Oscar the Coin Gobbler took centre stage in the latest Beyond the Reels episode as Amusnet Game Producer Plamen Slavov walked viewers through the studio’s first-ever cluster slot, Coin Gobbler.
Coin Gobbler presents players with a 6×6 grid where wins are formed through clusters of six or more identical symbols. Players can win up to x6,000 their stake through bonus features such as guaranteed wilds and free spins.
Explaining how the studio took a different approach to the art style for Coin Gobbler as opposed to its previous release Cavemen and Dinosaurs, Slavov referred to “a new visual direction”.
“We wanted to explore a new visual direction for this game to better align with the unique theme and elevate the overall player experience,” he stated.
“Our commitment to delivering high-quality games with intriguing themes and striking visuals by experimenting with various art styles will not only keep content fresh and engaging, but also broaden our appeal to a diverse player base.”
Detailing the inspiration behind the slot’s use of Oscar, the Coin Gobbler character, Slavov said: “The inspiration behind the Coin Gobbler game and the character Oscar was multi-faced. We aimed to create a game that would appeal to a broader audience while maintaining the charm of traditional fruit games.
“With this in mind, we introduced Oscar, the Coin Gobbler, a respectful, honest and confident character to engage a diverse player base. Oscar’s well-balanced sense of humour, characterised with wit and playfulness, ensures that he resonates with players and adds an element of fun to the game.”
Later on in the interview, Slavov explains why Amusnet decided to branch out into cluster-paying slots for the first time with Coin Gobbler, stating: “Slot games are here to stay, that’s a fact, but recently we noticed there is a slight change in direction.
“It seems the players are seeking new and fresh mechanics and themes. So, cluster games bring that fresh feel to slots by introducing new mechanics. In a way, we are only trying to give the players what they need, what they want.”
Looking into the features on offer in Coin Gobbler’s free spins feature, Slavov continued: “The free spins feature can be triggered when four or more coins land on the screen, or by purchasing it through the buy bonus button of course.
“When the feature is active, players receive six free spins and a progression indicator appears next to the slot. Wild symbols are always present on the screen, changing to a random position on each spin.
“The wild collects each coin on the screen and for every four coins collected it increases its size for the remaining free spins. Additionally, one to three extra free spins are awarded. This way we introduce a progressive feature where the player is working toward bigger wild symbols and more free spins.”
To see Slavov describe the importance of buy bonus functionalities, pull back the curtain on Amusnet’s successful releases over the course of 2024 and an appearance from Oscar himself, click the video above.
