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Also known as grid slots, Cluster Pays slots are on the rise. All slot studios now offer slot games with the Cluster Pays mechanic. In our in-depth guide, OLBG looks are what Cluster Pays is, how payouts or winning combinations are formed, what you can expect and the bonus features you’ll encounter.
With no reels or paylines as such, Cluster Pays slots award a win when a certain number of matching symbols appear connected vertically, horizontally or both. Below, you’ll find the top 10 Cluster Pays slot games, which slot sites in the UK offer them and much more.
Top 10 Cluster Pays Slots
If you want to play slots using the Cluster Pays mechanic, below are the 10 best slot games to play. With top-line information including the studio that made it, the RTP rate, max win and release date, there are more details below on each Cluster Pays slot that made OLBG’s list.
| # | Slot Game | Studio | RTP | Max Win | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jammin’ Jars | Push Gaming | 96.83% | 19,998.5 x | 27/03/2018 |
| 2 | The Border | Nolimit City | 96.17% | 44,288 x | 13/09/2022 |
| 3 | Cluster Tumble | Relax Gaming | 96.40% | 20,000 x | 03/11/2021 |
| 4 | Reapers | Print Studios | 96.47% | 20,000 x | 13/12/2022 |
| 5 | Hand of Anubis | Hacksaw Gaming | 96.24% | 10,000 x | 21/04/2022 |
| 6 | Millionaire Rush | Big Time Gaming | 96.44% | 55,060 x | 22/06/2022 |
| 7 | Jammin’ Jars 2 | Push Gaming | 96.40% | 50,000 x | 02/06/2021 |
| 8 | Reactoonz | Play ‘n GO | 96.51% | 4,570 x | 24/10/2017 |
| 9 | Golden Glyph 2 | Quickspin | 96.09% | 26,800 x | 08/06/2021 |
| 10 | Tarasque | Print Studios | 96.30% | 20,000 x | 22/02/2024 |
1. Jammin’ Jars: Push Gaming
The slot game that put Cluster Pays slots on the map, Jammin’ Jars is one of Push Gaming’s flagship games, Released in September 2018, it’s played on an 8x8 grid where winning clusters are created when 5 or more identical symbols appear connected. It’s playable from just 20p a spin on all devices.
Offering a high 96.83% RTP rate, Collapses give you continuous wins and a win involving a Jam Jar Wild sees it remain on the grid with its multiplier value rising. There is a Rainbow feature which sees giant fruit symbols appear for bigger wins.
With a Free Games feature, Jar Jar Wild multipliers only increase which can lead to 19,998.5 times bet max wins. Jammin’ Jars has proved so popular that Push Gaming created a sequel (Jammin’ Jars 2 is number 7 on OLBG’s top list of Cluster Pays games) and various spin-offs including Retro Sweets, Retro Tapes and Giga Jar.
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2. The Border: Nolimit City
Released in September 2022, The Border takes you to the US/Mexico border where patrol agents take on cartel kingpins. Played on a 6x6 grid from 20p per spin, the first Cluster Pays slot by Nolimit City is controversial but superb. For a Cluster win, 5 or more matching symbols need to appear horizontally and/or vertically touching.
With a 96.17% RTP rate, it uses xWays, xNudge, xBomb and xSplit mechanics as well as an innovative xCluster mechanic. The latter is prevalent in the Mule and Coyote Spins features where 2 or more unique symbol clusters in a win will see the win multiplier increase. xWays and xSplit symbols can see the grid contain over 160 symbols for max wins of 44,288 times your total bet. This number equals the amount of cocaine in kilos seized at the border in 2021.
3. Cluster Tumble: Relax Gaming
Released by Relax Gaming in November 2021, Cluster Tumble is an adventure-packed Cluster Pays slot game where you head to an Asian temple in search of lost treasure. Played on an 8x8 grid from just 10p per spin, clusters are formed when landing 4 or more identical symbols adjacently connected.
With a 96.4% RTP rate, you’ll notice most of the grid is locked before you spin. Winning clusters open up new positions for a higher chance of winning. With special lightning and fire blocks that trigger bonus features when unlocked, the Free Spins feature benefits from multipliers when you unblock stones.
