Before stepping into game development, Oscar spent years on the streaming side of the industry – a familiar face to many players who followed slot content closely. Those years gave him a front-row seat to how games feel, flow, and land with real audiences.
Today, as a Game Product Owner at Relax Gaming, he’s channeling that experience into creating the kinds of games he once critiqued on stream. With his debut title, Necromancer’s Gate, about to launch, we spoke with Oscar about the transition, the lessons streaming taught him, and the ideas shaping his first major release.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): Hi Oscar, from my understanding, you started out as a slot streamer before moving into game development. What pushed you to make that switch from playing the games to actually creating them?
Oscar: Yes, that’s correct. I was a slot streamer for over five years and it was my full-time job. I sometimes joke that my years as a streamer gave me a PHD in slots! Being able to play casino games in front of an audience gave me an exceptional understanding of how games actually feel to players. I spent so many years playing games thinking, ‘why didn’t they do this instead?’ So it’s amazing to now finally bring those ideas to life as a Game Product Owner at Relax Gaming. It felt like the most natural and exciting switch for me to make.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): Our journey’s in iGaming started the same way, so I can definitely relate to what you are saying. How has your time as a streamer shaped the way you evaluate features today? Are there things you notice instantly because of that background?
Oscar: I think it has had a huge influence on how I work. Due to all the hours of streaming behind me, I’ve learned to understand a new game and the mechanics pretty quickly. That is a great skill in my job, and probably in yours as well. In my position, you learn the signatures of each provider. What features they usually lean towards, the type of math they like to pair them with and so on. On some games I’ve bought thousands of bonuses, so you start noticing patterns in both good and bad rounds.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): Totally agree. When you look at the modern slot landscape, what do you think streamers and regular players react to differently and how does that affect your design decisions?
Oscar: I play very differently at home compared to streaming. Streaming is all about fast paced features and bonus buys. At home I prefer spinning at normal speed and enjoying the full organic experience. The core of streaming is creating highlights, ideally by hitting max wins, which makes super bonus buys the most popular choice. I remember winning 96,000x on Money Train 3 and being a bit disappointed because we couldn’t put max win in the title – that’s a feeling I would never have at home.
When it comes to my design decisions, my goal is to build games that are fun to watch on stream but also fun to play at home. To find that balance, I try to focus a base game on the mass audience. Whilst offering niche, high variance feature spins and bonus buys that cater more to streamers and their audiences.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): That’s crazy, hitting 96kx and being like, bummer! Haha. So you have Necromancer’s Gate coming up, your first game with Relax. What made you want to build a game around this particular theme and character? Was Necromancer’s Gate always the plan, or did it evolve into this direction?
Oscar: First of all, I love the Necromancer from Money Train! He is my absolute favorite Relax character. I also love the idea of expanding the Money Train universe and placing this prequel in a completely different setting. We always explore many theme directions before choosing one. This game actually started as a more traditional wizard concept before shifting to the Necromancer. I am very glad we made that change because the world and atmosphere look fantastic today.
We all know the success of the Money Train series, and to be able to sprinkle a bit of that magic and create a game that resonates to your traditional Money Train player is fantastic. It’s offers a sense of familiarity but also intrigue which we think will appeal greatly to players.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): From your perspective, what makes Necromancer’s Gate stand out compared to recent Relax releases?
Oscar: I think it’s fair to say that we are extremely excited and optimistic about our upcoming roadmap at Relax. We enter Q1 on the back of some huge Q4 releases and that momentum will continue as we progress through 2026. This first quarter as a whole has the ingredients to be really special and it’s great to Necromancer’s Gate be a key part of that.
What makes Necromancer’s Gate stand out is that the variance is higher than in most of our games. It also offers a strong variety of feature spins, which we are really starting to find our groove with. We have not created many spin-off games, so I hope Money Train fans will be excited to see the Necromancer return.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): It’s been a while since the last MT release, so many fans will likely be happy to see this spin-off title. Aside from the core fans, what kind of player did you have in mind while developing the game?
Oscar: We think Necromancer’s Gate has a little something to appeal to every type of player. I hope most players who open the game will find something about it that they enjoy. But if I must pick a specific group, I’d say streamers and more experienced players who are looking for that little extra punch. As mentioned earlier, it should offer a sense of familiarity to Money Train fans and plays on some of the iconic Money Train features like the sniper and collector. But it adds a bit more of a kick with those extra bet options and bonuses available.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): The bonus rounds take the game in a different direction visually and mechanically. What was the thinking behind that shift?
Oscar: This game is a mix of mechanics that I personally love. Similarly to Vikings Video Slot from NetEnt, you start with ways, then the grid expands in the bonus, and landing a Viking in the middle transforms all other premiums into the same symbol with scatter pays. This was a particular approach that I wanted to introduce.
Secondly, I also love Razor Returns from Push Gaming and how they deliver coins through the seaweed. Both of these games helped influence the direction that we wanted to take and then we decided to add some classic Money Train style elements on top of that, which led us to Necromancer’s Gate.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): Those are not bad inspirations at all! Volatility and potential are major talking points among players. How did you approach tuning the risk-reward balance in this game?
Oscar: We made the base game lower variance to get a higher hit frequency and avoid long dry sessions. In the bonus, the volatility increases a lot. So the base is softer and more maintaining, whilst the bonus can go really crazy. The average entry to free spins is around 1 in 260 spins, which gives the bonus a respectable average win without feeling impossible. With the 25% enhanced bet, the average entry is around 1 in 130 spins.
The normal 100x buy works well for both home players and streamers because it balances big win potential with money back outcomes. The super bonus is extremely volatile and has a very strong chance of hitting max win. I really hope streamers pick it up because it’s a game that can result in some great highlights.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): I have no doubt they will. Now that the game is launching, what do you personally hope players notice or appreciate the most?
Oscar: So much time, planning, research and testing has gone into Necromancer’s Gate which makes it difficult to pick one element. Obviously, I want players to appreciate all the fine details like the visuals and mechanics. But if I had to choose one thing, I would say the Multiplier Ghouls. When they combine and multiply each other, especially with coins involved, it both looks and feels epic.
Bigwinboard (Daniel): Great talk Oscar! I have one last question for you. Looking back at the project now, what part of Necromancer’s Gate are you personally most satisfied with?
The Necromancer himself. I think it brings a fresh twist to the game. He turned out incredibly cool, and I’m proud we managed to do such a legendary character justice. It really did go beyond my expectations and I’m thrilled to have been a Game Product Owner making some key decisions on this special release. I hope players enjoy playing Necromancer’s Gate as much as we enjoyed making it!
