The world of slot machine psychology is equally as fascinating as it is expansive. For the sake of both brevity and clarity, in today’s article, we will be zooming in on one area: the psychology behind the design elements and decisions behind our favourite UK online slot games. From how slot machine sounds set the scene, and how visual effects in slots keep us entertained, to the overall influence that sensory elements and concepts of nostalgia have on gambling behaviours, keep on reading to learn more.
Brand Identity, Recognition, and Association
Nobody needs to be reminded that the online casino industry has exploded in the past decade. Now there are more slot styles, themes, and developers than ever before. There are plenty of well-established names, but also lots of young guns looking to grab a slice of the attention.
It is here, before our attention even lands on specific slot games, let alone their design choices, that we need to begin. Why? Because it doesn’t matter how amazing and how much of the smartest psychology your slot game has, if players don’t notice your brand enough for it to get exposure.
There is plenty that players can pick up on from just the name of the provider, for example, ‘Hacksaw Gaming’ sounds edgy and disruptive, while Barcrest sounds older and well-established.
Brand Identity
Brand identity is something that Hacksaw Gaming has nailed to a tee. Hacksaw has given itself the memorable aim of providing gamers with ‘disruptive gaming’. Their logo design is simple but stark white-on-black, which makes the brand feel edgy and disruptive. Couple this with the often dark and/or disturbing themes of their games, such as ‘Evil Eye’ and ‘666’, and Hacksaw Gaming becomes a standout brand design to appeal to modern gamers who want new and edgy gameplay experiences.
Eyecon is another brand which has forged a strong identity. One of the older developers, Eyecon, opted to ignore slot trends for ‘luck of the Irish’, ancient Egypt, and overall masculine themes and instead focused on the cutesy. Their flagship game series is called ‘Fluffy Favourites’ and is iconic because its adorable pastel fairground theme and plushie characters were the antithesis of the trends of the day. Modern developers have to be able to spot gaps in the market that they can use to gain a player base of previously non-targeted players.
Always Keep Them Wanting More
When forming and maintaining their brand identity, slot developers have to make sure that they perfectly balance what players expect from them (usually their flagship series and/or theme) and new ideas to retain relevance. Less adaptable slot developers can wind up pigeon-holed, but developers that completely change or constantly shift their style alienate their player base.
For example, players typically expect more light-hearted and cute gameplay from Eyecon, but the developer hasn’t allowed itself to be pigeon-holed by this. They avoid becoming stagnant by using their flagship series, Fluffy Favourites, to dabble with alternative themes, such as Fluffy in Space and Fondant Favourites: Star Trail.
Information Processing, Assumptions, and Colour
The brain takes a lot of energy to run, and is always looking to economise this (as this is more suited to survival). This is why assumptions, whether true or not, stick in our mind; it is more efficient and takes less energy to draw from these than it does to scour the memory banks.
Multiple studies have found that easy-to-process information is vital in the establishment of brand recognition and popularity, with impressions of products being formed in as little as 13 milliseconds. The associations we have with colour are a perfect example of this; for example, in Western cultures, green is often associated with wealth, while in Asian countries, red is the prevailing colour.
When it comes to online casinos, for example, darker, richer tones like black, emerald green, royal purple, and so on set the scene for a luxurious, ‘serious’ site, while a site with bold, bright colours is more tailored to a fun atmosphere. Softer colours, such as pastels, are often used to appeal to female players, but are also more welcoming to all comers as opposed to the previous examples.
These same concepts are carried over to slot games themselves, for example:
- Red represents enthusiasm and vigour. It is often seen in ‘fiery’ jackpot games. In Asian cultures, it represents wealth and prosperity and is often seen in ‘lucky fortune’ games.
- Blue symbolises tranquillity and peace. You’ll often see blue used in vacation and holiday slots, and ocean/fishing-themed games. Blue also represents the cold and winter/Christmas slots use blue in this way.
- Green represents luck and prosperity. It is a prominent colour in money-themed games, and is iconic to the ‘luck o’ the Irish’ slot genre.
- Yellow is optimistic and eye-catching. Warm tones are often associated with Ancient Egyptian games and cartoon-themed slots, with yellow itself commonly seen used for buttons and accents as it contrasts well with most other colours.
- Style, elegance, smoothness, and mystery are often associated with black.
- Purple has a history of being the colour of royalty and is therefore seen in luxury-themed games.
