Published on 29th January 2016 by Becky Mosley

The majority of online slot players spend time spinning the reels with the aim of winning cash. Part of the draw of slots is that any one game could turn out to be your lucky spin, bagging you the jackpot and significantly boosting your bank balance. However, few people would play online slots if they weren’t fun and exciting too. Most players are just as concerned with the entertainment aspect as they are with the prospects of winning. We’ve rounded up some of the biggest slots of 2015 and looked at what made them so successful.

Starburst – NetEnt

One of the biggest hits of 2015 was undoubtedly Starburst. Many players are attracted to the game for its simplicity – there are no all singing and dancing bonus rounds to be found here. However, this slot does boast the Starburst Wild feature, which turns whole reels wild and boosts chances of landing a winning combination. There is £50,000 up for grabs with each spin, which obviously adds to the game’s appeal.

Taco Brothers – ELK Studios

This five reel slot comes with an impressive 243 ways to win. There are running wilds, re-spins, a free spins round and multipliers with up to 400x your stake available to be won. Pico, Pepe and Paso are the three brothers, with Paso being worth the most cash when you land five of his symbols on a winning payline. Taco Brothers can be played from 10p to £50 per spin.

Spinata Grande – NetEnt

Sticking with the Mexican theme for the moment, NetEnt’s Spinata Grande also had a good year. It has five reels, forty paylines and is playable from 20p to £200 per spin. Much of the appeal of this particular slot is the colossal symbols feature, where symbols expand to take up either a 2×2 or 3×3 square on the reels, which obviously boost chances of winning. There is also a mini-slot bonus that offers free spins or a cash prize.

Bridesmaids – Microgaming

Based around the hit 2011 film, the Bridesmaids slot has five reels and 40 paylines. There is also the option of a 10 credits side bet, which affords players the chance to win 50 credits with each spin. One of the main features of this slot is the bonus wheel. When this is triggered players spin the wheel to land one of 15 prizes, which could be instant cash, access to one of four bonus features or a jackpot.

Avalon II: The Quest for the Grail – Microgaming

With five reels and 243 ways to win, this video slot comes with plenty of bonus features to keep players entertained and increase opportunities for big wins. What marks this slot out from the previous Avalon game is the superb 3D animation not to mention the whopping eight bonus games that can be accessed through the Grail Bonus feature.

Hook’s Heroes – NetEnt

At first glance Hook’s Heroes may look like a simple slot that’s good for a few spins’ entertainment. However, coming from industry giant NetEnt, the game has a lot more to it. The free spins round in Hook’s Heroes is where things really get interesting as players can choose between three different features – basically deciding what type of bonuses they’d rather play for.

Pyramid: Quest for Immortality – NetEnt

Pyramid: Quest for Immortality is a five reel video slot boasting a massive 720 ways to win. This slot uses NetEnt’s popular Avalanche Reels feature, where every time a win occurs, the symbols used to create the combination disappear and others come down to take their place. This creates a second, and often more, chance to win on just one wager.