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Online casinos are growing fast, and there are plenty of games for all kinds of players. That said, it’s undeniable that some games are going to be more popular than others. Here, we are going to take a look at some of the factors that help some games stand out more than others.
Gameplay mechanics
When it comes to what makes some games stand out for people, sometimes it’s something as simple as how the game plays. One of the games that has really – no pun intended – taken off recently in online casinos is Spribe’s Aviator. On the face of things, it seems pretty simple. An animated plane flies across the screen, and you have to bet on when it will fly away by clicking “cash-in”. However, behind that simplicity is a key factor, which is that it is easy to understand. You see the plane, you place your bet, you try to cash in before the plane leaves the screen. It can be surprisingly tense, and it is very playable.
Aviator’s success is also down to the way there are options. You can take part in a demo, or you can play Aviator for real money. There’s also innovation. Strictly speaking, Aviator isn’t entirely a game of chance, but rather, it’s a game that’s about decision-making under pressure. Even though there is a big element of luck involved, players can feel like they have an element of control over the whole thing. And with each round taking just seconds, it lends itself to replayability.
If a game has a social factor, that can work in its favor. In our example of Aviator, you can see other players’ wins or losses in real time, which can make it feel like you are automatically part of a community. Also, risk and reward are crucial to the game’s success. Sometimes, the plane flies away instantly, but at other times it goes for a long time. It’s the sort of game that, with a return to player (RTP) of 97 per cent, offers gamblers the chance to make small profits, interrupted by opportunities to strike it big, which is part of what keeps players coming back to it and other games. It’s these types of mechanics that help make successful games what they are.
Sound and vision
While you don’t play games with your eyes or ears, there’s no question that how a game looks and sounds can have a big impact on its online take-up. The truth is that first impressions matter, especially in a place like an online casino, where players have dozens, if not hundreds, of options to choose from. If a game looks good and easy to understand, the chances are that there will be plenty of players who will want to give it a go but, on the other hand, if it looks outdated – but not in a retro sort of way – or if it just looks plain confusing, then people are much more likely to give it a pass.
Moving on from the overall look, people might be more inclined to give a game a go if it has a theme that they can appreciate. If you think of slot machines with an Ancient Egyptian feel, for instance, or, moving away from gambling for a little bit, the sheer variety of pop-culture tie-in pinball machines, you can get the idea. The themes can represent a certain theme, with a jungle-based game suggesting mystery and exploration, or a city game indicating fast living and excitement, both of which can appeal to players.
A game’s initial appeal can be as much down to its sound as its look. For example, a game with good and, crucially, appropriate background music can hook players in, while the sound effects, whether that of spinning reels or jackpot jingles, are also a big part of the overall gameplay experience.
As importantly, a game needs an interface that tells people what’s going on and when it’s going on, and the graphics, sounds, and gameplay all need to be integrated with each other to create a consistent experience.
The chance of winning and how much you’ll win
No matter how much fun playing a game is, it’s always nice to win. And, with online casino games, winnability and rewards are a big part of any individual platform’s appeal. On one hand, you have games with progressive jackpots. These are prizes that accumulate as games carry on over time without a winner. When someone does get lucky, they often win significant amounts. However, there is a very good chance that a lot of people will have to play for a long time before someone gets the top prize.
On the other hand, some games advertise a high RTP, suggesting that there’s a good chance players will win something, no matter how small. While there will always be a house edge, or how else would a casino make money, there is a decent chance of success for the more cautious gambler. This sort of game can appeal to players who like to play a little and often.
Whether it’s playing for a major jackpot or aiming to keep things steady, a kind of transparency can also add to a game’s perceived winnability. If, for example, people know a game’s RTP, or they see a leaderboard, or there’s even an on-screen message about someone winning a big prize, there’s certainly a belief, if not an actuality, that they could be the next lucky winner.
Accessibility
There was a time when online casino games just had to work on a regular computer. Ever since the rise of smartphones, however, everything needs to be integrated, with tablet-based gambling also having its share of devotees. That said, it’s often all about mobile these days, with convenience and accessibility key draws. Games optimized for mobiles, with a clean vertical screen display and large buttons, are more likely to grab the attention of on-the-go players than one that looks like it belongs on a larger, horizontal, screen.
Accessibility doesn’t just have to be about what platforms host games. It can also be about being easy to get a handle on, so players don’t have to spend lots of time and money getting to grips with it. Likewise, if a game can be easily made for players across the world, so there aren’t any kind of language barriers, that also increases its potential for people to pick it up. If it allows people to bet small stakes, then the chances are more people will want to play it, too. And, perhaps most importantly, if a game has good promotion and people actually know about it before they log into an online casino, then that is going to bring people on board, if only for the curiosity factor.
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