- Variety games are a genre of casino games with fast, strategy-light gameplay.
- Some of the most popular types of variety games are crash games, Keno, bingo, and fast paced games.
- Live dealer variety games like game shows focus on aesthetics and unique game mechanics.
There are many genres of online casino games in Canada. While players are probably familiar with slots or table games, variety casino games, which also include online casino arcade games, are a fast-growing genre. Many variety games are only possible digitally, while some others adapt popular lottery-style games for online play.
Variety games are a great choice for players new to online casinos, or for casual players focusing on fun over strategy. Find out more about the many variety games available in Canada with this online casino guide.
What Are Variety Games?
“Variety games” is an umbrella term that covers many different types of gameplay in casino games. Broadly, variety games are everything else an online casino offers that doesn’t fall under traditional popular casino game genres, such as slots or table games. As specialty casino games, variety games can offer totally different experiences.
However, one thing most variety games have in common is that they specialize in fast-paced action with minimal strategy. This makes variety games great for new or casual players who only want a round of play that often lasts only a few seconds, and who don’t want to memorize strategy charts or optimize their bets. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but they’re less common and are usually reserved for live dealer titles.
Types of Online Casino Variety Games
As mentioned, variety games include a range of distinct casino game types. Here are the most popular types of variety games with tips to help players decide if a specific subgenre is right for them.
Crash Games
Crash games are a subgenre in which players place a bet to start. Then a multiplier slowly rises, before eventually “crashing” and dropping back to zero. This “crash” can happen at any point because of the game’s random number generator, so players try to cash out their bets with as high a multiplier as possible before they crash and lose the bet. Crash games rely on tense, quick-reaction gameplay, while the randomness of when the multiplier crashes makes every round feel completely different.
Keno
Online keno mimics offline lottery draws, letting players choose several winning numbers to bet on, then randomly drawing a fixed set of numbers from a pool. Each number drawn that matches a player’s selection increases the player’s payout. Keno’s results are completely random, but letting players choose their numbers adds interactivity that can appeal to strategy-forward playstyles.
Bingo
Bingo is the quintessential lottery-style game — each wager buys the player another bingo card, with a random array of numbers. During the game, numbers are drawn from a pool. As numbers are announced, players mark them off on their bingo cards. Connect a line of numbers to win a prize. In online bingo, cards are marked automatically, so once players choose their cards, they just start the round and sit back and relax. Bingo makes for light entertainment with no strategy required.
Plinko
Plinko originated on the TV show “The Price Is Right” but has since been adapted for online casinos. Players drop tokens down a pyramid of pegs, with the token bouncing off the pegs in random directions, hoping they land in pockets with higher multipliers. Plinko casino games often allow players to customize the base wager and volatility, making Plinko a highly adaptable variety game that can cater to several playstyles at once.
Live Dealer Variety Games
Several live dealer titles introduce totally unique variety games rather than digitizing a pre-existing table game. These live variety games include immersive game shows, lottery-style draws, or imitations of real-life TV shows like Deal or No Deal. One notable feature is that live dealer variety games pull out the stops on design — expect immersive studio sets, elaborately costumed hosts, and custom animated graphics that enhance the experience.
Variety Games at BetMGM Canada
Now that this type of casino game has been explained, players might want to know more about some of the hundreds of variety games available to play online. Some of the games available at BetMGM Casino Canada in Ontario and Alberta include:
