The slot game industry is a lot like the film industry. You’ll see a variety of different themes, styles, and stories, but as soon as one of them is massively successful, a host of copies will follow. The difference is that while many film trends seem to come and go (zombies, aliens, slasher films), slot ones seem to stick around for the long haul.
The following themes are the most popular ones in the slot industry and have produced some of the best games around.
Candy
There has been an explosion of candy-themed slots in recent years and as the trend continues, we’re seeing more and more developers getting in on the act.
Sweet Bonanza, Candy Slots, Fruit vs Candy, Sugar Pop Double Dipped, Candy Monsta, Candy Bars, Candy Dreams, and Candy Land have all taken us to saccharine worlds filled with lollipops, jellies, donuts, and other sweet treats.
Leprechauns and Ireland
We probably have Rainbow Riches to blame for this one, but the Irish theme is very luck-centric in general (lucky horseshoes, four-leaf clovers, pots of gold), so its popularity was inevitable.
We’ve seen slots that are very similar to Rainbow Riches (Lucky Leprechaun, Luck of the Leprechaun), as well as more generic and basic creations (Irish Luck, Lucky Clover). One of the most interesting games to have used this theme is Finn and the Swirly Spin from NetEnt. It’s an impressive game that utilises a spiral-themed layout and includes a variety of unlockable bonus features.
Ancient Greece
The Age of the Gods series from Playtech was not the first to use the ancient Greek theme, but it’s probably the best known. This jackpot-heavy series was actually created as part of a Marvel license and all the slots were initially based on Marvel superheroes, but then Playtech lost the license and converted them to Greek gods.
There are dozens of games in this series and other developers have also dipped their toes into ancient Greece, including titles like Ancient Troy, Medusa, Legends of Greece, Athena, and the Hand of Midas. There are many great Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and stories out there, so developers have a lot to play with.
Ancient Egypt
Of all the ancient civilisations, Egypt is the one best represented in the online gambling sector. Cleopatra from IGT is one of the best-known slots in this genre, but other classics include Ancient Egypt from Pragmatic Play and Book of Dead from Play’n GO.
As with ancient Greece, it’s all about tapping into the myths, legends, and history of the region and it’s a theme that players seem to love.
Movie Tie-Ins
Slots with movie and TV licenses seem to be very popular with players and so developers have been cashing in on this trend. We’ve seen a glut of top slots based on everything from classic films (The Goonies, Ghostbusters, Robocop, Jurassic Park) to modern TV shows (Game of Thrones, Family Guy, Vikings).
These slots are no doubt more expensive to make, but that’s often a good thing, as it means developers spend more time on them and produce titles that are truly original and always worth playing.
