Take a look at the most popular online casino games right now and you’ll find several game shows near the top of the list. Why are they so popular and what can expect from this genre in the future?
Highly Varied Gameplay
One of the main reasons people love these games is the varied gameplay. While many of them take a traditional gambling element like a money wheel or a set of dice as their starting point, they add in interesting features and bonus rounds that add a lot of variety.
We can see examples on the Paddy Power site, as you can play Crazy Time at Paddy’s where the wheel has numbered segments and bonus rounds on it. These bonus rounds include Coin Flip, Pachinko, and Cash Hunt, with each featuring a different way of playing. Other game shows on the same site include Funky Time, Gonzo’s Treasure Map, and Cash or Crash Live, so there’s a lot of variety to be explored.
A Fast-Paced and Entertaining Format
A key element of these games is the way they’re presented, with a human presenter leading the action on the screen. The game is live-streamed from a studio setting that’s designed to fit the game’s theme. Gonzo’s Treasure Quest has a jungle exploration theme that perfectly fits this game and the slot – Gonzo’s Quest – that inspired it. Meanwhile, Funky Time has a 70s disco feel to it that mirrors that era and the social movement, which is explained here by Disco After Dark.
These games emerged out of the live casino dealer trend, where classics like roulette and blackjack are transmitted from a live studio setting. While this has added some extra tension and a lot of atmosphere to these games, top developers such as Evolution decided to get a step further and create brand-new games in this format.
In general terms, game shows are simpler and faster than traditional casino games, with a betting round where players place their wagers before the action begins. Once the presenter starts the game, it generally only takes a moment to complete the game and see what players have won prizes. Even the bonus rounds tend to pass quickly thanks to the slick gameplay and clever elements like automatic dice and virtual reality images.
We can also see a selection of branded game shows, suggesting that the industry could easily move further in that direction in the future. Monopoly Big Baller and Live Deal or No Deal are among the best examples. These games incorporate elements of the brands that inspired them but with additional gameplay elements for more variety. The famous banker from Deal or No Deal was first played by Peter Abbay in the US version of the show but here it’s an automated process that offers deals.
What Does the Future Hold?
At the moment, the appearance of new game shows has added to the appeal of live dealer games, so we can expect more titles in this genre to be released in the future. Will they replace traditional casino games or continue to sit alongside them?
At the time of writing, the latest game shows can be found alongside games such as blackjack and baccarat, but the popularity of each type will determine what happens next. The signs are that game shows are here to stay, and they should continue to provide us with new, entertaining ways of gambling as developers turn to new themes and features.
