As 2020 begins and we leave 2019 behind us we want to take stock of the last 12 months in slots innovation and identify what we at ThePogg believe are the best slots released last year.
The software developers did not fail to hit the mark in 2019, bringing us an impressive haul of slots, with a few of them already confirmed as instant classics.
In an increasingly competitive market it is becoming harder for the big guns to dominate like they have done in years gone by. That said, most of the industry’s best-known names will be represented here, with one in particular picking up more spaces than any other.
However, a few lesser known names do make it onto the best of 2019, hinting that the established order could face even more competition in 2020.
The themes on offer have been varied, but the old favourites continued to be rolled out with varying degrees of success. This year has seen a huge increase in the number of South and Central American themed slots, with the Incans, Aztecs and Mayans almost proving as popular as the unshakable ancient Egyptians.
We’ve seen Greek and Norse gods tussle it out with Roman gladiators and Irish leprechauns. Halloween and Christmas have been represented; one with aplomb and the other without it.
We have seen TV shows and films hit the reels but number of them is nowhere near what it once was. The growth of negative press that surrounds the industry has inevitably meant that certain brands have chosen to avoid affiliation in the name of positive PR.
Despite this move away from the megabrands and vast commercial appeal there has been a number of slots released this year that have musical connections, with Play ‘n’ Go even opting to promote some lesser known European rock/metal bands in some genuinely innovative ways.
With TV and film characters becoming less and less prominent, slots designers now need to do the hard work themselves. There is more emphasis on creating new characters, new worlds and new features. Those elements will play a huge part in determining the outcome of this list, but what we consider most important will be the connection between theme and feature.
Slots that can marry those two elements will always score highly from us, and are pretty much a requirement for any slot looking to score that elusive score of 10 out of 10 from us. We’ll also expect some value for money, a slot that looks good and anything else that might contribute to a more eventful gaming experience.
Read the full article about The Best Slots of 2019.
