Best 20 Paylines Slots (Highest RTP/Payouts): Guide + Full List
There were times, a few decades ago, when 3 paylines slots (3rows x 3 reels layout) used to be classic ones, being widely spread at land-based casinos.
20 paylines slots, I would say, are the classic of modern days, at least the last decade, and they have been dominating the online gambling industry so far.
With that being said, let’s:
discuss what makes 20 paylines slots special
name 5 Best slots ever (in my humble opinion)
find out how 20 paylines in place affect RTP, Volatility and Winning hit frequency (the most important parameters of slot games)
Before moving forward, let’s also take a look at a list of 20 paylines slots.
Best Paying (RTP) Slots with 20 Paylines
Full list of 20 paylines slots
What’s special about 20 paylines video slots
5 reels x 3 rows layout is used nine times out of ten,
so many of them are products of the leaders of the industry, such as, Netent, Microgaming, Yggdrasil,
there are quite many older games among them so some of them look a bit (or not just a bit) outdated,
new fancy features (Cascading reels, Buy bonus, etc.) are not often implemented in 20 paylines slots,
20 paylines slots might be very different in terms of every parameter as there are many hundreds of them on the market. So to say, there are many 20 paylines slots with high RTP (97%+) and literally every level of volatility,
there are 20 paylines slots that allow players to adjust the number of active paylines,
some 20 paylines slots come with the double-up feature,
progressive jackpot is also implemented in some 20 paylines games.
Best 5 online slots with 20 paylines (of all time)
Guns n’ Roses (Netent)
Play Guns n’ Roses for real money
Guns n’ Roses is a branded Netent game, as you have concluded based on popular rock band theme. It has a very high RTP, super close to 97% which makes the game very appealing for casino players. On top of Free spins and Multiplier, the slot also has a Bonus game as a separate round implemented so there is a lot of fun playing this slot.
Paylines: 20 RTP: 96.98% Volatility: Medium-low Free spins: Yes Multiplier: Yes
Maximum possible win: x1,125 (of your stake)
Mighty Arthur (Quickspin)
Play Mighty Arthur for real money
Mighty Arthur is a Quickspin product, which is a top quality software producer. The RTP of the game is very close to 97% (as the previous one). Don’t be misled by a relatively low maximum possible win (x621) as the slot has medium-high volatility level. I think this is the case due to the expanding Wild feature.
Paylines: 20 RTP: 96.94% Volatility: medium-high Free spins: Yes Multiplier: No
Maximum possible win: x621 (of your stake)
Holmes and the stolen stones (Yggdrasil)
Play Holmes and the stolen stones for real money
Holmes and the stolen stones is a perfectly made slot of one of my favorite software providers, Yggdrasil gaming. It has low volatility and relatively low maximum possible win. However, the game comes with a local progressive jackpot, which definitely brings much more fun to the table.
Paylines: 20 RTP: 96.8% Volatility: Low Free spins: Yes Multiplier: yes
Maximum possible win: x750 (of your stake)
Honey Honey Honey! (Pragmatic)
Play Honey Honey Honey! for real money
Honey Honey Honey! is a very colorful and well animated Pragmatic slot. It has a good balance between the volatility level and the maximum possible win (x800 of your total bet). The bet level can be set at 0.20 EUR at minimum and 100 EUR at maximum so the slot is suitable for any bankroll.
Paylines: 20 RTP: 96.5% Volatility: Medium Free spins: Yes Multiplier: No
Maximum possible win: x800 (of your stake)
Creature from the Black lagoon (Netent)
Play Creature from the Black lagoon for real money
Creature from the Black lagoon is a movie based Netent video slot. What makes it special is the relatively high maximum possible win of x3,750 of your stake. The volatility level is high as a result of it which makes the game a bit more preferable for casino players to play. The RTP of the game is quite decent (96.5%), and when it comes to graphics and sound effects, they are truly amazing (one of my favorite slots, would call it the favorite if the RTP were a bit higher).
Paylines: 20 RTP: 96.5% Volatility: High Free spins: Yes Multiplier: No
Maximum possible win: x3,750 (of your stake)
20 paylines’ impact on RTP, Volatility and Winning hit frequency
I guess nobody will argue that RTP, Volatility and Winning hit frequency are the most important parameters of online slots which are affecting overall gaming experience in a big way. Let’s find out how those guys are getting affected (if at all) by the fact that some slot game has 20 paylines.
How does 20 paylines paytable impact RTP?
There is neither correlation nor causation between 20 paylines paytable and RTP. So to speak, you can easily come across 20 paylines slots having amazing RTP of 97%+ or meager RTP of around 94% or even lower. So you need to check up on this parameter every time you are about to grab a new game, the same as usual though.
How does 20 paylines paytable impact Volatility?
There is also no connection between 20 paylines paytable and the Volatility level of a particular slot game. Due to the fact that there are hundreds and hundreds of 20 paylines slots on the market, you can easily get whatever volatility level you prefer. I would recommend high volatility 20 paylines slots (link), and here I have elaborated on why so.
How does 20 paylines paytable impact Winning hit frequency?
The winning hit frequency and 20 paylines paytable coexist independently as well as 2 previous parameters. However, on average 20 paylines slots tend to have the winning hit frequency of around 20-30% (as the majority of online slots do).
It has turned out that 20 paylines paytable does not directly affect any important parameter, which is a rare thing to have actually.
Final thoughts
20 paylines slots is a good balance between classic, not too complicated layout and engaging gameplay (all classic bonus features such as Free spins, Bonus game and Multipliers are often can be met in 20 paylines games). Therefore, there are mostly advantages of 20 paylines slots.
Pros of 20 paylines slots:
many offers from reliable software providers
many offers in general so everybody can grab high RTP slot with any volatility level and theme on top of that
though it is classic of nowadays, gameplay is diverse enough so that 20 paylines slots often come with Free spins and Multipliers at a very least
there are progressive jackpot slots with 20 paylines on the market, meaning that you can compete for even life-changing wins
Cons of 20 paylines slots:
a bit boring 5 reels x 3 rows layout is often used
modern fascinating features (like Cascading reels or Buy bonus game) is not what you can normally expect playing 20 paylines slots
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