the 3-D effect in the graphics.
The truth of the matter is that 3D slot games are probably best defined as those that define themselves as 3-D.
The Best 3D Slot Machines
We’re going to start by mentioning a couple of companies who have pushed 3D slots the most. They are Betsoft and IGT.
BetSoft 3D Slots
Betsoft has been producing 3D slots for a decade now and has a strong reputation for the graphics in its 3D slot machine themed games.
They use FlashTM software to produce their games, a super-high-tech platform using HTML5 and CSS3. This means their games work just as well on mobile devices and smaller screens.
Betsoft has produced two classic lines of 3D slots: the Slots3TM line and the ToGoTM group.
Betsoft sell their games on the basis that they’re great for new players because they look and feel more like online games so many young people play these days.
These are the most popular 3D slot games titles from Betsoft in the current market:
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
This is a 5-reel game that producers 3-d graphics both in the game set up and within the reels, with symbols jumping out from the flat surface – or at least appearing to.
Based on the classic Victorian psychological horror story, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is beautifully drawn and comes with a massive potential top prize of nearly 500,000 coins and free spins as the main bonus round.
It looks great and plays fantastically too.
Aztec Treasures
Themed on the ancient Central American civilisation, this game is bright and colourful, with some beautifully illustrates and vivid 3-D graphics.
Scatters are used to open up a free spins bonus round. This is a low-variance game, with betting up to £150.
Good looking and easy to play, Aztec Treasures is still popular after nearly 10 years on the market.
Black Gold
Better that you play this game than invest in or use oil in these days of climate chaos! If you do want to try to strike a gusher in this great looking slot from 2012 that is very much in the classic Betsoft 3-d style, with a figure standing “in front” of the reels and watching over the action.
4 Seasons
This simple beautiful game is based on the Chinese Zodiac, with the animals of that astronomical calendar all given a beautiful avatar that leaps out of the reels when you hit a combo.
There are a lot of features in this game, including regular changes in the properties of the symbols, which can become a super-high value, and giant block combos. The main bonus is a free spins round.
Tiger’s Claw
Tiger’s Claw is a wildlife-themed game Tiger’s Claw with atypical reel sets to throw even more variety into your slots experience.
The theme is spiritual, perhaps based on Native American nature worship, with the symbols mixing natural and supernatural images.
The main bonus round is a free spins round that can give players up to 98 spins and can retrigger up to 240 free spins.
Quest to the West
Quest to the West is themed on Chinese mythology and looks amazing, really conjuring up ancient magical legends.
It’s a recent release, hitting the screens in May 2020, and offering superb value with a theoretical return to player of more than 97.5%. You could win more than 1,260-times your stake and you can bet up to £80 a spin (starting at just 4p) on this game.
Respins are the main bonus feature, with wilds adding variety to them and the base game.
Back to Venus
This game owes a debt to the old camp classic Little Shop of Horrors, with its carnivorous plant big-win symbol.
This game is cartoonish and comedic in tone, and right up to date. Released in 2020, it has Betsoft’s current very generous levels of return to player – over 97% again – and a possible top prize of 4,338-times your stake. Betting is quite low, running from 20p to £20.
Free spins are added to the respins as bonus features.
Spring Tails
This cute game has a good 3-D effect on its reels, and free spins and stacking multipliers as its main bonus features.
Amazingly, rats are the heroes! The lucky rat delivers multipliers, in this cartoon illustrated game that was released as a New Year title for the Year of the Rat. Free spins come with no low-paying symbols.
IGT 3D Slots
IGT are International Gaming Technology, which is part of the gigantic Scientific Games Corporation, an international giant that is based in the world HQ of gambling, Las Vegas.
The company makes all sorts of games, and among them are a large number of games branded as 3d. These games exist in the online and offline markets and they’re among the most high-level 3D slot games on the market today.
3D Slot Machines from All Producers
IGT and Betsoft have big ranges, and Betsoft a particular commitment to marketing these titles, but many online video slots producers produce 3D slots.
We’ll have a look now at some of the most popular 3D slot machines.
Here are some of the other top performing 3-D slots.
Rainbow Riches Pick’n’Mix
The Rainbow Riches Pick n Mix 3D slot game title from Barcrest is part of the phenomenally successful Irish-themed Rainbow family, a set of games that mix simple gameplay and massive prizes to world-beating effect.
This game keeps very much to the successful template but has 3-D elements to its graphics. Although these games aren’t the most visually sophisticated in the world they are monumentally popular and huge fun to play.
Rick and Morty Megaways
Perhaps at the far end of the scale from the super-traditional Rainbow is this game based on the cult, animated TV show. There are great 3D effects in the screen setup and also on the reels in this smart, great looking game from Blueprint.
