SlotBeats recently had the pleasure of viewing a Relax Gaming showcase as the award winning supplier pulled back the curtain on its 2024 flagship title.
Ancient Tumble, the 15th addition to the ongoing Tumble series, represents another popular title, claiming our recent Slot of the Week award, and one that will surely maintain Relax’s momentum for hit after hit.
Anders Lokrantz, Head of Studio, and Kunal PatelSmith, Game Production Director, give the lowdown on just why this latest release will resonate with players, as well as touching upon the challenges that accompany such a major release.
SlotBeats: To start, could you tell us a little about the title and touch upon the inspiration behind it?
Anders Lokrantz: Ancient Tumble is an immersive slot game set in one of the ancient temples deep in the Cambodian jungle. The inspiration for the title reverts to the rich cultural heritage and architectural marvels of ancient Cambodia, illustrated by the lush rainforest backdrop and upbeat soundtrack to help create a captivating atmosphere, transporting players to a world of mystique and adventure.
We feel as soon as a player sees this game they can resonate with other releases from the Tumble portfolio, although we consider this to be the best one to date, unparalleled with anything else on the market by bringing the best Tumble features into one hard-hitting release.
SB: This is the first Tumble title to feature multiple different upgrade spins within the base game. Why was this decision made, and what difference will it make for players?
Kunal PatelSmith: Ultimately, we wanted to bring everything that is great about Tumble into one! Over the past few years, it seems that the base games on numerous slots have started to lack excitement, and the only driving force was to hunt for free spins or a bonus game.
Players want to be entertained, and there needs to be a level of thrill that keeps them there. When creating Ancient Tumble, we saw the opportunity to push the boundaries in terms of game features and inject some fresh energy to crank up the excitement amongst players.
For instance, the decision to include multiple upgrade spins within the base game was made to enhance player engagement. This variety not only increases the entertainment value of the slot, but also boosts the potential for winning, making each spin more thrilling and rewarding for the player. This even makes the maximum win in Ancient Tumble achievable in the base game.
SB: Why was this direction, Tumble, taken when planning how to approach this year’s flagship release?
AL: The Tumble mechanic was chosen for this year’s flagship release because it aligns with our goal of creating player-engaging games. The Tumble series has consistently performed well, and by expanding on this concept with multiple upgrade spins, we aimed to enhance the player experience.
This approach allows us to deliver a game that stands out in terms of both gameplay and visual appeal, ensuring it meets the high expectations of a flagship release from Relax Gaming.
It takes rigorous planning to execute a release of this nature and with such an experienced team behind the creation, development and delivery of the game, we knew we had the talent to bring a flagship production to the market successfully.
SB: Ramped-up design and production elements are clearly evident within Ancient Tumble. Could you talk us through how intensely this has been approached within those processes?
AL: The design and production of Ancient Tumble involved an intense and meticulous process. Our team was given the freedom to explore creative ideas, aiming for the highest quality possible.
We added intricate details in the game’s graphics, sound design, and mechanics to create an immersive experience. While maintaining a balance between creativity and overall great game design, we ensured that every aspect of the game was polished to perfection in order to bring ‘the best of Tumble’ to life.
SB: What pressure does having to produce a flagship title of the year bring? And what is the level of difficulty in ensuring that such high standards are upheld?
KPS: Relax Gaming is an igaming powerhouse in terms of both the quantity and the quality of content we release. All Relax productions start with no ceiling. Our talented teams continue to ‘drive differentiation’ and we’ve become a well-oiled machine to produce both high-quality games on a regular basis.
Everyone knows you can’t make a flagship game by doing the same thing, so we have to be creative in order to stand out from the crowd in a competitive market. At Relax, we all share the same goal to always produce the best slot games and this year it’s no different.
SB: How have you found that Tumble games perform compared to other Relax blockbuster releases? Maybe those as part of a series like Money Train.
AL: Tumble games have consistently performed well, often becoming market favourites. The Tumble series, with titles like Temple Tumble and Templar Tumble, has established a strong following due to its engaging mechanics and exciting gameplay which we’ve managed to take to a whole new level.
Each blockbuster release serves it’s own purpose, Money Train was a huge hit in its own right which we take huge pride from. Likewise, Tumble games continue to go from strength to strength which is why we decided to pour our efforts into Ancient Tumble as our flagship release now that the Money Train series has concluded.
SB: The title has been well received early on, before release to market. How much hope does this give that it will resonate with players across geographies?
KPS: Seeing the excitement levels of Ancient Tumble has already confirmed what we had hoped for. You never really know in the midst of producing a game if you are taking the right direction or decision, but seeing the hype it’s already made gives us the confidence that we have created a great game.
We believe that once the player gets the game in their hands and experiences the feature-rich appeal of the slot, they’ll truly appreciate the outstanding qualities of the slot.
SB: Talking about geographies. Have you found that Tumble games perform particularly well within specific regions? Or do you expect Ancient Tumble to deliver across the board results within the areas that it is released?
KPS: From what we have seen, the Tumble series tends to work well within Europe, specifically within the UK, Finland, and Netherlands. We expect Ancient Tumble to do the same, but we have high hopes that the game will resonate with players across the globe, as it does have something for everyone.
