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Casino software developers are the backbone of the iGaming industry. Sure, online casino platforms provide players with the means to play, but it is the developers of the games who create the magic behind the scenes. A good way of thinking about it is that the casino platform is like the movie theatre, providing the seats, screens, and popcorn, whereas the developers are like the movie producers, making the films we want to see.
Developers will all differ in their offerings, some substantially so. Experienced players will know the difference between games from No Limit City and Microgaming, sometimes with just a glance. But one thing that unites all games is that they will all have at least one signature bonus feature. Those features tend to also characterise the developer behind the games.
Of course, when we mention casino bonuses, there can be some overlap and confusion. Here, we aren’t talking about the online casino bonus promotions offered to players; it’s the games’ signature features that we mean. In many instances, the main bonus feature has supplanted the idea of a “jackpot” as the raison d’etre for playing.
Players love to spin on Pragmatic
So, which providers have the best bonus features? That’s a difficult question to answer, as players will all have their own preferences. But we can give some insight based on popularity. For a start, we know that lots of players enjoy Pragmatic Play games due to its high octane bonus features, which usually come in the form of a free spins bonus. Big Multipliers are often the key draw in the feature, but Pragmatic has lots of inventive ways to make each bonus seem unique.
In a similar vein, there is a lot of love for Big Time Gaming (BTG). The Australian studio, which was bought over by Evolution Gaming recently, is considered the most innovative developer around, despite its small library of games. After all, it was BTG that first created Megaways games, later licensing the technology to rival developers. Anyway, with games like Lil’ Devil, Chocolates, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (yes, based on the game show), and Danger: High Voltage, players have always appreciated BTG’s unique – but often volatile – bonus features.
Blueprint offers multiple features
For a change of pace here, we should look at Blueprint Gaming. While most online slots will have one, or perhaps two, bonus features, Blueprint Games tend to have several. The company has had a lot of success with its branded titles, including games based on the Seth MacFarlane movie Ted and the popular cartoon Rick & Morty. Both these have around six standalone bonus features, and that doesn’t include all the mini-bonuses within the games. For entertainment alone, Blueprint is king of the bonus features.
We should also give a shout-out to Playtech. The company, along with NetEnt, has been one of the stalwarts of the iGaming industry since the 1990s, and it is best known for its big-budget stylish games. Like Blueprint, it’s known for its branded content, partnering with movie studios to create officially licensed games. What we enjoy the most about Playtech is that it often uses real footage from the movies the games are based on, slicing in video and audio to give a bit to dazzle players. The fact that Playtech also has one of the world’s largest jackpot networks helps matters too.
Finally, we will tip our hat to NetEnt. Ironically, NetEnt’s most famous game, Starburst, doesn’t have a main bonus feature, but the Swedish developer has arguably become the best all-rounder when it comes to slot bonuses. From the high-octane volatility of Dead or Alive bonuses to the sounds of the Appetite for Destruction album in its Guns N’ Roses video slots, NetEnt ticks all the boxes for players who want to experience a bit of everything.
