20+ years in the gambling industry including 13+ years playing and reviewing slots.
OLBG’s Chris Taylor spoke to George Olekszy, Head of Game Retention at Play ‘n GO, for a general Questions and Answers interview. Founded in 2005, Play ‘n GO is a leading online slots provider in the casino industry and have developed some of the world’s most-loved slot games including Book of Dead, Reactoonz and Moon Princess.
With over 300 online slot games to choose from, they are available to play on all devices and can be enjoyed at all UK slot sites. The Play ‘n GO Q&A looks at how 2024 has gone, how new games are developed, their most popular slots, mobile vs desktop usage, the ‘Dead’ series as well as future releases.
Q: How was 2024 gone for Play ‘n GO so far?
GO: “We’ve had a powerful 2024. We’ve now expanded into five US states, which is a success considering it’s an election year, and we’re adding operators almost every week. Our games roadmap is especially strong this year, and games like Colt Lightning Firestorm are already proving extremely popular with US players.
We’ve continued to capitalise on our MoneyGram Haas F1 Team sponsorship, and we’ve expanded into new markets such as Finland and South Africa. It’s been a year to remember, and we want to carry that momentum into the end of the year and 2025.”
Q: How are new slot games created? Can you describe the ideation process?
GO: “We have a team of game developers and designers who work on creating new games. The process varies slightly, depending on if it’s a brand new IP or if it’s a sequel. In the case of a slot sequel, we will carefully examine what made the game popular: the mechanics, the story, the soundtrack, the graphics.
We will then discuss how we can move the original forward, honouring the aspects of the game that made it popular, but looking to expand to give players a something new.
When it comes to new IPs, it’s more of a blank canvas. We’ll start by creating an authentic, engaging story, then get to work on game mechanics and features. It’s not an exact science by any means.
Q: What are Play ‘n GO’ most popular slot games? Are there any that are particularly popular only in the UK?
GO: “It will be no surprise to anyone that the world’s most popular slot game, Book of Dead, continues to top the charts in the UK. Games like Legacy of Dead, Tome of Madness, and Reactoonz are also classics that players continue to enjoy.
More recently, the aforementioned Colt Lightning Firestorm has been an emphatic success in the United States, and we’re excitedly monitoring that game’s performance as it goes live in more states with new operators.
Q: What % of players play on mobile vs desktop/ tablet devices?
GO: “This is highly dependent on both the game and region, but at this stage, an sizable majority of our games are played on mobile. This is, of course, no surprise to us, as we were developing games for mobile phones almost 20 years ago, before the first iPhone was even announced.
We suspect this trend will continue in the coming years, but our games are, of course, available on both platforms.”
Q: With the Book of Dead slot being so popular, are they any plans to expand on the ‘Dead’ series?
GO: “Absolutely! On Halloween, we released Legion Gold and the Sphinx of Dead, and a fortnight later, Rich Wilde is back in Rich Wilde and the Pearls of Vishnu comes out too. The Dead series is one of most popular, most iconic IPs, and we love building on the story of the Wilde family whenever we can.”
Ultimate Guide to the Wilde Slot Series (Play'n GO)
Q: What can we expect from Play ‘n GO for the rest of the year and beyond?
GO: “As mentioned, we have a few exciting releases in our European roadmap. Our US roadmap is slightly different as game certification takes a bit longer over there, but we’re anticipating some hit releases across the Atlantic in the coming weeks and months too. Beyond that, we’ll continue to provide the best casino entertainment in the industry.”
Q: Do you have a particular favourite slot from Play ‘n GO? If so, why?
GO: “It’s nearly impossible to choose a favourite as we’ve got so many to choose from and it depends on the day what type of game I’m looking for. In recent times, the Legion Gold and Piggy Blitz games have been some of my favourites, but equally some of older titles such Legacy of Egypt and Sword and the Grail will always be up there.”