Every clearance increases the multiplier by 3 as well as giving you additional free spins. Cluster Tumble comes with 20,000 times bet max wins and has inspired a Dream Drop version with progressive jackpots.
4. Reapers: Print Studios
Reapers takes you to a distant galaxy for an intergalactic mission on an 8x8 grid. Created by Print Studios and released in December 2022, it has a high 96.47% RTP rate.
Brilliantly designed, collect Energy Cells to shut down barriers with special ability features. Shutting down all 15 barriers will see you play the Bonus Game feature which looks like a video game. Here, collect symbols and symbol clusters to progress through the 5 levels which give you access to more lucrative symbols for bigger wins.
This can lead to 20,000 times max wins. Reapers is a unique Cluster Pays slot which is mesmerising and set a new standard for other games to follow.
5. Hand of Anubis: Hacksaw Gaming
Released in April 2022 by Hacksaw Gaming, Hand of Anubis is a cult-favourite Cluster Pays title where you join the jackal god in the Afterlife. Playable from 10p a spin on a 5x6 grid, this very high volatility game has a 96.24% RTP rate. Clusters are formed by landing 5 or more matching symbols connected.
Offering Cascading Wins, there are Soul Orbs which stack multipliers. In the Underworld Bonus feature, there are free spins and multipliers of up to 9999x! With the Judgment Bonus feature, refill free spins with special blocks which increase reel multipliers.
Hand of Anubis has become a cult favourite grid slot with 10,000 times bet max wins and a unique and dark twist on the classic ancient Egyptian theme.
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6. Millionaire Rush: Big Time Gaming
Released in June 2022, Millionaire Rush by Big Time Gaming offers a new take on the classic Who Wants to be a Millionaire TV game show. Using BTG’s Megaclusters engine, it’s played from 20p a spin on a 5x5 grid where 5 or more identical symbols connected in any way will form a winning cluster.
With a 96.44% RTP rate, Reactions give you successive wins as up to a 10x10 grid and progress through the Megatrail. The Megatrail feature offers 12 prizes which change with each spin. They include added wilds, multiplier wilds, multipliers, symbol removals, transforming symbols and Mega Wilds.
If you trigger the Free Spins feature, there are bigger awards and double cash prizes on offer. With 55,060 times bet max wins, Millionaire Rush is the most lucrative of the Megaclusters slots.
7. Jammin’ Jars 2: Push Gaming
Jammin’ Jars 2 is the sequel to the iconic Jammin’ Jars and was released by Push Gaming in June 2021. With a fruity disco theme, this 8x8 Cluster Pays slot can be played from 10p a spin. Land 5 or more symbols in a cluster to form a winning combination. The RTP rate is 96.4%.
With Wild Jars that become sticky after a cascade, they come with increasing multipliers. Colossal symbols are added to the grid with Fruit Blasts and there are Instant Prize symbols worth up to 1,000 x bet.
In the Free Games feature, there are Wild Jars with increasing multipliers as well as gold vinyl record symbols that are collected in the Giga Jar. This will lead to more free spins with added wilds and max wins of up to 50,000 times your total bet.
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8. Reactoonz: Play ‘n GO
Released by Play ‘n GO in October 2017, The Reactoonz slot has become a cult favourite and is also responsible for making Cluster Pays slots popular. With an alien theme, it’s played on a 7x7 grid where winning clusters are created by landing 5 or more matching symbols which touch horizontally and/or vertically.
With a high 96.51% RTP rate, you can spin away from 20p a spin. Offering Cascading Wins, every cascade charges meters which in turn activates 1 of 5 Quantum features. These award wild symbol transformations, low-value symbol transformations, symbol destructions, intersecting wilds and a 3x3 Gargantoon wild.
Reactoonz also comes with random wilds, 2x wins on matching symbols, fluctuating symbols with wilds and 4,570 times bet max wins. Due to its popularity, it has inspired a sequel (Reactoonz 2) and spin-offs including Gargantoonz, Gigantoonz and Dr. Toonz. The latter isn’t a Cluster Pays game but offers up to 262,144 ways to win and 22,000 x bet max wins.
