Slot games are big business these days, with thousands of them being created on a yearly basis. The top developers in the industry are able to create games with eye catching themes and interesting bonus features. In this article, we’ll be teaching you about the process behind creating a commercial slot game.
Creating the Concept
The first step in any successful game development is a sound concept. Many slot games use a similar theme and this seems to go down well with their fans. Concepts like Egypt, toy animals and even fairy tales seem to go down well with the general public. The trick to deciding on a theme is to create something that’s unique, which still fits into the themes that players seem to enjoy.
As with all game development, this can take a fair amount of time. Creating themes, symbols and even the guide should all be influenced by this decision. Mock ups and concept designs will help to inform this stage of the journey. It’s still possible to be flexible at this point, as long as you solidify your concept prior to bringing this into fruition.
This can be the subject of a lot of research by designers. They can use focus groups and market research to figure out what exactly players want to see. Then, with this information in hand they can create a slot game that has a chance of being much more successful.
Of course, some of these successful slots come entirely from the left field and it’s hard to know exactly what players are looking for. A good example of this is the Fluffy Favourites slot, which is one of the games featured on Lucky Admiral. They have a wide range of slots games on their site, but this is one of the top out there.
If we look at the game itself…
… we can see it has a fluffy, cuddly theme. This initially seems quite simple, but the developer has also created a world of mini bonus features and special symbols. This creates more of a world for the player, instead of just a flat slot game.
Selecting the Software
There are quite a few different software platforms available to create this kind of game in. This is a major choice in the development process, as it’s essential to assess which of these are the best for the job. This can be an easy choice, for example if a developer is only experienced with one of these platforms, they will choose that one.
With so many choices out there, it’s important to understand the impact that this will have on the player. For example, Flash can feel a bit outdated and doesn’t work with all browsers, so this may not be the best option. Developing in Javascript will allow for a more responsive, intelligent design.
This is a key decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly, make sure that you take the time to research other slots. Look at the ones that you think are well made and then you can look into the software that was used.
Designing and Developing
Once you’ve made these key decisions, it’s time to move forward with the design and development. This can take between three and six months to complete, depending on how well resourced and agile the team are. This is a ‘how long is a piece of string’ element, as it entirely depends on the team and game complexity.
More and more often, we’re seeing smaller development studios taking on the task of creating these games. They can be quite simple and straightforward, so it is possible to create them with a smaller team at hand. Innovative studios like Yggdrasil Gaming actually don’t have the largest of teams, instead they use the resources that they do have wisely to create titles to rival the AAA studios out there.
This shows it’s not the size of the team that determines the outcome, but the flexibility and creativity that they are able to bring to the project. If you want to start out in the world of gaming development, then there’s nothing to prevent you from being able to create your games as a one person team. With so many inspiring development studios to identify with, you’ll find it’s easy to create something unique.
Testing and Regulation
Once you have completed the initial game, it’s time to put it out to testers. These experienced game testers will manipulate your game in every way possible, using all different controls. This means that they’ll place bets with penny wagers, larger ones and just about everything in between. They’ll also check that each bonus round works exactly as it should, across a range of variables.
From there, you’ll get a report back, which tells you how your game performed under each of these conditions. This will notify you of any bugs, which you can hope to replicate. When replicating under testing conditions, you will be able to find out why the bug has occurred. Then, you’re part of the way towards fixing it.
If you intend for your game to be played with real money, then this will also need to be tested for fairness. It’s likely that your slot machine has been created with the use of a random number generator, as is required by law. A member from eCORGA will test your slot game to ensure that the outcome truly is random. This ensures that it is actually fair for players and that you don’t have any tactics on your side.
When the game has been reviewed and tested thoroughly, it’s time to release it to the public. You may find that more fixes are required as time goes on, as the volume of playing members shows a higher proportion of bugs. If this is the case, it’s time to go back to the last stage and revisit any issues to make your game as perfect as it can be.