Daniel Kalinowski from Blueprint Gaming sits down with AusCasinos for an exclusive interview, to give some insights into what makes their slots so successful.
We will also talk about what makes their flagship games like Eye of Horus so timeless, highlight their latest games and give us some hints about exciting new Blueprint slots on the horizon.
For players who are not too familiar with Blueprint Gaming, can you tell us about your flagship games, and what has made them so popular?
I believe Blueprint Gaming gained its popularity as a studio for our ability to create both proprietary and licensed games with engaging bonus features. Our players are mostly familiar with our Fishin’ Frenzy, Eye of Horus and Genie games.
I picked these three as those are the families of games I often see played in land based settings such as pubs, which I frequent from time to time. However, if we are also talking about our digital players, King Kong Cash scores high on the list, along with licensed games like The Goonies™ or Deal or No Deal™.
We are always looking for new and exciting licences to broaden our portfolio, and recently we adapted two new licences, The Flintsones™ and The Lost Boys™ to join our other branded games.
As players become more and more savvy about slot mechanics and features, which innovations over the past few years have attracted seasoned players to your games?
Blueprint Gaming has introduced several innovative features in recent years that have attracted seasoned players. Some of our biggest successful games include the Megaways™ mechanic that has provided a new depth to our slots by providing up to 117,649 ways to win on a spin.
Our Cash Collect model has also proven to be widely successful in games like King Kong Cash EvenBigger Bananas, The Goonies™ Megaways and The Lost Boys™.
The Cash symbols usually appear on reels 1 to 4 and to activate them the Cash Collect symbol must land on a designated reel, which is usually the rightmost reel. When the Collect symbol lands, it gathers all the values of the Cash symbols in view.
Our Cash Collect model has also proven to be widely successful.
Some games include a respin feature where landing a Collect symbol triggers respins. During these respins, any new Cash symbols that appear are collected, and the respins continue until no new Cash symbols land.
Another variation of this mechanic is the Hotstepper feature in Cash Strike Hotstepper, where the collect symbol moves down one position each spin, while increasing the chances of potential wins.
One of our most successful mechanics that keeps our seasoned players engaged is the Jackpot King system, which offers multiple ways to trigger progressive jackpots and big wins.
However, looking back at the industry as a whole and how digital gaming became one of the most popular ways for our players to engage with our content, I must mention the introduction of HTML5 technology to our games. This allowed us to create games that are accessible on both desktop and mobile devices, which had equal appeal among our experienced and new players.
With so many game developers competing for top spots, how do you go about designing games that will differentiate themselves from other slots in the casino market?
Our studio employs many phenomenally creative and gifted people in different departments who help us stand out in the competitive market by making games that our players will want to play.
Blueprint Gaming offers a range of themes and storylines in our games that capture the player’s imagination, but also provide the feeling of familiarity, whether it’s due to regular updates to our own families of games or by licensing popular brands.
We talked about innovative mechanics in our games, such as Megaways or Jackpot King. Gameplay is essentially what will make a good game, so we are constantly improving on our formula to ensure that the players will enjoy the experience of playing our latest slot.
I think it’s the player-centric design of our games that keeps the studio in such high esteem, rather than constant worry about the competition with other providers.
It’s the player-centric design of our games that keeps the studio in such high esteem.
Fishin’ Frenzy, Eye of Horus, King Kong Cash – these are obviously blockbuster slots. But are there some less well-known games, that have perhaps been overlooked in the Blueprint portfolio, that you would like to highlight?
I think that everyone at the studio would have their own favourite, but there are a few games that stood out to me personally which I have not mentioned earlier.
The Flintstones™ had a good brand behind it, with amazing assets that allowed us to adapt the setting of the animated show into a slot. However, this game seems to have been overlooked by a wider audience.
Majestic Fury Megaways is another one of our recent games that had cool visuals. Although the Megaways™ mechanic is popular, this game might not be on everyone’s radar.
I would also like to highlight Bigger Catch Bass Fishing, which provides a relaxing fishing experience that offers good value for time as well as potential for big wins.
Even Bigger Bananas 2 has been a trailblazer. How do you account for the runaway success of that slot?
The success of King Kong Cash Even Bigger Bananas 2 can be attributed to several key factors that we touched on.
King Kong Cash is a vibrant jungle theme that is already familiar to our players as that family of games receives frequent attention from the studio with new updates and mechanics. Even Bigger Bananas 2 features a 6-reel 4-row layout with 4,096 ways to win that provides exciting medium-high volatility gaming sessions with 10,000x win potential.
