Though new slot machines pop up all the time and it can sometimes seem like they grow on trees, as if each one is some kind of a natural resource. Of course, in reality, that is not the case. Technology, creativity and an understanding of gaming regulations are all behind the appearances of the most popular slot machines. 

One that people find impossible to turn away from, at the moment, is Rome: Fight for Gold – Deluxe 20000X. Themed around the Roman Empire and its legions of leather-clad soldiers, the game is designed to put players right into the thick of things as they capitalize on the collect feature, bonus feature and boost features.

Inside Game Development

This game is the brainchild of Foxium. Based in the Northern European nation of Estonia, Foxium lives up to its sly-sounding name by devising games that feature strong story-telling components.

The company was founded by Daniil Sanders and Ake Andre in 2015, with the mission of creating innovative video slots with groundbreaking features and narratives that make playing a game as engaging as watching a movie. 

The appealing part for players who come across a Foxium game on 888casino – besides Rome: Fight for Gold, the company’s hit titles include Lucky Bakery and Adelia – is that they can be entertained and still have a chance of winning money. The combination is irresistible.

An up-and-coming producer in the world of cool slot machines is an outfit called Dream Spin Studios. The company, founded in 2023, recently dropped its first game Buzz Thrill. If you play it on 888, you’ll see that it is out of this world in every sense of the word. The game is set in outer space with re-spins that go up to 46,656.

Founded by Josh Green, James Rosen and William Barnes – all of whom, according to Green, “are passionate gamblers at heart” – Dream Spin Studios is particularly interesting for the fact that it ranks among the few companies to transition from being a slots streaming firm to being a full-on boutique games studio.

Now engaging in the creation of cool slot machines, it has the advantage of being run by guys who are astonishingly well educated on what makes a good slot. 

“We can proudly claim to have played nearly every type of slot, old and new, more than anyone else involved in a game studio,” Green stated in Casino Beats. “If we don’t understand what makes a good slot, it’s doubtful anyone does. 

As put by Green, “We are extremely excited to turn our ideas and visions for thrilling game play into reality.”

Slot machine

Having gotten our first taste of the fantastic Buzz Thrill, we at 888 can’t wait to see what they will come up with next.

More on the Horizon

One of the tastier options out there, when it comes to cutting edge slot machines, is a company called Gameburger Studios. In operation since 2019, the company promises to offer slots that are “going to be as juicy and delicious as the best hamburgers.”

Even the website plays off the name, promising offerings that are “fresh and right off the grill.”

Humorous as all of that may be, Gameburger is serious about putting out online slot machines that players find difficult to turn away from before filling up on action.

Capitalizing on years of experience in designing land-based games, the company’s employees and managers focus on reconfiguring and improving Microgaming titles so that they work in the digital environment. Included in the company’s roster of hits: 9 Masks of Fire, 9 Pots of Gold, 11 Champions, Break Da Bank Again Respin, Playboy and 12 Masks of Fire Drums. 

Among the hallmarks of these games: Higher RTP percentages (that is, money returned to players), great visuals, memorable audio effects and HTML5 technology. That last bit means that the games can be played on laptops, desktops or mobile devices, all with the same great experience. Whatever is employed, the quality will be consistently strong. 

That has not gone unnoticed by influential folks in the gaming world. In 2023 at the International Gaming Awards, Gameburger snagged nominations for game of the year and rising star of the year.

As far as players are concerned, they’re bound to go wild for 12 Masks of Fire Drums, the newest Gameburger offering, which dropped on July 30. What makes the game so good? Besides the strong graphics for which Gameburger is justifiably famous, this slot machine has 96% RTP, high volatility (which makes the payoffs more exciting) and 20 paylines. 

Promised by promotional material for this epic game: “Feel the beat of the African heat.” No doubt, players will feel it as they push hard for ever-escalating bonuses

Vegas Vibes

While playing online, it is easy to forget about the shimmering allure of Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world and the place where it all began. Anton Kuhlman and Serena Petersen, co-founders of AreaVegas are making efforts to keep online game players enjoying the vibe of Vegas and all that it has to offer. 

They founded AreaVegas in 2022 and, as is made clear on their website, the company is “inspired by the glitz, the glam and the games of Las Vegas.”

The pair’s goal is to provide online players with optimal experiences that are every bit as good as what they can enjoy in favorite brick and mortar casinos on the famous Vegas Strip. 

Proof of that can be gleaned via AreaVegas’s just released, fabulous, debut game called Phoenix. Loaded up with compelling features, the game offers fireballs that lead to the hatching of eggs, which, in turn, jack up money that can be won and lead to re-spins that can go up to 5X on each spin.

Make your way to valuable eggs of the phoenix herself and there is the potential of 5,000x. Phoenix provides a visit to a mythical land where players want to be. We predict that this game serves as a harbinger of what’s to come to come from the very promising AreaVegas. 

Committed to quality, the people at the core of AreaVegas vow to create winners, “both in our games and players.”

Michael Kaplan is a journalist based in New York City. He has written extensively on gambling for publications such as Wired, Playboy, Cigar Aficionado, New York Post and New York Times. He is the author of four books including Aces and Kings: Inside Stories and Million-Dollar Strategies from Poker’s Greatest Players.

He’s been known to do a bit of gambling when the timing seems right.