As we enter the festive season, slot enthusiasts are greeted with a wave of new content from studios attempting to lure players in with Christmas inspired offerings. But how do suppliers stand out in such a saturated market? What approaches lead to strengthened player engagement and acquisition?
In a two part series, SlotBeats spoke with Vsevolod Lapin, Deputy CEO at Playson, Josefin Uppeke, Head of Game Production at ESA Gaming, Ivan Kravchuk, Chief Executive Officer at Evoplay, Brett Jackson, Head of Content at IGT PlayDigital, Bernd Baumert, Director of Games Production and Operations at Greentube, and Alice Timson, Commercial Director at Realistic Games, to get their thoughts on what leads to inspired content during the festive season.
SlotBeats: In the past, festive-themed slots have been seen to lack innovation, having been developed heavily on the back of previous titles. What have you done to ensure your latest release will captivate players and provide a fresh experience to gameplay?
Vsevolod Lapin: Festive-themed slots have resonated strongly with our player base over recent years and so Q4 sees Playson roll out its biggest ever Christmas campaign to elevate the festive mood and provide our slot enthusiasts with seasonal inspired gameplay. In addition to dressing up our top performing mechanics into inspired festive art, we are delighted to introduce 25 Cookies: Hit the Bonus, a revolutionary addition to our player-proven portfolio featuring an original math model and state-of-the-art visuals to tie perfectly with the Christmas season, ensuring slot enthusiasts have brand new gameplay to enjoy.
Josefin Uppeke: With our latest release, Santastic 4, we set out to create a Christmas-themed slot that truly stands out from the typical offerings in the market. Instead of relying on traditional festive elements alone, we introduced a fresh concept: Christmas superheroes. This approach gives players a new narrative that moves beyond the standard holiday motifs, providing an experience that remains engaging throughout the year.
By blending the excitement of superheroes with the festive spirit, we’ve created something that feels original and appealing to a broad audience. The vibrant, comic book-style graphics bring a lively, playful aesthetic that we’re confident will resonate with players looking for a fun and visually striking gaming experience.
Ivan Kravchuk: At Evoplay, we prioritise blending classic holiday elements with innovative gameplay experiences. Guided by this idea, we featured this year’s Christmas-themed games with modern mechanics, numerous bonuses, jackpots, and personalised elements that resonate with a broad audience.
For instance, in our Christmas-themed slot, Mega Merry Gifts, we embrace the nostalgic spirit of the season by showcasing both Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, rather than just one character, along with various rewards. Simultaneously, we’ve developed an instant game with contemporary tap mechanics and many additional features that add a fresh twist to gameplay. These games are designed to create an engaging atmosphere during the holidays, allowing players to share their excitement as they tap away for maximum entertainment.
Brett Jackson: Players are certainly tired of the usual snowflakes and jingle bells, and we understand that Christmas isn’t typically about slot machines. That’s why Gus’s Gold Christmas breaks the mold, offering a fresh, tongue-in-cheek take on the holiday season.
Our southern miner, Gus, is decked out in a Santa suit but still doing what he does best – digging for gold with the help of TNT and dynamite wilds. This unique underground setting, paired with inventive Hold & Win features, keeps the holiday theme while delivering a whole new kind of thrill. It’s Christmas, but with a twist only Gus can bring!
Bernd Baumert: A festive-themed slot can be considered a gift for the player, something that brings them joy and excitement and a sense of coming home. One way to achieve that is of course to look at successful mechanics and present them in a festive set up. Diamond Link – Mighty Santa Boarded Up is a perfect example of that. A well-received character, a proven mechanic plus slight adjustment in math to give the players more top and wild wins which will result in a fresh experience for the audience.
Alice Timson: Habitually, you can expect casino operators to flood the market with festive-themed games and reskins of popular titles. And to meet that demand, our much-loved slot Catch 22 will be back in early December, with an icy new look.
However, we do believe the new Frozen Fortune edition will prove to be highly sustainable as it can be enjoyed throughout the calendar year, not only at Christmas.
The game’s new winter-theming elevates the successful original with a feast of treats that will be sure to engage players old and new. The bold artwork and eye-catching effects are what fans have come to expect from Realistic Games, and we have invested heavily in this area to further enhance the player experience. There will be more to come with our 2025 portfolio, so stay tuned!
Leveraging feedback, we know that our players want more base game features, and this is visible in the animated scatters and the main character, who responds to the gameplay, delivering more engagement.
We have also incorporated the 1-2-Infinity feature, which launched back in May of this year with our Disco themed slot Maxiplier. Paying an additional 100% (2x) of the bet value will see scatters appear on Reels 1 & 2, triggering the Infinity feature and turning them into Wilds. Other key features include the Anticipation Spin – Landing two scatters awards a feature entry: land a free spin symbol on reels 1 and 3 to see the anticipation spin on reels 4, 5 and 6. Land a fisherman symbol in the window and catch all the fish visible. Each price tag is added together and paid to the player.