9. Golden Glyph 2: Quickspin
Golden Glyph 2 is one of 3 Cluster Pays slots from Quickspin. Set in ancient Egypt and released in June 2021, this 7x7 Cluster Pays game can be played from 20p a spin on all devices. It has a 96.09% RTP rate and offers a brilliant soundtrack.
With Tumbling Reels for successive wins, there’s a range of Power-Up features that can give you wild extras and special patterns where symbols are removed.
In the Free Spins feature, there’s a Golden Glyph multiplier wild when increases in value after each win up to 50x. With up to 4 Golden Glyphs on the grid, more free spins and Power-Ups can be won for max wins of up to 26,800 times your total bet.
10. Tarasque: Print Studios
Last on OLBG’s list of the best Cluster Pays slots is Print Studios’ Tarasque. With an art/medieval theme, this unique simply beautifully designed game is played on an 8x8 grid from just 10p a spin. Offering a 96.3% RTP rate, it was released in February 2024.
Winning symbols from a cluster transform to an adjacent symbol if it matches the Morphing symbol to give you continuous wins. There are also random multipliers up to 20x and a Progress Bar which is charged by wins. With 5 levels, 4 bonus features can be triggered to give you wilds, more Morphing symbols, symbol removals and the increase of the Tarasque.
The Tarasque symbol is wild and adds devoured symbols onto the grid for even more winning clusters. With 20,000 times bet max wins, this French medieval masterpiece is unique and like nothing you’ve ever played before.
How do Cluster Pays slots work?
With NetEnt releasing the first Cluster Pays slot in March 2016 (Aloha! Cluster Pays), a new phenomenon was born. Cluster Pays slots don’t use traditional reels and paylines but are played on a grid where Clusters of symbols are required to land a winning combination.
You will need a minimum number of matching symbols (typically 5 or more) to be connected vertical and/or horizontally. The bigger the ‘cluster’, the larger the win. Think of Cluster Pays as wins in the Candy Crush Saga mobile puzzle game.
Cluster Pays games also don’t pay with winning combinations beginning on the leftmost reel as clusters can appear anywhere on the grid. Multiple winning clusters can also appear for more than 1 win per spin.
Since Aloha! Cluster Pays was introduced, hundreds of Cluster Pays slots from the industry’s best slot studios are available. Each does things differently with distinct themes, bonus features, RTP rate and max win potential. Newer Cluster Pays games combine a variety of mechanics and bonus features to take the concept to a whole different level.
To sum up, below are the differences from traditional slot games:
- Reels and Paylines: Cluster Pays slots have no reels and paylines as they are played on a grid.
- Winning Combinations: They are formed by landing a certain number of matching symbols in a cluster formation (adjacent to one another) and not from left to right and starting from reel 1.
- Bonus Features: Cluster Pays games are more focused on symbol destructions, symbol upgrades, grid expansions, meter charges, and special symbols. Cascades or tumbles are also prominent in Megaways slots.
- Mobile-Ready: Due to the action taking place on a square grid (typically), Cluster Pays slots are better suited for playing on mobile or smartphone devices as they take up more of the screen than a traditional 5x3 or 5x4 setup.
Difference from Scatter Pays slots
At UK slot sites, you may see games referred to as grid slots. This refers to Cluster Pays slots, but you’ll also see mentions of Scatter Pays or Pay Anywhere slots.
Scatter Pays slots are similar to Cluster Pays games but winning combinations are formed when a certain number of matching symbols appear anywhere on the grid rather than being connected vertically and/or horizontally.
Getting their name from Scatter symbols, they award payouts landing anywhere on the grid. Slots like Sweet Bonanza (Pragmatic Play) and Money Train 4 (Relax Gaming) are two of the most popular Scatter Pays slots. Check out our dedicated guide to the best Scatter Pays games:
The Best Scatter Pays Slots to Play in the UK
Slot Providers
With NetEnt being the first to coin the Cluster Pays mechanic in 2016 with Aloha! Cluster Pays, there has been an explosion of Cluster Pays slots at UK casinos and slot sites. All slot studios offer them now are amongst the most popular with UK players. Below are some of the top Cluster Pays games from the best slot providers:
- Push Gaming: Jammin’ Jars inspired a sequel and various spin-offs including Giga Jar and Retro Tapes. Other games to use cluster wins include Booty Bay, The Shadow Order, Dragon Hopper, Fire Hopper and Crystal Catcher.
