First up in November was Iron Bank by Relax Gaming, in collaboration with CasinoGrounds.
During the base game, if players land three bonus symbols it triggers the free spins round. Once activated, players are presented with different heist strategies, each one bringing various levels of volatility.
Players can then select either Sticky Mystery Symbols, Expanding Re-Spin Wilds and Progressive Multiplier Wilds depending on their risk appetite, while a buy feature can take them straight to the height of the heist.
Earlier this week, Simon Hammon, chief product officer at Relax Gaming and Tobias Svensen, CEO of CasinoGrounds, spoke to CasinoBeats to discuss the development process between the two companies and whether community-driven content is igaming’s ‘next big trend’.
“Relax and CasinoGrounds have been working together for some time in our promotional efforts around game releases. When we discussed a potential game collaboration it seemed to just make sense. We are a studio that is pushing for the very highest quality on the market and believe the CasinoGrounds team recognised this commitment early on,” noted Hammon.
“To them, we were a studio that was keen to put their needs first, and we were eager to explore what a collaboration could be. Ultimately, any studio should be focussing on what the end user wants and needs. This was another opportunity to showcase our ambitions to push boundaries and put players first. The project is the first of its kind, and after nearly a year in the works, we are looking forward to unveiling the results.”
Following on from Iron Bank came the hunk-a-burning love in BGaming’s Elvis Frog in Vegas.
During the game, if the player lands three Star Scatter symbols on reels one, three, and five, they are awarded with five free spins. During the free spins round, the reels two, three, and four make one special reel with spinning Giant symbols.
Moreover, the game includes a Coin Respin feature which is activated when six coins appear on the reels in a single spin. This is an additional game that involves only coin symbols, the more a player collects the greater the win will be.
Marina Ostrovtsova, product director at BGaming, noted: “If we speak about regular expectations of players, this will be huge winnings and frequent bonuses – the game is designed in a way that it keeps players involved and entertained.
“If we are talking about supplementary details for every slot – we would say songs like Elvis did it. This is our personal touch and adaptation of the great legend.
“Elvis became a very stable hit, something you do not need to explain. Players love it, and the title itself is quite clear and understandable.”
Up next was SG Digital with its Book of Ultimate Infinity, which was showcased at CasinoBeats’ Slots Festival, and includes its mechanic Infinity Reels.
On any spin, if a minimum of three identical symbols land on reels one, two or three, an extra reel is added to the right. If an identical symbol lands in the extra reel, another reel will be added. This continues until no more identical symbols are seen in the extra reels.
The first addition reel awards a 2x multiplier and with each successive reel the multiplier is increased.
Within the base game is a Book symbol. This is the Scatter. At the start of every spin a reel is randomly selected to contain the Book. Once it’s revealed, the player is awarded ten Free Spins.
Rob Procter, content director, digital at Scientific Games, commented: “We’re really excited to unveil our new game Book of Ultimate Infinity and the reaction we have received from the industry has been fantastic.
“The game includes the innovative Infinity Reels mechanic from ReelPlay that ramps up the gaming experience by adding more reels during the gameplay, while the combination of the ‘Book of’ genre is sure to make the slot appealing to a wide audience.
“Being named Slot of the Week by SlotBeats is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the OpenGaming team in delivering a quality game.”
Green Jade Games claimed our next SOTW with its skill-based title Casino Blocks.
Based on Green Jade’s flagship skill-based arcade game, Jade Puzzle, Casino Blocks is said to perform similar to a slot with the bet per move cadence Green Jade first introduced with its Candy Prize BIG title.
During the game, players are given a random series of shapes which they must fit into the grid. Additionally, there is also a mini slot bonus round that appears from time to time, giving players the chance to ramp up their winnings through various multipliers.
Mark Taffler, CCO at Green Jade Games, said: “We founded the business in order to change the industry. We stand by that mission statement and we’re extremely proud of Casino Blocks.
“Jade Puzzle was and still is a huge success, however, as with every new concept, we must adapt to the market forces.
“We saw with Candy Prize and Candy Prize BIG that different markets react differently to these skill games.
“Bet In Game is a feature we will now roll out on our skill games as it helps the game to engender itself to the existing player base, whilst attracting a new audience with its UX.”
