New Slot Machines

Slot machine manufacturers strive to gain your attention and keep your play. Traditional reels augmented by ever-changing themes and bonuses are one way to go about that. Every now and then, game makers go for something completely different.

Let's take a gander at a couple of new games on their way to casinos. Both were shown at Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas this autumn, and you can look for both to make a splash in casinos. One uses reels, paylines and extras, while the other aims for something new.

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS INSTANT WIN, Aruze Gaming: Part of Aruze's new series of Acti-Play games that emphasize player participation, Rock Paper Scissors drew big crowds in its debut at Circa casino in Las Vegas late in 2022.

Rock Paper Scissors features a lighted wheel with a dot-animation hand in the center. Around the rim, the wheel is divided into segments showing potential win amounts. Two progressive jackpot levels are indicated by a diamond space and two ruby spaces.

Players choose a bet size and push play to start the hand rapidly fluttering among rock, paper and scissors symbols. Then the player must choose one of three buttons featuring white-gloved hands, one in a fist to denote rock, one flat-palmed to show paper and one with two fingers in a "V" sign to indicate scissors.

Once you've made your choice, a random number generator tells the hand in the circle to stop on one of the signs. Bets are decided by rules of the age-old game: rock breaks scissors, paper covers rock, scissors cut paper. If you tie, the game keeps your bet but increases the potential prizes in the wheel segments.

If you've chosen the winning sign, a light flashes around wheel segments. When the light stops, it indicates how much you win.

It's a different way to play than the usual spinning reels. It's so simple it might not hold up to extended play, but a big share of slot players is sure to want to give it a try.


FRANKENSTEIN, Light and Wonder: The game maker formerly known as Scientific Games has rebranded itself as Light and Wonder. Horror fans are sure to find wonder in a new series of games called the Monsters Return.

Frankenstein is a showcase theme in the Monsters Return, along with games modeled on the Bride of Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man and Dracula.

Above its five reels, Frankenstein features Light and Wonder's Cash Top. The top includes a field of rectangles displaying credit awards along with six progressive jackpots. The credit awards aren't fixed. If a "Power Up" symbol lands on the first reel below, wins are increased, including Cash Box multipliers.

Reels feature symbols and characters from the classic horror movie. If you land an "It's Alive!" symbol on the first reel and a Frankenstein's monster face on any of the other reels, the monster grabs credit awards from the Cash Box. Monster symbols sometimes are stacked, so a stack of three monsters filling a reel takes multiple Cash Box prizes.

Opportunities are electrified when you land three Free Spins symbols. Then you get 10 free games with heightened chances to grab Cash Box awards and progressive jackpots. It's Alive symbols can be stacked so a stack of three It's Alives means each Frankenstein monster symbol on the reel grabs three prizes.

Frankenstein also has a lock-and-respin bonus where fireballs are locked into place and held until respins bring no more fireballs. Respin bonuses are among the most popular features in slots today, and add another path to big wins in what looks like a monster hit.

This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net.