The online casino industry brought about an epic shift from the basic, classic games of old. It gave birth to a sprawling industry in which developers have innovated and developed a vast range of state-of-the-art titles. The popularity of slots allowed this to happen, as it quickly became clear that players wanted a variety of genres and characters to enjoy on the reels. Just like in the wider world of gaming, some common character tropes have emerged at online casinos.
Action Adventure
The action-adventure genre is hugely popular in the casino online market, with some of the most-played titles of all time fitting into this category. Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead was released in 2016 but is still one of the main draws at online casinos to this day. The game’s lead character takes inspiration from Indiana Jones and is designed to appeal to fans of the film series. The original title takes players to ancient Egypt, where they can feel as if they are exploring the iconic pyramids alongside the intrepid titular explorer.
Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead was so overwhelmingly popular that it led to several other titles in the series. For instance, Play’n GO released Rich Wilde and the Tome of Madness, Rich Wilde and the Amulet of Dead, and Rich Wild and the Wandering City. It even spawned a female-led spinoff with various games in that series too. These include Cat Wilde and the Pyramids of the Dead, Cat Wilde and the Lost City, and Cat Wilde and the Aztec Idols.
Another extremely well-known action-adventure character in the online slot market is Gonzo, from the Gonzo’s Quest series by NetEnt. It follows an adventurous explorer who embarks on a mission through South America, on the hunt for El Dorado. This is a city filled with gold, and the aim of players is to reach the destination so they can get to the jackpot of the game.
Everything about Gonzo’s Quest screams exploration, with the character dressed in typical questing attire. As players spin the reels, they reveal secrets about the game’s world and uncover hidden gems. The original title spawned a few other slot games, including Gonzo’s Quest Megaways and Gonzo’s Gold. The franchise has also broken out into the booming live casino market with Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt Live. It’s clear that action-adventure characters have a lot of pulling power in online slots lists.
Mythology
Ancient mythology has a firm place in the gaming industry, and it has inspired some of the greatest games ever made. Indeed, God of War was heavily based on Norse mythology, and the 2018 title is regarded as one of the greatest console game achievements of all time. The same can be said about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is heavily influenced by Slavic folklore. It also includes characters and monsters that have been inspired by Norse and Greek mythology.
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Caption: A trailer for God of War.
It’s clear that mythology is a major draw for online casinos as well, as the slots market is bursting at the seams with games inspired by the classic tales of old civilizations. One of the most famous characters used in mythology slots is Cleopatra, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. She’s the central protagonist of numerous top slots including Book of Cleopatra, Legend of Cleopatra, Cleo’s Wish, and Cleopatra: Queen of the Desert. There are other twists on this as well, such as Lara Jones is Cleopatra – a title that uses a Lara Croft-inspired adventurer to play the iconic queen.
Greek mythology is almost as popular as Egyptian in the slots market, and there are certain characters from those times that crop up on a regular basis in the reel-spinning games. The king of the gods, Zeus, is the most prevalent, and he’s clearly a major draw for players. He features in more than nine of the industry’s most popular games, such as Zeus vs Hades: Gods of War, Amazing Link Zeus, Wild Link Zeus, and Zeus: God of Thunder.
Along with these popular titles, there are games based on different ancient cultures with their own character tropes. For instance, Aztec-themed games usually have chiefs with extravagant headgear on the thumbnail. Aztec Chief is a prime example of this. Mayan-themed games like Mayan Blaze and Mayan Fire opt for similar imagery.
Top Hollywood Slots
A lot of the time, online slots developers turn to characters and narratives that are already established successes in other areas of entertainment. Many of the most iconic characters from film have found themselves decorating the reels at one point or another, because casinos know that these offer the familiarity effect and have serious pulling power. Slots often boost film franchises as well and help boost their notoriety.
When Mad Max Fury Road was released in 2015, it quickly picked up a cult following. The iconic post-apocalyptic hero was soon adapted to the slots market. Now, the slot of the same name is one of the most popular games out there, and it is likely to spawn a spinoff when Furiosa is released next year. Another character that’s instantly recognizable when players see the thumbnail is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator on the T2 online slot. That game’s based on the 1991 offering, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, from Avatar 2 director James Cameron, which is arguably the best entry in the franchise.
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Caption: A trailer for Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
Players can also find iconic the iconic Hollywood horror character Freddy Kreuger in the online slots market. He features in the A Nightmare On Elm Street slot, which is inspired by the 2010 reboot of the classic slasher.
It’s clear that the slots market has a few tried-and-tested character types across the main genres that developers keep turning to. They know that the familiarity of these will attract players and they clearly like to stick to a winning formula.
