“Great games are built on understanding what players and operators love”

Can you share what inspires your team when developing new slot features and mechanics?

It’s a mixture of things. We always have one eye on current trends, not only in slots but also across all the main media and take inspiration from all forms of entertainment. In terms of our industry though, a lot depends on the market that is being targeted. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to game creation as different regions, countries and demographics often call for a different approach – sometimes radical, others subtle. It’s these variations that drive the differentiation in our games and inspire the titles that we launch. It’s actually the mechanic that often initially dictates the features and theme, making what follows easier to develop and flow smoothly into the finished product.

We do take a lot of our cues from our experience – our heritage in bringing our land-based success into iGaming is something we’re proud of and the fact that our development team are game enthusiasts themselves shines through in all of our content.

Your approach to branded games is fascinating. Could you elaborate on the process of selecting and securing partnerships with iconic brands like The Goonies or Ted?

Working with famous brands creates different challenges but Blueprint has a well-earned reputation for handling treasured IPs with great care and attention to detail, so we’re able to use that experience in our development processes, aligning with the brand owner throughout the process.

There are so many popular brands out there that many would think are the perfect fit for a slot but the process is incredibly nuanced and only a few make the cut. Essentially, it comes down to the IPs that licence holders make available for use in our industry. Many understand how a slot game based on a particular brand can help to extend the reach of an IP, especially given how iGaming has grown to become a major form of entertainment in recent years and that helps the selection process. We also ensure that the brands we approach strictly adhere to those which suit our style of games too.

Player engagement is crucial in the online slot market. How does Blueprint Gaming leverage player feedback to shape future game development?

Great games are built on understanding what players and operators love. That’s why we closely follow feedback and trends to guide our slot development.

The key is innovation without losing the magic. We keep the core gameplay that makes our favourites tick and weave in exciting new features and mechanics. Think Megaways and Prizelines in some games, or innovative bonus rounds in others. It’s about enhancing the experience players know and love while keeping things fresh.

This balance is what our talented team excels at. They consistently craft updates to franchises that feel new and exciting, while staying true to the spirit of the original game. Entirely new games are also greatly influenced by the learnings of previous efforts.

The Pub Fruit Series offers a unique take on traditional slot formats. What challenges did you face in adapting these land-based classics for the online environment?

Blueprint stands on the strong foundations of its heritage in the UK land-based market. Many of our founding team cut their teeth in the analogue AWP sector and moved with it into online slots naturally.

The Pub Fruit Series sees us lean on that gained expertise and bring the fruit machine-style game to the online environment.

While instantly recognisable to many in the UK and similar markets like the Netherlands, most elsewhere will not have experienced that before. Familiar AWP features such as bonus trails, cash ladders and hi/lo gamble features all form part of the gameplay, highlighting our DNA is game development which majors on creating engaging, feature-led games in which players become immersed.

Rather than challenges, recreating these classic games for online play offers us a broader palette to work with and take these games in new directions, with today’s tech and years of player feedback that we can use to improve already successful original titles.

Blueprint Gaming has a notable portfolio of games with complex modifiers and bonus rounds. Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming features players can look forward to?

We’ve recently released The Goonies Megaways™ which boasts a host of collect modifiers for players to unlock in both the main game and bonus and we’re actively looking at similar ways that we can augment our upcoming titles too.

Like a lot of our competitors, we’re always considering new opportunities for features, mechanics and themes. The industry is so incredibly packed with a lot of talented teams all tasked with creating the next big thing and the other aspect that we all share is that we don’t share any of it in advance! What we can say is that we have a considerable amount on our drawing board for the remainder of 2024 and we’ll reveal more a little nearer the time.

Considering the current gaming landscape, what’s your vision for Blueprint Gaming in the next five years, especially in terms of market expansion and product innovation?

We’re looking to expand our reach in international markets so that we’re replicating the penetration and success we’ve enjoyed in the UK and other established European markets. There are so many developing regions that we’re keeping track of with a view to making our debut in and it’s about choosing the right places at the right times with the appropriate partners.

There’s a lot of interest in our recent collaboration with HungryBear Gaming and its wildly popular multiplayer Slot Masters concept. We recently launched a branded version for Sky Vegas, Reel Rivals, which has been a roaring success, and it will be interesting to see where that takes us.

It’s this kind of innovation and evolution that really excites us. Along with giving players the kind of entertainment they love with our successful slot franchises; we’re energised to take things in new directions too. We’re laser-focused on being in a place that reflects those ambitions in the next five years.