One of the fastest-growing online game studios across the planet, Pragmatic Play is a highly respected company trusted by digital gaming houses and ordinary players alike. The game producer made its name with some classic slot titles, such as Sweet Bonanza, The Dog House and Wolf Gold, each of which has enjoyed a huge global impact. With distinctive themes and some creative takes on what can sometimes be a crowded market, Pragmatic Play continues to enjoy a well-deserved reputation for originality and playability.
With hundreds of game releases behind it, one of the challenges for any game studio – Pragmatic Play, included – lies in how to develop their success still further. In this regard, the studio has met the challenge full-on with a current crop of titles that cater for a wide variety of player expectations. From so-called high volatility titles which appeal to players looking for elusive jackpots to much more casual games designed to please those who prefer more straightforward game dynamics, Pragmatic Play seems to put just as much effort into each new title it releases as the last.
Some players will return to a game they’ve enjoyed playing in the past, but many are looking for something new, something they can enjoy with a fresh playing experience. However, what lots of gamers also want is an experience they know and trust. When it comes to Pragmatic Play’s games, therefore, there are a number of similarities and key features that are common throughout their titles. Indeed, many players will give a new game a go simply because it has come from the Pragmatic Play stable.
That’s something that consistently polished in-game production values will do for the reputation of any design house, of course. In Pragmatic Play’s case, it also tends to come with clear rules that most players will follow intuitively plus recognisable ways to win and bonus structures. You can check out Pragmatic games for yourself and find out why the studio has become such a highly regarded operator in the online gaming industry. What are some of the games that are making waves right now, though, if you simply want to plunge in and find out what all the fuss is about?
Five Top Live Games from Pragmatic Play
If you are into live-action gaming, then the games that Pragmatic Play has developed for this particular format are very much on point right now. Take a closer look at some of the ones that would satisfy even an A-list celebrity player.
1. Fortune Roulette Live
Despite its early success with slot game designs, Pragmatic Play’s current crop of live casino table games is very much a part of its current success. A good case in point is Fortune Roulette Live which, as its name suggests, is a croupier-led version of online roulette. Broadcast online from Pragmatic’s own studio, this is a live-dealer experience with high-production values from start to finish. Just one look at the studio set gives players the impression they’re in safe, professional hands. Unlike some other live roulette games you can play online, Fortune Roulette Live offers steady camera work and a clear view of the ball in action as it spins over the wheel. With smooth streaming quality and a near-casino-like experience, what is not to like?
2. Live Blackjack Lobby
Live Blackjack Lobby is another hot casino table experience from Pragmatic Play available to play at top online gaming houses like Stake.com. It’s worth noting, though, that this game isn’t just one but a hub for all of the studio’s live blackjack tables. Unlike some blackjack-inspired live dealer online games, Live Blackjack Lobby provides real-time access to all the game variants players know and enjoy. With multiple tables running at the same time, you get a true casino-like experience. If you don’t like waiting for a seat at a table, whether in person or online, this is one Pragmatic Play game that’s worth looking into a bit further.
3. Sweet Bonanza Candyland (Live Casino)
If you like Pragmatic Play’s online slot games but aren’t so sure about live action gaming, then Sweet Bonanza Candyland is likely to provide the ideal stepping stone from one online world to the next. Based on the hugely popular slot game, Sweet Bonanza, this version of the game has a game show-like quality with live streaming from the studio’s HQ. The game successfully manages to blend a spinning wheel game with slot-style bonus rounds, thereby combining two evergreen formats into one. There’s a lot of pick-up on this game through players’ social media feeds and it offers entertainment even if you’re not playing. A good choice if you like the production values of a Saturday evening TV show and some interactive gaming, Sweet Bonanza Candyland sets the standard to which many other live gaming titles aspire to reach.
4. Treasure Island (Live Casino)
With just the same production standards as Sweet Bonanza Candyland, Treasure Island also offers a game show format. What’s different about this game is that it has a narrative about it. Yes, the story is pretty straightforward for anyone to follow, but it is this simplicity that makes it so compelling to many. The search for buried treasure chests might begin with a simple spinning wheel of fortune, but the game always feels adventurous and – to some extent, at least – immersive. Part of why Treasure Island is so on-trend right now is undoubtedly down to its sheer theatricality. The Pragmatic Play presenting team clearly are having a great time with this one and the joy is infectious, something that people want to share, hence its growing virality among the online playing community.
5. PowerUP Roulette Live
With so many live-action roulette options around, why is it worth mentioning two from the same game studio? The answer is clear – PowerUp Roulette takes a standard table game and turns it into something novel. This game offers a modern twist on roulette by bringing in randomly triggered PowerUP rounds. These offer the chance to win boosted payouts while sticking to the tried-and-tested method of generating random outcomes, a roulette wheel. There are some game show-like elements in this version of live roulette but, importantly, they don’t get in the way and don’t spoil the action, allowing fans of roulette to enjoy their time gaming just as much as casual gamers. This one has taken off with players all around the globe.
