When it comes to online pokies, there’s always something new to try. Thanks to the endless number of themes out there, and dozens if not hundreds of casino software developers on the job, there are new pokies games making their way to online casinos on a monthly if not weekly basis. Some will be old school fruit games in new incarnations, others are top of the line 3D games with unexpected features at every turn. This is exciting stuff for us players who get to enjoy a fresh experience on a frequent basis. Whatever these new games bring, we’re excited to see what the developers have dreamed up since the last time we logged on. In fact, it’s one of the things that makes pokies so great – the endless diversity at our fingertips.
While the game variety is astronomical, and there are like we said tonnes of companies creating these games, the truth is that the list of developers, for the most part, stays the same. That is the names at the top of the list, the ones we’re all familiar with like NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech, Novomatic, BetSoft, and Evolution Gaming, and another dozen or so big players in the online casino space. You’ll see their games pretty much everywhere. What is more unusual, however, is for a new pokies developer to enter the scene. Or more specifically perhaps, for a new pokies developer to succeed enough so as to be noticed by reviewers like us, and players like you. As such, while a number of developers have certainly entered the space and joined the pokies competition over the past five years, only a few have stood out enough in their quality and offers, to make waves in the pokies world.
The five pokies developers that follow, are our favorite picks. We’ve chosen them for their software, originality, graphics, great gameplay, and the impact they are already having on top online casinos. You may not have heard of them all yet, but once you read, you’ll suddenly notice them popping up more regularly. And when you do, you’ll quickly know what we mean and why they’ve been selected.
Amazing Gaming
Calling yourself Amazing is always a good way to set the bar high. And so kudos to the bravery of Amazing Gaming, the most recent pokies developer to hit the scene and make our best of newbies list. Officially established in 2017 and launched in 2018, Amazing Gaming is actually the brainchild of Tain, a company that has been building online gaming platforms and full turnkey solutions for the global gaming industry since 1999. The company launched Amazing Gaming essentially as a sister brand to the overall enterprise, to make its mark in the game development arena as well. Immediately upon its entrance into the market at ICE 2018 Amazing Gaming was already armed with a number of strong pokies games, in addition to table games, a vibrant sportsbook, and a live casino experience – to ensure a well-rounded portfolio from the get-go. Billing itself as “the future of slots” (a pretty hefty aspiration, though in character for a company going by amazing), its complete catalog of multi-platform, cross-device games are all about what Amazing Gaming calls mind-blowing graphics and immersive and engaging gameplay – all backed by a super-fast and robust backend.
When it comes to the actual games, this new developer has three top contending pokies games at the moment. The first is Fortune Dragon, a lovely Asian themed pokies game with 243 ways to win. The second is the rather simple Sweet Luck game with three reels and eight delicious pastry symbols that make this game delightfully quaint. And the third is Hunting Season, a low volatility video pokies machine, that has steadily been making a strong impression with players the world over thanks to the unique universe its graphics create.
Betixon
Another rising star and relative newcomer to the pokies development domain is Betixon. Established in 2016 by a diverse team of pros from the online gaming industry, the combined personnel have extensive experience in platform development including website programming, graphics, marketing, affiliate strategies, and banking mechanisms. But as the trend for platform developers goes, Betixon wanted to have its own games as well, which is why it built upon this expertise to move into the actual game segment as well. While it’s still somewhat rare to come across Betixon pokies, the games are starting to spread, particularly amongst newer online casino operators who have chosen to go with the overall Betixon platform, which as a full turnkey solution is considered relatively inexpensive, and quick in terms of the start-up.
As for the actual pokies games, which titles should you expect? There are already too many to list, but for a taste, you’ve got a massive range from Sugar Shock to Wild Wolf, Queen of Dead, Gold Nuggets, Sir Donkey, Fortune Guardians and more. In addition, if you’re looking for games beyond pokies there are also Betixon table games, video bingo, and scratch cards as well.
August Gaming
Next up on our new developers making waves in the pokies world list we’ve got August Gaming. If you haven’t heard of that either, no worries, we’ll help you out (that’s the point of this exercise after all, isn’t it?). What August Gaming, established in 2015 is predominantly about is Asian themed games. A massive market with a lot of appeals, the company recently went on to partner with SoftGamings to increase the spread and reach of its niche pokies machines. Hence, while the games are still most popular in the Asian market, they are now starting to trickle into worldwide play on a more frequent basis. This diffusion is supported by HTML5 multi-platform programming and complete compatibility with multiple languages and multiple currencies, including cryptocurrency.
