Thanks to the internet, slot games have seen an explosion in popularity. Competition and innovation followed, as developers took pointers from other creative spaces and used engaging settings and fantastical themes in their games. Here’s a breakdown of this clever creative marketing tactic and how storytelling can be built into a century-old game formula.
Themes In Slot Games
A slot’s theme is one of its core features, determining its background and even the symbols on its reels. Themes are typically chosen based on consumer interest, forming clearly identifiable trends. Every developer has had a try at old favorites like Ancient Egypt, Caribbean Pirates, or the Wild West. Mining is also popular, where characters pull gold or gems out of the ground.
While these older themes have persisted, there’s also a wide catalog of mythology-inspired slots or even horror-themed varieties. This wide selection of themes in iGaming can be seen in Betfair best slots, for example, where games like Bonanza are set in a gold mine while Blood & Shadow has a gothic horror theme, along with Return of the Green Knight which is based on the Arthurian legend.
Needless to say, iGaming casts a wide net over many kinds of settings and stories. Themes are best used to make slots more interesting with a splash of new color and new symbols. Often, they prioritize a customer’s expectations of the theme more than historical accuracy, buying into common misconceptions like Vikings wore horned helmets. Themes go a long way to keep slot fans engaged, though they can fall shy of telling a story. To do that, clever developers combine the theme of their game with longstanding mechanics, introducing a sense of progression.
Telling A Story
The simplest formula for a modern iGaming slot game goes like this – during the main game, the player spins and may trigger free spins. This enters a special mode where the grid, symbols, or underlying values attached to symbols change. After, the game returns to normal.
Some games use random symbols during the main game. These are bonuses that aren’t locked behind scatters, they can trigger on any spin. Some themes allow these to be used more effectively. For example, a slot themed around a fantasy journey can name these symbols appropriately to play into tropes straight out of Writer’s Digest, like acquiring a helpful weapon or trinket.
Having explained free spins, that brings us to the bonus round. Sometimes, the term free spins and bonus rounds are used interchangeably. However, other games have both free spins and the bonus game. This means that developers can include more unique symbols and mechanics you don’t see in other games.
Some of these free spins and bonuses come with a change in scenery. The background will change, sometimes as simple as a setting going from day to night. It’s used best when things are ramping up, much like the action in the game itself. For example, a game like Release the Kraken where pirates search for the legendary sea creature. The main game is set on the ocean floor but, when the free spins get activated, a battle with the Kraken begins.
Using these two fundamentals of online slot games, it’s possible for slots to introduce events and climaxes into the little story they have set up. It allows developers to add a dash of creativity by writing a story, where the slot is used to turn the page.
Last Updated on by Icy Tales Team