- Hacksaw Gaming: Popular games with Cluster Pays include Hand of Anubis, Ze Zeus, Le Bandit, King Carrot, Keep ‘Em Cool and Xpander.
- Play ‘n GO: Reactoonz was the first Cluster Pays slot but there have been multiple games since including Gigantoonz, Viking Runecraft: Apocalypse, Moon Princess Trinity and Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness.
- Pragmatic Play: The world’s favourite provider has lots of Cluster Pays options such as Sweet Kingdom, Rise of Pyramids, Loki’s Riches, Candy Jar Clusters, Rabbit Garden, and Sugar Rush 1000.
- NetEnt: Since they released Aloha! Cluster Pays, NetEnt has several Cluster Pays titles including Gem Crush, Gonzo’s Gold, Lost Relics 2, Berryburst and Finn’s Golden Tavern.
- Big Time Gaming: BTG developed a Megaclusters mechanic which is like Cluster Pays. When a winning cluster lands and a 'Reaction' takes place, the winning symbols are replaced by more, smaller symbols. This increases your potential to win with a larger grid and more ways to win effectively. Titles include Millionaire Rush, Vegas Rush, Cyberslot Megaclusters, and Star Clusters Megaclusters. Another Cluster Pays game is Trigger Happy which was released in May 2024.
- Relax Gaming: Relax has more Cluster Pays games than most other providers with Sweetopia Royale, Lure of Fortune, Cluster Tumble, and Horror Hotel my favourites.
Pros and Cons of Cluster Pays Slots
Whilst most of us find Cluster Pays slot games exciting, they may not be suitable for all players. Below OLBG goes into the main positives and negatives:
Pros
- You don’t need matching symbols across a payline to win big
- Special symbols can increase or add to winning clusters
- They look better when playing in Portrait Mode (on smartphones)
- Winning clusters normally lead to cascades/tumbles which can award continuous wins
- Available at most UK casino/slot sites
Cons
- Movement of symbols can be hard to track sometimes
- You require 5 or more matching symbols in a cluster typically as opposed to 3 with paylines
- Free Spins features not triggered typically with Scatter or Bonus symbols
FAQs
FAQ
Cluster Pays Slots FAQs
What is a Cluster Pays slot?
Cluster Pays slots are a relatively new type of slot game with no traditional reels or paylines. They are played on a grid where winning combinations are formed when a cluster of matching symbols appear adjacent to one another, either horizontally or vertically (or both). The larger the cluster, the bigger the win/payout.
What was the first Cluster Pays slot game?
NetEnt released the Tiki-themed Aloha! Cluster Pays in March 2016. Since then, they are hundreds of Cluster Pays slots from all the top slot studios including Pragmatic Play, Big Time Gaming and Push Gaming.
What are the best Cluster Pays slots?
The best slot games with Cluster Pays include Jammin’ Jars (Push Gaming), Hand of Anubis (Hacksaw Gaming) and Reactoonz (Play ‘n GO). Check out OLBG’s top 10 list for more options.
Can I play Cluster Pays slots on mobile?
All Cluster Pays slot games are created using HTML5 technology meaning they are compatible with desktop, tablet and smartphone devices. The grid format is better suited to mobile devices, as they use Portrait Mode that occupies more of your screen.
What bonus features do Cluster Pays slots have?
Cluster Pays games normally come with Cascades, Tumbles or Avalanches as standard as well as wilds, multipliers, free spins, symbol transformations and even progressive jackpots
What Cluster Pays slot has the highest RTP rate?
On OLBG’s top 10 list, Push Gaming’s Jammin’ Jars has an RTP rate of 96.83%. Much higher than the 96% slot game average, it comes with 20,000 x bet max wins.