In terms of its catalog, August Gaming has a huge array of online pokies games in all the different formats, 1024 Ways, 243 Ways, 25 paylines, 3X3, 3X5, 50 lines…. you get the drift. As for the titles themselves, they include things like The Magical Lamp, Samurai Warrior, Hail the Emperor, Lucky Panda, and The Third Lotus Prince to name but a few. In other words, as mentioned above there is a similar theme across all of them, each with its own engaging spin. So if you love Asian themed pokies, or you’re simply looking for something a bit different in your wagering ways, we suggest, stay on the lookout for online casinos with August Gaming pokies mixed in their offering.
Chance Interactive
We couldn’t possibly bring you a list of newer pokies developers without a mention of at least one local contender. And so we are proud to introduce you to Chance Interactive based in Sydney, Australia. In operation since 2014, you may do the math and think to yourself that’s not exactly new. But by industry standards, when you consider how long the heavy hitters have been around, that most certainly is.
The company itself boasts that it “creates the most incredible slot games in the entire multiverse for the online gambling industry.” That’s a bit much honestly. But it does do some very good things. Like what you ask? Well, first of all, many players have expressed appreciation for this boutique developer’s feature-rich games. In particular, the team has shown much promise in terms of the bonuses built into the games. Plus, it’s got some very decent 3D graphics.
Again, like the others on our list, Chance Interactive games aren’t that easy to find. But again, that’s the point of this list – finding the newbies that deserve a shout out to get their game going. In terms of pokies to look out for you’ve got Buster Hammer Carnival with 3125 ways to win in regular gameplay and an astonishing 32,768 ways to win in the Mighty Free Spins round. The other biggies featured on the market are Bounty Hunt, an action-packed shooting game and Rogue Treasure which is all about medieval adventure and plunders.
Thunderkick
The final pokies developer on our newbie’s list is one you’ve likely actually heard of this time, and that is Thunderkick. Having officially opened its virtual doors in 2012, and made it on the scene with the release of its first game in 2014, Thunderkick has quickly grown and taken the online casino world by storm. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, and holder of both a Maltese gaming license and a UK gaming license, Thunderkick is all about enhancing the overall experience for players. This in practice means it focuses on creating quality rather than quantity. That is, Thunderkick only brings top-notch games to fruition, so it has fewer titles around, but each one is a worthy spin of its own.
The company’s pokies have been so successful that they are both bundled with the Thunderkick casino platform (which is also developed in-house), and, in addition, can be found at literally hundreds of other online casinos that are happy to offer its games. Some of the Thunderkick pokies you may have come across include popular titles like Esqueleto Explosivo, Magicious, 1429 Uncharted Seas, Sunset Delight, Frog Grog, Turning Totems, Raven’s Eye, and Midas Golden Touch. While the themes differ the experience remains the same, with the mechanics, graphics, and audio of each pokies game developed to work in unison, for a fully enjoyable encounter every time.
A bit of a disclaimer on breaking into the online pokies market
As you may have noticed, our new pokies developers list covers the last number of years. That’s because new in terms of developers is a somewhat relative concept. Keep in mind, breaking into the very competitive pokies market is no easy task. Many have tried and few have succeeded. It takes a lot of perseverance as well as a significant amount of luck to make one’s way in. This is especially true since pokies developers’ success is a bit of a chicken or egg game. That is, online casinos want to attract players. As such, they tend to choose games from software developers that have already proven themselves in terms of performance as well as popularity amongst players. While an online casino may be willing to try a new game here and there, it is exceptionally hard for those new on the scene to get their foot in the door and gain placement on a casino’s website. Getting a prominent spot, in which the online casino chooses to promote the developer’s new pokies game is even harder. As such, it is no small matter when a company succeeds. Usually, those who do have a history in the online gaming world, having worked for other popular software developers, and use this leverage to make the right connections.
Another serious consideration is licensing. That is, for a new pokies developer, it takes quite a bit of time to get the legal legitimization they need in order to be cleared to operate in different markets. Hence, it is a major investment on their part to break into new markets from this end as well. As such, to be in the position to make waves in the pokies world it takes a number of years. In other words, combining these two factors it’s plain to see. A new developer is always going to be a developer that’s been in the industry for at least a few years before it even begins to make any impact at all.
A few final words
So with that little disclaimer as to the actual meaning of new in terms of pokies developers, we leave you with this final thought. There are some amazing new players on the casino software scene that are destined to make an impact over the long haul. The five we mentioned are certainly excellent contenders, but there are in fact many more. Our suggestion, therefore, is as follows. Always play at a reputable online casino. Since offering an excellent experience is in their best interest, you can assume they’ve already done the hard work of curating what’s on the market. This way, when you see a new developer offering a game, you can rest assured that it is safe to play in terms of all aspects that are important to you. In other words, choose your online casino well, and the rest is easy.