Game Design Journal

How our games work and the ideas behind them: mechanics explained, design notes and the thinking that shapes each world.

A Monaco win celebration: Le Patron and Scarlett with dice and cards on a HIGH ROLLER banner and a gold payout number over the reels.

What are tumbling reels? How cascading wins work

Tumbling reels, also called cascading reels, let a single spin pay more than once. Here's how the mechanic works, with Monaco's 1,024-ways board as the example.