Slot games have come a long way since their inception in the late 19th century. With the advent of the digital age, they’ve moved from mechanical to digital formats. And graphic design has played a significant role in this evolution, particularly in regards to the actual symbols.
Fruity Beginnings
Some of the early mechanical slot machines evolved from smaller countertop devices that were often installed by shopkeepers. These machines dispensed gum and candy instead of cash prizes. As a result, their reels were decorated with brightly-coloured fruit symbols to match the flavour of the gum that they’d dispense.
As slot machines became more widespread, manufacturers continued to use these fruit symbols even when cash prizes were introduced. Thus, symbols such as cherries, bananas and lemons have become synonymous with reel spinning.
Over time, their
design has evolved, with designers creating more elaborate and stylized versions of the classic symbols. Nevertheless, many modern slot games still feature them, albeit with a more modern twist.
Aces High
The first bona fide slot machine was the Liberty Bell,
invented by Charles Fey in 1895. The design of the machine was simple. But instead of fruit iconography, the reels were adorned with horseshoes, diamonds and spades.
Although horseshoes aren’t really seen on slot machines anymore, playing card symbols are extensively used, especially with online variants. Typically, they’re used to represent low-value symbols and are also easy to recognise and differentiate.
Electrification and the Rise of the Bar Symbol
In the 1930s, slot machines became electrified, allowing for more complex game-play mechanics, hence the introduction of new symbols. One of the most enduring symbols to emerge from this era was the bar symbol, which was originally used to represent the logo of the Bell-Fruit Gum Company.
The bar symbol quickly became a standard feature and was often used in conjunction with fruit symbols to create more complex payout structures. For example, a machine might pay out a small prize for getting two cherries and one bar symbol, while a larger prize might be awarded for getting three bar symbols in a row.
Computer-Generated Graphics
However, it wasn't until the 1980s that slot machine symbols truly evolved. With the introduction of video slot machines that utilised computer-generated graphics, designers were able to create symbols that were more varied and complex.
Video slot machines used a wide range of symbols, from classic fruit symbols to more modern and abstract images relating specifically to a game’s theme.
Although primitive by today’s lofty standards, the use of computer graphics in the 1980s was a turning point. It was during this period that special symbols such as wilds and scatters were first introduced.
The Rise of Character Symbols
Fast forward to the 2010s and online slot gaming had started to captivate web-based gamers. The proliferation of these games across iGaming sites, as listed on portals such as
WDW Bingo, truly gathered pace when HTML 5 replaced Flash later that decade. Developers finally had at their disposal a powerful tool with which to craft online slot games. This resulted in the introduction of video-game styled theming as well as officially branded content.
Because of this, character symbols slowly became the norm. Tied to a personality or storyline, these types of reel symbols encourage engagement among players and make for a more immersive experience, especially when reel animations are included.
Given the vast improvements in slot game design, it says a great deal about the original inventors of mechanical slots, whose symbols are still in use to this day.
