Slots are popular casino games that offer an exciting and fun way to win big prizes. But before you start playing, it’s important to understand how these games work.

The first thing you need to do is determine the theme of your slot game. This will help you choose symbols, features, and bonuses. You’ll also need to make sure your slot game is compatible with different devices and languages, so you can cater to a global audience.

Symbols are the basic icons or illustrations that appear on slot reels. They vary depending on the theme of the game, but classic symbols include fruits, bells, and stylized lucky sevens.

Paylines are virtual lines across the slot’s reels, indicating how many matching symbols need to appear on them in order to win. They’re usually listed in the game’s help screen.

Wilds are special symbols that substitute for other symbols to create winning combinations. They may also trigger a bonus round.

Scatters are symbols that don’t need to appear on an active payline to trigger a bonus. They often activate a bonus round or free spins feature.

A random number generator (RNG) is used in most slot machines, and it generates a series of numbers each time you spin the reels. This is the most impartial type of random number generator because it does not predict the outcome of previous spins.