Additionally, the game sounds and looks good. Visual and auditory feedback in a game is key when creating a player-focused experience, ensuring that the slot will be both entertaining and hopefully rewarding.
Could you go into some details about how a slot is built, from the initial conception to final execution and deployment?
Every game goes through the same cycle of development that starts at Idea Generation. This is when the initial brainstorming takes place and our developers come up with themes, gameplay mechanics and storylines. This is also when market research and player feedback is considered.
Once the ideas are selected and agreed on, the game goes to Concept Design. In this phase our artists create sketches of the visuals, and the developers define the core mechanics that will end up in the finished product.
Once this work has been completed, the product goes to Game Development where our programmers start coding the game with mechanics, visuals and audio, as well as the maths that sit at the core of the experience.
When the game reaches a point where it is playable, the Testing begins. Here, the game goes through rigorous testing to identify any bugs and glitches, as well as general functionality tests to ensure that the playing experience is smooth across different devices and platforms.
Before the game is released, it must be pass for Certification. This is when the regulatory bodies ensure that the product meets industry standards for fairness and security. It is up to our Compliance Team now to go through the process of audits and compliance checks.
Finally, once the game has been certified, it is time for Deployment. This is the stage where our Commercial Team works with their partners to deploy the game to casinos where players will be able to enjoy the experience.
What are the key factors that go into designing a successful slot in 2024?
First and foremost, I believe it is key to provide accessibility across a variety of devices and platforms. The more choice you provide to the user, in this case the player, the more likely you will be to engage a wider audience who all have their own preferences in the tech they use for entertainment, as well as socialising and education.
Secondly, equally as a slot must feel interactive and innovative to the player, it also must feel fair and secure to be successful in 2024. This is why the industry is so rich with features that keep this space so engaging, but also rigorously audited.
Visual and auditory feedback is crucial. We see this evolving in other industries as well, whether it’s TV and film, video games and other digital content. The base level of presentation just doesn’t cut it anymore in audiences that always want for more new and appealing experiences.
Leaderboards also help as they provide seamless integrations of social features, which in effect increases player engagement and retention by fostering a sense of community.
I believe it is key to provide accessibility across a variety of devices and platforms.
As a player yourself, what are your top 5 Blueprint Gaming slots, and why?
I think there are many slots in our catalogue that provide interesting experiences to the player, and many may have even improved on the originals I will list now. However, I think there are many reasons why these games are my and many other player’s favourites.
Fishin’ Frenzy is a classic. It has simple gameplay that is easy to understand yet very engaging. You can see many of its influences in modern slots across the igaming space.
The Goonies Megaways simply because I have not heard a conversation about Blueprint Gaming slots without a mention of one of our biggest licensed success stories. It has both an incredible and familiar theme, as well as feature-rich gameplay.
Genie Jackpots is another one of Blueprint classics. This game has an amazing theme full of magic, and bonus features such as the Magic Carpet Bonus as well as the Mystery Win provide fun gaming sessions.
Rick and Morty Strike Back is another great licensed game that always comes up in conversations. This is a very selfish choice because I just find it cool to be working with such a popular licence as a fan of the show.
The Flintstones because I was always a fan of the show, and I think we did a good job with bringing the settings to igaming with our Cash Collect features.
Could you give us some hints at what’s coming later in 2024?
We have plenty of exciting new games coming up in 2024 and even more exciting new ideas for 2025!
October has just begun, and we are looking forward to releasing Deal or No Deal™ Banker’s Boost Jackpot King on the 17th, which combines the excitement of the popular TV show with the thrill of slot gaming. This game features the Jackpot King progressive jackpot system, offering players the chance to win big. Key features include the Deal or No Deal bonus round, where players can choose to accept the banker’s offer or continue for potentially higher rewards.
On 24th we will release Napoleon Megaways, which brings the historical figure Napoleon Bonaparte to life in a dynamic slot game. Utilising the Megaways™ mechanic, this slot offers up to 117,649 ways to win, cascading reels, free spins with unlimited win multipliers, and mystery symbols that can transform into matching symbols for bigger wins.
At the end of the month on 31st, we will release Fishin’ Frenzy Even Bigger Fish. This slot features a 5-reel, 3-row layout with 10 fixed paylines. Key features include free spins triggered by scatter symbols and a symbol upgrade feature that enhances the potential for bigger wins. Even Bigger Fish will have medium volatility making it a balanced experience for players.