It’s got up to seven reels and more than 100,000 ways to win. This high-variant game with a possible 50,000-times stake top prize is one for high rollers as well as fans of sarcastic shows!
Temple of Isis
Egypt remains a popular theme in the slots world, and this game from Eyecon is another addition to the mystical world of Pyramid games released in 2016.
It’s a quality title, with a 95% theoretical return to player and medium variance making it well up with industry averages. It’s good looking too, with low key 3D effects that won’t hurt your eyes after looking at the screen for a while.
Jungle Spirit: Call of the Wild
This is our first NetEnt title, bringing in one of the biggest producers in the slot world to the 3d slots world.
Jungle Spirit is a wildlife-themed game from 2017. It looks fantastic – and sounds good too – with great design on the reels and good use of 3d design effects in the bonus rounds too.
Time for a Deal
SunFox aren’t a company with anything like the stature of NetEnt, but they’ve produced a popular title here that’s a great 3d representation of a TV game show.
The main game is a 5 by 3 grid with 25 pay lines in a very classic style, but the bonus games really go to town on both the graphics and the gameplay. This game was released in 2014 but is still popular in the UK and is by far and away this company’s biggest title.
Ted
Blueprint games have a big tie-in hit with the slobby teddie bear of movie infamy starring in this clever game from 2017. Ted lolls around in front of the reels and prizes come bouncing out of the screen with real enthusiasm!
Genie Jackpots Megaways
The Megaways engine has gone really big and is licensed to a load of titles that are reliably big hits with UK players.
This Genie Jackpots game is a fantastic addition to the Tales of the Arabian Nights genre, inspired more by Disney than by the original story but still avoiding too many gross clichés.
The game is superb, really sophisticated and delivering big wins on all those Megaways. It’s also one bonus heavy title, with four bonus games and even extra reels delivering interest and variety to players even when the wins aren’t clicking into place.
Foxin Wins
This game is a massive hit that isn’t as well-known as it should be in the general slots world. Foxin Wins games from NextGen are enormous hits in the bingo world where they’re commonly offered on sites as a side game. These games are well worthy of your investigation wherever you find them and has decent 3d character effects.
Fruit Warp
There’s no doubting the 3d credentials of Fruit Warp, which is a game from Thunderkick, a very innovative developer from Sweden’s whose games always look a million bucks.
The symbols here seem to float in space and have great 3d visibility. It’s a high volatility game, with a non-standard layout and a big top prize of 11,000-times your stake, and a very good theoretical return to player.
Jewel Journey
Eyecon are the developers being this game, which is themed on the old favourite of the slot world gold and gem mining!
The 3d effect is largely in the symbols, on a game that offers great value with its low volatility, 1,000-times stake top prize and the 95%-plus theoretical return to player.
Temple Quest Spinfinity
Big Time Gaming’s 2016 title has decided that Central American people wore very little clothing and had figures like swimsuit models. And they’ve decided to give everything a 3d effect too. We’re sure there’s no connection between these two design choices.
This is a great looking game, whatever you think of its sexual politics, and it does the right thing by even changing the reels into cascading rocks with giant symbols. The gameplay is top-notch, and the return to player is up there with the industry standard.
Age of the Gods Prince of Olympus
We tend to think that if a game supports a series of titles it must be doing something right. Age of the Gods from Playtech is one such series, and it slaps on the 3d effect heavily from the start, including with the Star Wars-style lettering floating back into the reels.
One of the reasons these games hit so hard in popularity charts is enormous top prizes, including progressive jackpots, and this game has a 2million coin possible top prize. A big win in all dimensions.
Playing 3D Slots Safely for Success
There is no particular skill to 3d slots. This is a graphical style rather than anything else and you should approach these games in the same way you would any other online video slot.
And that includes considering the fourth dimension, which is time. Persuading you to spend a long time on a game is what casino sites are trying to do. The longer you spend on a game the more likely you are to lose money and the more profit the site will make.
Enjoy these games, with their great graphics, but make sure you do so safely.
Playing Free 3D Slots Online
A good way to avoid losing money on any slot game is not to spend any! You can no longer play games for free on UK sites without signing up for an account and going through the age verification process. You can sign up at some sites completely for free and should be able to check out free 3D slot games in demo mode by doing so.
Playing free 3D slots online is a good way to check them out, to make sure you know the rules, and it’s also a good way to slow any losses down.
Always play safely, whether your games are in 2 or 3d. If you’re not playing for free keep your staking low, set definite limits on time and money and never chase your losses.