Five Top Slot Titles from Pragmatic Play
As previously mentioned, Pragmatic Play first made its name in the design of popular slot-style games, the online equivalent of fruit machines. Unlike some other design studios, Pragmatic Play has continued to keep up with player trends to offer cutting-edge titles that continue to add dynamism in the entertainment they offer. Right now, these are some of the most popular slots on offer from the gaming studio.
1. Gates of Olympus
This game has a theme that’s based on Greek mythology. Known as a tumble type of slot game, it features Zeus as king of the gods who has the power to introduce multipliers at will when the reels are spun. Most players of slot games will be familiar with the usual payline format, the way in which winning combinations of symbols can be organised on their screen. When it comes to Gates of Olympus, Pragmatic Play has introduced something a bit different. With scatters, wins can form in any combination, not just on paylines. Perhaps this accounts for the game’s popularity? There again, it could be one of the most played slot machines right now because of its iconic graphics and equally well-designed audio effects. Whatever it is that appeals to players, Gates of Olympus is very much part of Pragmatic Play’s canon of tumbling reel slot games, something that provides players with an experience they’ll be at home with while still affording them something new.
2. Sugar Rush
In Sugar Rush, you get a large seven-by-seven playing area, meaning there are seven reels and seven rows. Not many in-person fruit machines are built this way, if any, but in the digital realm, all things are possible, of course. As the name implies, this slot features sweets for symbols. With its large playing area, it resembles other sorts of games like Candy Crush, but be in no doubt, this is very much a slot title. When you spin the reels, clusters of symbols come into play but this isn’t what sets Sugar Rush apart from other candy-based designs. What’s new is the fact that the game features growing multiplier cells. These charge up every time a symbol pops onto the relevant spot. If you get the right build-up of cells, then long chains can form which snowball in a dramatic fashion. Consequently, Sugar Rush provides a blend of randomised chaos as well as some room for strategic thinking, especially when you prioritise cluster wins. Many games try to get this balance right, but few succeed in the way that Sugar Rush does
3. Sweet Bonanza
Another title that features a sweet-toothed approach to its design, Sweet Bonanza might look like a typical fruit and candy game, but it is far from that. This particular title is well-known among the online gaming community for its pay-anywhere mechanics. In other words, there are no paylines to worry about, no left-to-right rules to follow or any alignment combinations you need to be concerned with. As such, landing enough matching symbols anywhere on the reels following a spin is sufficient to result in a win. Some players like this because they think it offers a fairer chance of winning and some clearly like it because it simplifies the gameplay, removing what might otherwise be seen as unnecessary complexity. Consequently, Sweet Bonanza has been successful in attracting many relative newcomers to the world of online slots. Despite its straightforward game mechanics, though, this title has also been a hit among much more seasoned players. Sweet Bonanza might not be the latest game in the Pragmatic Play pantheon, but it remains a huge global success with players from every continent who enjoy it.
4. The Dog House Megaways
Pragmatic Play uses the megaways system in its own, unique fashion. For players who are unfamiliar with it, titles that include megaways feature a reel-changing approach to game design which means the look of the playing area after each spin can be dramatically different. Sometimes, you might have lots of symbols on a certain reel, sometimes hardly any. Pragmatic Play uses this approach in The Dog House to ensure this game variation occurs with every spin, thereby appealing to many players straight off the bat. The result is a faster and much more chaotic style of gaming compared to traditional online slots. What makes The Dog House Megaways unique, however, is nothing to do with its game mechanics, but its sheer sense of fun. This is a humorous game that also benefits from not one, but two free-spin modes.
5. Starlight Princess
Finally, this is a slot machine game that takes its visual cues from Japanese anime-style cartoons. The game focuses on a magical girl with bright artwork and an upbeat playing style, both factors which account for its widespread appeal. In Starlight Princess, you spin reels set out on a six-by-five grid which allows wins in any combination. All you need is a sufficient number of matching symbols to achieve a win. The mythological tone of the game gives it a feeling that’s somewhat similar to Gates of Olympus. However, this title is no second-rate copy because it has unique touches that include winged multiplier orbs that can sometimes drop in mid-spin. These multipliers add to the unpredictability of the game and bring a certain amount of drama to the gameplay, as well. There are some cleverly put-together animations in Starlight Princess which tune in very well with the game’s superb audio design. By plugging into the game’s whimsical tone, players can enjoy some true escapism with this title, one of Pragmatic Play’s best performers.
Conclusion
Pragmatic Play’s game designers are always looking for new angles, but never stray too far from what the public knows and likes. This delicate balance between freshness and familiarity is something that gamers across the globe have enjoyed for years, resulting in a game brand that, today, is trusted the world over.
