Ever wondered what makes a slot truly engaging? We chatted with IGT PlayDigital's creative director, Craig Asling, to uncover the magic behind their latest hit, Luck of the Lamp Ca$hLink, and what it takes to create unforgettable slots.
We all know that while the mathematics and game science behind our favourite online slots are pivotal to an engaging experience, the theme, setting, and audiovisual design really immerse us in the game's story.
This is why we were excited to interview the creative director of IGT PlayDigital, who can better reveal the secrets to top-tier game development. We used this time to delve into their enticing new slot release, Luck of the Lamp Ca$hLink, which was the ideal proof case for how to design an engaging video slot.
Hi, I’m Craig Asling, Creative Director at IGT PlayDigital. I lead the Core Creative team, which fellow slot enthusiasts and game designers build. My role is predominantly responsible for the design and nurture of all new game designs, from concept, feature, and mechanics design to art direction and UX flow to the final product.
Genies, Lamps and the mystique of Arabian folk tales have always appealed to players and created an excellent narrative for slots. Genie’s grant wishes the promise of untold riches lends itself perfectly to our game and its mechanics. Our genie character helps our players collect cash awards, and the lamp magically awards exciting modifiers.
Ca$hLink offers an exciting chase for the player, which has seen some evolution over the years. Traditionally, it would only offer cash awards to be collected. Firstly, this offers immediate visible value to the player; what you see is what you get! Especially when you can land incredible jackpot payouts as part of the cash awards, any spin could bring amazing results!
This time, the reels are teeming with 3 different coloured gems that offer cash awards, free spins and lamp modifiers. To trigger these, landing our genie symbol on reel 5 collects these prizes and awards them to the player. Landing stacks of these can create tremendous excitement for the player waiting for that genie to land on the last reel!
Even though each has their merit in potential, it would have to be the Random Wilds modifier, seeing a random number of wilds magically appear one by one on the reels really drums up anticipation and is always a fan favourite with players.
Having the gems stacked again provides huge visible potential for players. They will instantly see that the Free Spins offers an enhanced feature set from the base game that oozes win potential, keeping them returning for more.
As previously mentioned, the collect feature is the game's main draw and has shown to be a firm favourite mechanic with players and operators alike in recent trends. The collect mechanic leverages cash awards, free spins, and jackpots all up for grabs in a single spin. We also added a Side Bet feature, which doubles the size of the Genie Collect symbol to boost players' chances of triggering the features.
We want players to feel familiar with a game as soon as possible; using a 3x5, 20-line game, we give that familiarity, given that it's a common setup. This allows all the focus to be on the main show of the game with the Ca$hLink feature. It enables us to give plenty of variety and win potential without asking the player to work out confusing reel matrixes or paylines.
The volatility is given based on the ride we gave this game. We know the game is all about the Ca$hLink mechanic, and we want players to experience this as often as possible. This type of game didn't suit a high-limit profile, so we went with a more casual player in mind. Our features and bonuses are frequent, coming in regularly with a decent average pay. The softer profile allows us to award more, more often!
The Side Bet in Luck of the Lamp transforms the Genie Collect symbol to a Double Genie Collect symbol (two symbols high), meaning you are twice as likely to trigger a collect! This means it can land in multiple positions, either fully or partially and will trigger if it lands in view.
While we didn’t directly involve any external players in the development of this game, we have several slot players and enthusiasts on our creative teams who help shape our decisions when creating games from a player's perspective. This, coupled with research and input gathered by our Insights Team, who regularly speak to our customers, allows us to dynamically shape our games to what players like and expect.
When we create our games, we take a "Mobile First" approach, particularly mobile gambling in portrait mode. We know that most players play in portrait mode, so we do our utmost to give them the best experience possible. This means we think about everything from game layouts to legibility and User experience. We are committed to providing the best experience possible, no matter the player's device.
After our conversation with Craig, we have a new appreciation for the passion and effort that IGT and their respective studios put into crafting their incredible casino games. If you still need to load it up, we recommend visiting our dedicated IGT casinos page to find the casinos that offer their titles to get your hands on Luck of the Lamp Ca$hLink. You could be the one to win big and claim the Genie’s treasures!
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