Infinity Reels is a mechanic in which every winning spin adds a new reel to the right-hand side of the grid, and the game keeps adding reels for as long as each new one produces a further win. It was developed by ReelPlay and is licensed to other studios.
What Infinity Reels is
An Infinity Reels game starts with a small number of reels, often three, and pays on a ways-to-win basis. Rather than having a fixed width, the grid can grow sideways during a single spin. Each added reel is another chance to extend existing wins and create new ways. When a new reel does not continue any winning combination, the spin ends and the grid returns to its starting size.
How it works, step by step
- You place your stake for the spin.
- The starting reels stop and wins are checked from the left.
- If there is a win, a new reel is added on the right and spins in.
- The game checks whether the new reel extends any winning combination. Each extension is a longer, usually higher-paying, way.
- If it does, another reel is added. If it does not, the sequence stops and all wins are paid.
Since the number of ways is the product of the symbols on every reel, each added reel multiplies the ways count. A grid that reaches several extra reels can show a very large figure on screen.
Common variations
- Reel multipliers: many games attach a multiplier that rises with each new reel, applied to wins on that step.
- Free spins: reaching a certain number of reels in one sequence, or landing scatters, commonly triggers free spins, where the multiplier may not reset between spins.
- Wilds on new reels: wilds on added reels help a sequence continue.
- Starting width: some games start with more reels, or add a row as well as a reel.
What it does to the maths and the feel
Most spins end quickly, because a new reel has to match something to keep going. The return is concentrated in the occasional long sequence, especially when a growing multiplier is attached. That gives Infinity Reels games a wide spread of outcomes, the kind usually described as high volatility.
The large ways numbers shown during a long sequence are a by-product of the multiplication, not a measure of value. Every possible sequence length is built into the game's RTP, so the long-run return is the same whether a given session sees a long run or none at all. A sequence ending is not a sign that the next one is due.
Rules in Great Britain
Infinity Reels games are available on GB-licensed sites under the normal stake limits. The game design rules from 31 October 2021 apply, including the 2.5 second minimum per spin and the ban on turbo play. A long sequence of added reels is still a single game cycle paid on one stake, and the result is shown together with your net position for the session.
Questions people ask
Is there really no limit to the number of reels?
The mechanic has no fixed reel cap in its basic form; the sequence ends when a new reel fails to extend a win. In practice long sequences are rare, and each game can set its own rules.
Who created Infinity Reels?
Infinity Reels was developed by ReelPlay, which licenses it to other studios. Games using it usually carry the name in the title.
Do I pay extra for each new reel?
No. The extra reels are part of the same spin and are covered by the stake you placed for it.