SpinPlay Games is a young slot-making company that opened its doors in 2019. A year after its launch, SpinPlay Games welcomed its first slot, which instantly became available on Microgaming’s exclusive platform.
In less than a year, SpinPlay Games have shown to the entire industry what it means to be determined, devoted, but above all, great at making games. Read our exclusive interview with SpinPlay Games’ Founder and CEO Anton Kuhlmann, and meet the newest star in the Microgaming constellation.
Welcome to BestCasinos.com! We have to say, as a player-oriented website, we are honoured to finally have you here. We are very excited to introduce you to our readers. Would you mind starting with a couple of words about your company first?
Thank you for that kind and flattering introduction, and it’s an honor to be here! I think the best place to start is our roots and grow from there.
Serena and I started in the industry together as game mathematicians making slot games for physical cabinets. We spent some time at several big providers in the US, and from there transitioned to making games for social casinos. Eventually we split off to start our own consultancy, where we were helping with game and math design (“Math Mercenaries” as we called it!) for several game studios around the world. SpinPlay was then established back in 2019.
You are a math-oriented game-maker creating compelling online slots in the heart of the gambling industry – Las Vegas. Does your location have any effect on the way you produce games?
Absolutely! Being in Las Vegas is probably our biggest not-so-secret weapon. In fact, Serena and I grew up here. With slot machines in every gas station and grocery store, it’s no surprise that gaming is in our blood. We spend a lot of time at the casinos playing games ourselves. It’s hard to imagine making the games we do without having that experience all around us.
“The creation of SpinPlay was motivated in large part by our desire to turn our own ideas into our own games.” –Anton Kuhlmann, SpinPlay Games
Can you tell us more about the work that you do at the company? What exactly falls under your responsibilities?
We’re still a very small studio which allows me to be involved in everything. We built our first game with a team of six ,and today we are a 17-strong. Every single member of our team is a rock star. There really isn’t a part of the process that I’m not deeply involved in right now: in addition to running the actual business side, I’m also involved in the game design, theming/art, sounds, engineering, testing and project management. I’ve recently been stepping away slowly from a lot of these areas as we bring in the right people to take charge and scale.
I also design the game features, tune the gameplay, do all the calculations, and prototype innovations for our new games. This is a little unusual for a studio head, but it’s also my favorite part – and one I don’t plan on letting go of any time soon! In fact, the creation of SpinPlay was motivated in large part by our desire to turn our own ideas into our own games.
Your debut slot, Roman Power, came out in June 2020 and found its rightful place among top-rated games at Microgaming casinos. However, you quickly followed up with five more releases. We have to ask, where do you get the inspiration for your games?
We’re players ourselves, and we are constantly talking about the games, features, themes and innovations that we want to try. The truth is that the hardest part is deciding which ideas don’t make the cut or keep getting pushed down the road. We have a lot of fun stuff that we’re already working on for next year.
What motivates you and your team the most?
Our team takes a lot of pride in what we do. We truly love the games that we make, and each game has a little bit of each of us in it. I mentioned before that every member of the team is a rock star, and I mean it. We all sincerely want to make the best games out there, that is our motivation.
As part of Microgaming’s studio network, creating games for the industry-leading company must represent a big responsibility. How do you view your path so far? What changed after you joined Microgaming’s platform?
It is definitely daunting knowing that our games are seen by so many players around the world. That exposure is great – it keeps us sharp and makes our games that much better.
The biggest challenges early on were learning how to get a game distributed through Microgaming: technology integration, game frameworks, testing requirements, etc. Our strategy was to start simple with our first two games to get a solid foundation on the process itself, and with that foundation we’re now able to add a lot more depth and complexity to our library without stumbling over the process.
“We truly love the games that we make, and each game has a little bit of each of us in it.“ –Anton Kuhlmann, SpinPlay Games
Do you have a favourite release? Which one is it and could you tell us more about it?
This is always such a hard question to answer! It does take a long time to make each game, and it’s easy for our excitement to move to the newest innovations that we’re working on by the time a finished game hits the market. We finalize the gameplay anywhere from six to 12 months before anyone sees the game.
For the games that are out, I absolutely love the Amazing Link™ series, and Diamond King Jackpots will always have a special place in my heart. Alice in WildLand and Mustang Riches are really fun innovation games that are coming out soon, and both are awesome to play. That said, the games I’m the most excited about right now aren’t coming out until next year, so keep an eye out for some exciting titles in 2022!
Which game proved to be the biggest challenge to create?
Amazing Link™ Zeus takes the prize here. It was a big step for our studio in terms of features and interactions. We knew going in that it was a long-term investment to build out those great features for the planned series, and really put the time and effort in to make them right.
In March, you released the Amazing Link™ Zeus slot, which features the Amazing Link™ feature. Moreover, you plan to launch another Amazing Link™ slot with a different Greek God as the protagonist. Could you tell us more about the releases?
Amazing Link™ Apollo has recently come out, and players are really enjoying the enhancements from Zeus. The Amazing Link™ feature and pick feature that are core to the series give the game a solid baseline, and the major enhancement is in the free spins. The free spin selection with three different options for the Amazing Reels, and the ability to upgrade all five reels and retrigger at the same time, really make the free spins feature shine in Apollo. We are also releasing Amazing Link™ Riches this December, and our next Greek god addition to the series will hit in late Q1 next year.
September brought us another one of your slots – only this time, we saw something a bit wilder than Amazing Link™. Would you care to share some details about your Alice in WildLand slot?
Alice in WildLand is such a fun game. It’s a whimsical and constantly entertaining experience with two-reel arrays that interact with each other. The win potential is massive with a 12,000x max win screen. I really love the Cheshire Cat, and all the features in the game really focus on him. He is a wild in the game that can transfer across arrays and generate multipliers, and in the free spins he also nudges which creates constant action. The music and art style are unique, and the players that love the game really love it.
Thank you for your time! We hope we’ll get to talk again soon. Would you like to add something as a farewell message to our readers?
We are so eternally grateful to all of the players that love our games, and the casinos that take them into their space. You all make what we do possible, thank you so much for your support! We make our games for our players, and we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to bring a piece of Vegas to all of you!
Comments