5 Star catches up with Rob Procter, Content Specialist Director at SG Digital, and talked about their creative and innovative process. 

You’ve mentioned previously that this year marks a new era of content from Scientific Games, how exactly have you changed your approach to the development of your games?

We wanted to step up our game when it came to developing new slots for the online market and ensure we had a roadmap that featured a diverse mix of games to meet all player types. One such area that we wanted to build on was the number of feature-rich games we had within our portfolio. This genre of game is increasingly popular within the online environment, with more players demanding a gameplay that features much more than just a simple free spins round. We had the ambition to put our own stamp on a feature-rich game and deliver something that players have never experienced before. 

The first feature-rich game that we released this year was Cluedo Cash Mystery, which has exceeded our expectations following a strong launch. This game really is packed with features, with so many different free spin combinations to keep players intrigued as to how the gameplay unfolds. It’s exactly the type of slot we were looking to add to our portfolio – jampacked with features and incorporating responsible gaming tools – and it puts us in a great position to bring even more exciting content later in the year.

Given your desire to create more feature-rich games, why did you decide to incorporate the Cluedo brand?

The intention to develop a feature-rich slot that kept responsible gaming at the forefront came long before our decision to produce a Cluedo-themed game. In fact, we already had the game mechanics in place before we agreed on incorporating the popular board game. When exploring themes to fit the mechanics, Cluedo became the obvious choice given the different aspects to the board game’s format. 

We’re really proud of the end product and clearly players have resonated with the gameplay too since it was launched. The intriguing part of the gameplay is how we’ve applied Cluedo’s murder implements, rooms, characters and into free spin combinations, as they define the win multiplier, number of free spins and feature modifier respectively. The mechanics involved will keep players second guessing as to how their bonus round will play out. 

What other game types are you looking to add to your portfolio in the coming months?

March will see the launch of MONOPOLY Utility Trails, which brings a new grid slot to our portfolio and another sign of how we’re broadening the games available through the OpenGaming™ platform. It’s another collaboration with Hasbro, which continues to go from strength to strength. There are a number of Monopoly-themed slots in the marketplace already and the challenge is always to find something different that will still be appealing to players. 

MONOPOLY Utility Trails is unlike anything that’s been made incorporating the brand. Utilising cluster mechanics, for this game we’ve focused on the board game’s utilities, Water Works and Electric company. Fifteen bonus symbols will trigger the Water Works Spin Streak or the Electricity Company’s insane cluster pays, Lightning Link bonus round. Watch out for the Wild Rails, which links up wild symbols on same the row or column. The feedback from Hasbro has been very good and we have high hopes that this will become another big hit with slot players who love MONOPOLY-themed games. 

Rainbow Riches is a huge franchise and now you’re bringing a sports themed title to the mix. What was the thinking behind this?

Rainbow Riches is a brand that everyone is familiar with and operators always take a keen interest in how we’re evolving the franchise further. Rainbow Riches Race Day is inspired by the classic Donkey Derby machines that you will have seen in the arcades, and we thought there was an opportunity to bring the format into the online slot world.

It features all the familiar features that you would expect from a Rainbow Riches title, along with a Donkey Derby taking place above the reels for added entertainment. Collecting horses on the reels to advance along the race track, the first horse to win the race awards the associated prize. It also includes cascading wins, which is another increasingly popular feature in today’s market. 

Not only is this game another example of how we’re bringing more features to the player, it is set to provide great cross-sell opportunities between casino and sportsbook, particularly ahead of the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National later this year. We’re really keen to get sports bettors excited about this new slot just as much as Rainbow Riches fans. It’s a great demographic to hit and the game is geared up for success.