In the online slots market, developers are searching for new and innovative ways to engage players. From branded slots to community jackpots, slots designers have thought up a number of new innovations that tend to cross the boundaries between casino games and social games.

A recent trend sees developers attempting to attracting more casual gamers, as they are modelling their online slots on social and arcade game platforms.

SugarPop

The latest example of this trend is BetSoft’s new Sugar Pop online slots game. If the game looks familiar, that is probably because it is. Sugar Pop has adopted the same cute colourful look of social games like Candy Crush, Fairy Tale Twist and Bejeweled.

The game is laid out on a 5x5 grid and the symbols are different types of candy. Instead of having a set of reels that are spun, the symbols fall from the top of the screen. As winning combinations are made, the winning symbols disappear and new symbols fall into their places.

With each winning combination, the player’s level metre increases until they level up. With each level brings better prizes and ‘special candies’.

At level 2, the Caramel Chew Candy eats away at random symbols to help encourage wins.

At level 15, the Chocolate will form a 3x3 box and crush all candies within it.

There are a total of nine Special Candies that players can earn as they level up.

Hexaline

Hexaline is a slot machine from Microgaming that offers up quite unique gameplay features.

The game may look complex but the objective is actually very simple. The goal of Hexaline is to form a path of like-coloured hexagons from one end of the board to the other.

Each coloured hexagon is worth a different value, which is totalled when a path is completed. To help encourage wins, wild symbols can be triggered.

Cubis

Cryptologic’s Cubis is another arcade style slots game that takes place on a 3-dimensional grid. When the Play button is hit, coloured cubes fall into the grid. When four like-coloured cubes form a line on particular paylines, then the player wins a prize.

Those cubes then disappear and new cubes fall into their places. As such, multiple winning combinations can be made. There are also cubes that multiply prizes if they are involved in a winning line.

You can play Cubis for free at Slots Temple.