Free Slots
Tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you and what is your role at Rogue?
My iGaming experience started back in early 2000 when I started working at Sportingbet (now Entain), I then moved to Sky and set up Sky Vegas, where we were the first to get land based games such as Rainbow Riches, Cleopatra and Monopoly converted to online. I left Sky Vegas in 2011 and worked in senior positions at Scientific Games and then Ladbrokes. Throughout my career I have always been focussed on casino/gaming and searching for the optimal balance of entertainment and exhilaration. In 2020, during lockdown, the perfect opportunity to set up my own studio presented itself when I met my two co-founders; Phil Halston (CTO) and Dan Lamond (CPO). The three of us had the skills, connections and creativity to do something special in the industry so we launched Rogue.
With so many game studios on the market, what do you think is the biggest differentiator for Rogue?
There are too many studios producing the same content skinned in different clothing. We approach the development of games differently. Firstly we focus on a game mechanic, then we build a prototype and balance the math. At this stage we will be able to determine if the playing experience is compelling and exciting. If not, then we dispose of it and try something else, but if we find that the basic prototype is exciting, fun and captivating then we move to the theming and art stage. This way we can ensure that the games we build are different from any other studios and provide that evoking gaming experience we all desire.
Can you please tell us what is the slot with the Biggest Wins from Rogue? We are sure our readers would like to give it a spin, if they haven’t already.
At the moment the game with the biggest win potential from Rogue is Rave Up. This game has a really compelling mechanic whereby the payouts for each symbol vary on each spin, displayed as bars on a graphic equalizer whilst listening to some banging classic rave anthems. The max win potential on this game is 75,000x! However, we are about to launch a new game early Jan 2023 called Overdrive, based on a classic driving game, which has a win potential of over 100,000x, delivered via split symbols, varying win multipliers on each spin and 4 bonus games!
What are your top 3 favorite slots fromRogue? Can you please tell us the reasons behind your choices?
My 3 favorite slots are… Wildfire West, this trigger happy western themed game has expanding AND cascading reels, lots of modifiers and a wild ride of a bonus game. Next on my list would be Happily Ever After, this fairytale themed slot has everything; a happy returns multiplier on every spin and a trail leading to 5 different bonus games, not to mention the spell bounding graphics. Third on my list would have to be our completely bonkers Mega Laser Kitty Cubes game… where do I start with this one?! The Interspace mechanic is truly unique where you have symbols fall in various conjoined shapes, creating gaps in the grid. Then the Interspace reel either selects a block or cash symbol to fill the gaps and create cluster wins via the kitty’s laser eyes! Probably best you just have a play of this one yourself because it’s much easier to understand when you give it a spin as opposed to me trying to explain it 🙂
What is the most important aspect of a slot from your perspective?
The most important aspect of a slot is how compelling the mechanic and math are. You can put amazing graphics on any game but at the end of the day if the math and mechanics don’t work then the player will soon get bored and move away. A theme, a name, a brand all help attract the player but it’s the actual game play that is key. Once the player presses spin, if they are not engaged after a few spins they will quickly leave and try one of the other million or so slots available to them.
Is there any way to predict if a slot is going to be a hit or not?
There are two key aspects to making a slot a hit, one is the game play as mentioned before but the other exposure. It’s so important today that your slot is given the chance to be seen and played. Ideally you need a big operator to support your belief in the game and give it the chance to survive in the sea of content out there. It helps that all three of the Rogue founders are gamblers so we like to think we know what makes a gambler tick and therefore would argue that our games fit that audience perfectly. However, unless an operator promotes and supports the game, it can quite easily get lost without a fair chance to survive.
Looking to the future, what is the next big release Rogue is planning?
We have two very big releases lined up to present at ICE in Feb 2023. We’ve only shown early prototypes of these two games to two operators and both offered us significant proposals to own the IP outright. We know these games are going to be massive. They are ’non traditional’ slots and have very compelling mechanics and themes. I can’t say any more than this right now but will reveal all at ICE.
Do you have any advice for those who would like to work in the gambling/ e-gaming industry?
My advice would be, make sure you have deep pockets, lots of connections, bundles of creativity and a strong technology team. These are all crucial now that the industry is so saturated and competitive. Above all, don’t give up trying!
Is there anything you would like to transmit to those who support Rogue, before we say goodbye?
For those who support Rogue and who love our games I simply want to say THANK YOU. I’m so excited with the existing portfolio and the planned releases for 2023 that I know your support will be rewarded with even more exciting games. Rogue – Change the Game.