What Makes a Good Slot Game – According to Leanna Madden

As someone who has played thousands of games and helped countless people choose which games to play, Madden had a lot to say about how she came to her decisions.

The first thing a user knows about a slot game is its theme, therefore it’s always one of the factors in a player’s choice. Leanna has published an academic paper on the psychological significance of UI and theme. She maintains her stance that it’s a key part of the decision-making process, both consciously and subconsciously.

“Over 66% of players agree that a slot machine’s theme plays a crucial role in the selection process, but it’s so much more than that. If you align the user experience with someone’s interest, they’re more likely to come back.”

For Leanna, it’s about appealing to emotional loyalties that players already have, not creating new ones.

“Theme isn’t just limited to the design concept – other visual and auditory elements help create the multidimensional experience that users have come to expect from top game providers.”

A theme draws you in, then it’s the job of every other element of design to maintain your interest. Sound effects, colours, seamless animations – with so many competing games out there, slots need a strong USP or flawless execution to stand out nowadays.

“And great gameplay, of course!” she adds, “This one seems obvious but there’s still a little more to it than you might expect.

The best games promise more than just the basics. We love seeing free spins, bonus rounds, interactive elements and multipliers. There’s a wealth of new and imaginative features in games at the moment. Developers need to be creative to stand out, and fierce competition is forcing slot games to become really interesting.

While this is (quite literally) all fun and games, Leanna reminds us to always check a game’s stats before choosing an online slot.

“Information about RTP and volatility is one of the first things I look for when reviewing a slot. Naturally, we all want games with high RTPs. But if you want big wins, you might want to look a little beyond that and consider the risk level you’ll play at for the chance of bigger jackpots”.

Jackpots are another feature that reels in the online crowds. Leanna draws on what people think about online gaming in general to deepen our understanding of what makes specific games popular.

“You can tell what players want at the moment by looking at what online casinos put at the top of their homepages. Recently, I’ve seen lots of variants of live jackpot counters and “biggest wins” leaderboards.”

“This sense of community is another reason people love progressive jackpots – people like the feeling of contributing to the grand prize. The sense of immersion that comes with interacting with the scale of the jackpot fosters a sense of attachment to the game. This is another factor that keeps people coming back”.

Leanna spoke about the intersection between social media, spectacle and player habits.

“When someone wins a huge jackpot from an online slot, word makes it around pretty quickly. We love hearing about this as it reminds us it could happen to anyone – including us.

“People love the privacy, accessibility and personalisation of online casinos – but still enjoy the way people come together over people’s big successes. And winning big jackpots,” she laughs, “People like that too.”

The online community is a great resource for sharing tips, tricks, successes and lessons from online slots. Leanna acknowledges the nature of her role in the perception of slot games.

“There’d be no point in me being a slot reviewer if I didn’t think slot reviews should be a factor in players’ decision-making process” she says, “They work the same as any other product review. They’re an indication of trust, and tell you bluntly whether a game actually makes its users happy.”

A lot of people like to look at hot and cold slot lists. The idea of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ slots comes from a time when fruit machines didn’t work on random number generators. Players used to sit and watch machines for a long time, just to figure out how much they paid out.

“People interpret hot and cold lists differently. Some like to try and jump on the bandwagon of hot games, and others think that there’s bound to be a windfall soon if they choose a cold slot. Either way, they’re a fun way of figuring out what’s going on in the iGaming community and an interesting resource for superstitious players”.

Leanna acknowledges that however much you analyse data, slot games are ultimately for entertainment and their merits should be judged as such.

“Ultimately, there are no surefire ways to win. The only way you’re guaranteed a great online slot experience is by playing within your boundaries on a game you enjoy”.

Those are the main things Leanna considers when deciding what constitutes a good slot game – for now. She’s got a lot of theories about where slots are going in the near future.

“We’re entering into a really exciting future for online gaming. VR slots are making waves in the iGaming space and are on track to revolutionise the online casino experience. Imagine the best parts about walking into a land based casino, but none of the limitations of reality.”

“Regardless of where the technology goes, a good game will always involve two things: game designers listening to what you want, and finding an exciting, novel way to deliver it”.