In 2025, with a relentless wave of new slot releases, it’s easy for developers to get lost in the noise. But Thunderkick has shown that sequels can be the key to standing out from the crowd.
Speaking to SlotBeats at SBC Summit Lisbon, the company’s Head of Account Management, Johan Granberg, details how games like Pink Elephant, currently in its third iteration, are benefiting from brand recognition.
“There are so many games being released now from a growing number of studios. I think if people see something that they recognise, they’re more likely to try it out,” he explained.
“You’re getting drowned in content now. There are probably 250 games being released every month at least, so it’s crucial to stand out and I think that’s why providers do a lot of sequels.
“Pink Elephants is the perfect example. When players see the third iteration in game lobbies, the familiarity with the franchise means they’re more likely to click on that than if it was a completely new game.
Forging its own path
Thunderkick remains independent despite the continued rise of global juggernauts, and Granberg extolls the virtues of the developer forging its own path in the clogged iGaming space.
“I would say independence is one of our strongest assets,” he said. “All of Thunderkick is independent. Every one of us is under the same roof, and ideas float around all the time.
“Being independent has its challenges, but I think in the end it really works in our favour. We have complete freedom to build whatever we want, whenever we want, without creative restrictions from a bigger company.”
What that means is that nothing is off limits, and qualities such as “quirky” and “weird” are embraced as Thunderkick aims to create titles that stand out.
“The major benefit, as I have said, is that creative freedom. We pursue our ideas and execute the vision with no investor interfering with our processes,” Granberg concluded.
“If we have a fun, wacky game idea, we can pursue that. If we want to enter a new market, we can look into that as well. That is a major, major benefit.
“We’re not controlled by the shareholders in that sense. We just need to evaluate a good market, build a good game concept, and then put our all into making it happen.”
