Pet peeves, everyone has them! You know those things that grind your gears or irritate you without much effort? That’s a pet peeve.
Everyday pet peeves like chewing loudly or talking loudly on the phone are normal, but what about pet peeves when it comes to fun?
Yes, even though we have favourite activities, sometimes there are parts of them we don’t like. Many people enjoy the gym and the endorphins they receive from a good workout, but hate the stretches and the warm-ups.
This is similar to slots. Everyone enjoys the sounds of winning on the reels, but some hate the build-up to get there.
But what are the top pet peeves of people annoyed about slots?
1: Too Many Near Misses
Without a doubt, one of the most annoying things when playing slots is too many near misses. For players playing the long game, spinning two big win symbols and then the third landing on a symbol with no value is very irritating.
Near miss sequences are programmed into slots, and although slot outcomes are random, having too many near misses in a game feels manipulative, even though it’s not. In many countries, the mechanic is banned because of this viewpoint and because, ethically, it is considered wrong, as it encourages players to keep playing, because they’re convinced losses mean they are close to a gain.
However, that is not true; they are technically neither closer to a win nor a loss because outcomes follow no pattern.
Think of if you’re the player spinning the reels for hours, and you think you’re close to your big break, and then you find out you’re just being teased. That is rough!
2: Long Winning Animations
We all love a good casino bonus round, but do we love watching the drawn-out animations from wins? Not really.
Slots use bright colours and jingles when players win because they’re catchy and fun, but sometimes they’re too long.
Sometimes the animations triggered with wins can be repetitive if they happen often, like on low volatility slots.
Although frequent wins are popular among players wanting to protect their bankroll, the novelty of them wears off after a while, especially when you can’t skip the animations. It’s like cutscenes in video games that you can’t skip, where the dialogue is pointless and long.
When playing slots, animations are meant to build momentum for your win, not bore you to tears.
3: Small Wins Which Masquerade As Large Ones
It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it is the worst. Slots are divided into low, medium, and high volatility, and developers state the volatility of the slot somewhere in the information section of the game.
Now, we aren’t talking about casinos trying to shaft their customers, but rather when the game celebrations don’t match your win. For example, playing a low volatility slot, and you win something like 50p. Some slots will still greet you with the typical jingles and fanfares like you just won a jackpot.
While we understand the need to create an atmosphere, having these kinds of animations for small wins does not fit the vibe of the slot, and it almost feels patronising. Masquerading small wins as big ones is not something any slot fan should have to deal with.
The use of the sounds and the animations is meant to keep dopamine flowing, but for seasoned players, the over-the-top approach for small wins is more than annoying.
4: Confusing and Unclear Rules
A bit more of a broad one, but we hate when slots have weird rules that aren’t easy to understand. Modern slots rely on a multitude of paylines, mechanics, symbols, and bonuses to stand out amongst the competition.
Because of this, players sometimes find it hard to keep up with the rules and which symbols correspond to which payouts. If you can’t understand the paytable, how can you know anything about the game?
Rules in slots should be clearly displayed in the terms and conditions, as should the paytable and which values equal which payout.
Innovative slots are great for added gameplay, but they can sometimes be overly confusing to the point where the slot isn’t fun anymore.
For example, layered or tiered bonus systems where players go through levels to unlock chances to win jackpots make the games feel inaccessible.
However, these games are usually designed with high-rollers in mind, and adding that exclusivity element can be part of the appeal.
Either way, there should be a balance between innovation and understanding, so nobody gets confused on the reels.
5: Bonus Features And Rewards That Never Seem To Trigger
While you can have triggers that occur often if you’re lucky, all you receive is tumbleweeds. Random features are great for mixing up gameplay, and this often happens in the case of multipliers, cascading reels, and other bonus features.
Many slot providers are experts at delivering bonus features, and they use them to make the games interesting. However, sometimes these features feel like background music, because they become almost invisible.
In this case, the features never trigger or appear, and the slot feels disingenuous. Assuming you advertise these bonus features or symbols in the promotions for the slot, why are they not front and center?
There is no rulebook on how often bonus features need to trigger, but if you never see them, their presence is pointless. You may spin hundreds of times before you see the symbol or bonus once, and players find themselves anticipating something they won’t get.
In some slots, there will be one symbol or feature that will be marketed to disrupt the balance of gameplay, but if you don’t see them, it feels like a huge letdown. In other words, what this tells players is that you have to play for hours and hours to be in with a chance of this winning symbol or triggering this bonus feature.
Consequently, the feature or the symbol becomes more annoying than it is fun.
