Since the emergence of powerful smartphones and tablets, online casinos blossomed and exploded into a vast, multi-billion-dollar global industry. Players worldwide are accessing games such as roulette, live dealer blackjack, and poker. But some of the most popular and enduring options in online casinos are slot games, and thanks to the advancements in both mobile gaming development and smartphone capabilities, we’re seeing slots emerge that feature themes of all kinds, and incorporate the kind of cutting-edge graphics and advanced gameplay options we tend to associate with traditional video gaming.
A glance at any online casino will tell you that some themes are more popular. So what makes a great slot theme, and which are the most popular? Let’s take a look.
Most Popular Genres
You can find slot games in all shapes and sizes, but some genres have proven so successful that they’ve launched massive franchises, spin-offs, and countless imitators. The best example is Ancient Egypt, with the Eye of Horus, Cleopatra themes, Pyramids, and Gods. You’ll also find plenty of games set in Ancient Rome and many Incan and Aztec-themed slots. Fishing is the other theme that ranks among the most popular, namely Fishin ‘ Frenzy, which is played widely on various bingo apps with countless variations featuring different settings, objectives, and gameplay.
There are plenty of options for fans of more traditional family boardgames too — just as Monopoly made a smooth transition onto our PCs and consoles, fans of slots will find plenty of options that use the classic game as a backdrop for dynamic gameplay. Other favorites, such as Cluedo and Battleship, have also made their way into the fast-paced world of slot games.
A Blank Canvas?
The appeal of slots has always come from their inherent simplicity, fast gameplay, and dynamic interface. This is true of both slot machines in bricks-and-mortar casinos, and online, where they became firm favorites on early websites. Their popularity has endured, and complexity has grown, to include themes that range from ancient history through to sports and the wider world of popular culture.
The simplicity of the game offers something of a blank canvas for designers and developers to work with, meaning that some slots have a distinctive visual identity and the potential for groundbreaking graphics. Titles displayed on online casinos are designed to be not only visually stunning but also fast-loading and responsive.
Visual Identity
Slots are fast-paced and dynamic by nature, and the in-game bonuses and other features are often powered by the Megaways technology pioneered by Big Time Gaming, widely adopted by many slot developers. This allows for real-time reel modification, and that means a whole wealth of new symbols. Therefore, themes that have a rich variety of icons are ideal for slots. For instance, the many iterations of the Eye of Horus slot use references to Egypt, like hieroglyphics, pyramids, and sphinxes, to enhance the graphics and make the user experience more visually compelling.
Backgrounds can also be dynamic, and add to a more immersive gaming experience — take classic Gonzo’s Quest as a good example (and its sister game Gonzita’s Quest). Set against a rich backdrop of the Amazonian jungle as the conquistador searches for the lost city of EL Dorado, inspiring movies as well as video games, it offers striking and immediately identifiable visuals.
Slot games give developers the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild, with fantastic graphics, captivating themes, and ever advancing in-game mechanics. Fans of slots can expect to see more and more compelling titles with ever increasing gameplay to keep hitting the market.