Founded in 2002, Realistic Games is a privately owned online casino software developer with a collective experience spanning decades. We recently had the opportunity to speak to Commercial Director Robert Lee of Realistic Games about the studio’s latest release Book of Charms and the road ahead. Let’s find out what Robert had to say…
Bigwinboard: Your latest title Book of Charms has been doing quite well. What do you think players liked most about this game?
Robert Lee: Book of Charms draws from many slot enthusiasts’ favourite themes and mechanics whilst managing to be unique in its gameplay. Firstly, the base game is home to two different wilds – a feature which isn’t seen frequently in slots. The Lady wild not only substitutes all base game symbols except the scatters but also multiplies any wins gained by 2x. Additionally, the Book scatter also acts as a wild, and these two symbols can work in tandem to create further big winning opportunities for the player. This leads to some high-intensity and, most importantly, entertaining gameplay throughout the base game.
We also think players will appreciate the familiarity of some of the features within the game, their basic concept being simple to pick up yet offering an elevation to keep them fresh. The maths behind the game will also be a big draw for players as they have a huge max win of 20,000x to aim for without compromising the hit frequency of the base game!
Bigwinboard: Could you tell us more about the bonus rounds on offer in Book of Charms and what players should expect?
Robert Lee: It’s in the bonus rounds where Book of Charms really begins to shine – there are two bonuses available that each provide their own distinct mechanics. The Pink Orb bonus provides 15 free spins with a 3x multiplier to all wins and can be retriggered by landing three additional orbs within the free spins round. Additionally, the Book bonus grants 10 free spins and an expanding random symbol to further increase winning potential.
The beauty of Book of Charms is that each bonus can be triggered from within the other, allowing players, for example, to jump from the Pink Orb bonus to the Book and then back again! Furthermore, the Pink Orb scatter can excitingly be chosen as the Book bonus’ expanding symbol. Landing three or more Pink Orb scatters (as the expanding symbol) will award a massive 165 Free Spins! Not just that, but players can also trigger the book bonus again during these 165 free spins! The flexibility and scope of the win options on offer make it very clear that players have a lot to get excited about in this release!
Bigwinboard: Your recent titles have been a departure from the more traditional slots Realistic Games has made in the past, how have you found this transition?
Robert Lee: Realistic Games has been trading for 20 years, and in that time the industry has changed and evolved. Mirroring these changes, our games equally must develop to stay ahead of consumer demands and provide players with developments that will keep them entertained. One thing our titles have always been renowned for is innovation, and this is a driving force behind many of our titles.
Looking back at our portfolio we have seen a resurgence in some elements we developed many years ago. Snakes and Ladders is a prime example, being a core focus of a title from our Game Changer series and boasts 324,000,000 different board combinations. These elements have now made it to the mainstream but have roots in our game development.
Our content in the past has had a more traditional aesthetic, paying homage to the land-based AWP sector and was a niche we thrived in. However, in recent times we have enjoyed experimenting with our talented designers to create titles that have our distinctive innovative features as a part of their core gameplay but present these mechanics with a more contemporary look. This is reflected best in two of our most recent titles Gorilla Riches and Book of Charms. These games have encouraged a new player base to become accustomed to our releases and enjoy what we love creating at Realistic Games, fun, entertaining experiences that challenge the status quo. Seeing new players enjoy our games for the first time has been a real pleasure.
Bigwinboard: What do players have to look forward to from Realistic Games in the future?
Robert Lee: We aim to continue developing innovative titles with a more contemporary look in the future with many big hitters on the horizon. In addition to creating some truly entertaining games, we will also be expanding where players can find us as we maintain our growth across the globe providing new partners and casinos with our high-quality portfolio of slots. We will of course love the opportunity to come back and discuss these developments with you nearer to the time of our next slot release.