- Orange is a warm and cheerful colour, commonly used in a similar way to yellow. It is also often seen in autumn-themed and Halloween games.
- White is used more selectively in slot design as it can create stark contrast and is readable against dark backgrounds, but too much can appear bland.
- Brown represents comfort, warmth, and the ground. This colour has varied applications in slots from nature-themed games to slots inspired by ancient civilisations, and also as chocolate in Candyland-themed titles.
Themes, Characters, and Storytelling
While there is a slot game for just about every niche under the sun, there are some prevailing themes which have become staples of the genre. Possibly the most prevailing involves games inspired by luck and fortune. This topic encompasses games from around the globe, from the Emerald Isle in ‘luck o’ the Irish’ games, and adorned in red and gold in Asian fortune games.
Luck and fortune-themed games have become a prevailing theme of slot games because of the psychological impact of lucky charms. This is better known as the placebo effect, as, while the player doesn’t increase their luck by using a charm, instead their confidence and self-efficacy increase, and their anxiety decreases, which can have an impact upon cognitive skill or performance (whether actual or perceived).
Nostalgia and Going Retro
One overarching theme across sub-genres which exerts a strong psychological effect upon players is nostalgia. Slots based on favourite films, TV episodes, comic books, musicians, or other pop culture icons like Jurassic Park, Game of Thrones, Guns n' Roses, etc., may quickly evoke amusement, recognition, and help forge engagement even if the player hasn’t played an online slot game before. This emotional connection makes the slot stand out in a crowded market and gives developers the chance to use iconic characters, items, or scenes to increase not only engagement but also experiment with innovative combinations of features to best suit the source material.
Similarly, retro-themed games like one-armed bandits or fruit machines make gamblers feel as though they are getting the ‘authentic’ slot experience. For online slots players, these nostalgic titles may bring back heady memories of playing the real deal in their favourite pub or local casino. In these games, graphics and bonus features are usually pared back, which highlights the simple beauty of watching the reels spin and hoping they stop on a winner, which is what made slot machines take off all those years ago.
A Sense of Adventure
Another broad-spectrum slot theme is that of adventure. In the online world, you can go anywhere, be anyone, and do almost anything. Therefore, many slots utilise this faux sense of freedom within their themes; whisking players away on luxury getaways, allowing them to play being a bank robber, or even transport them back or forward in time or even into complete fantasy. This sense of adventure makes gameplay experiences more satisfying and meaningful to players, and future slot innovations, such as VR and increased gamification.
Storytelling
As technology improves, players are expecting more and more from their slot experiences, and with thousands of online slots out there, developers, too, are looking for ways to make their games stand out from the crowd. One such way that this is happening is through storytelling. It is quickly not becoming enough to have a general theme with some symbols to match; instead, many of the top new releases feature recurring characters with storytelling elements made evident in the design, symbols, and bonus features of the game. Storytelling helps to make games more immersive and can increase player engagement by keeping them invested in what comes next.
Sound Design
In an interview for Gaming America, Jean Venneman, Gaming Arts COO, explored the psychological effect that sound design can have within a physical space, not just for those playing, but those within the vicinity. When placing their physical slot units within real-world casinos and arcades, developers need to consider audio balance, as too many clashing soundscapes can make an area untenable.
However, it is not as simple as turning the sound on a machine down or off; then a different phenomenon is noted with the machine showing a marked negative "performance difference because the player experience is multisensory". This shows how important sound is to our overall slot experience, even if many of us click the mute button at our first convenience.
Sound Design on Digital Interfaces
Sound design often becomes more important when moving to an online setting. Have you ever found that using a mouse to click buttons in a game isn’t as satisfying as using a touchscreen? Or when using a touchscreen, it isn’t clear if your action has been registered?
Good sound effects applied to a user interface like the one found on all online slots, even if a little more than a simple click or chime, dramatically increase player confidence and satisfaction. The brain registers the sound as it would if the button were physically pressed, which, combined with the haptic (touch) feedback, closely mimics the real-world experience. These sound cues also act as part of a multi-sensory confirmation that an action has been taken, which is subtly reassuring for players.
Musical Scores and Bonus Rounds
Many slot machines are designed with at least 2 soundtracks: one for the base game and one for bonus rounds. This is usually exemplified by a change in tempo, with the bonus game soundtrack faster paced and more bombastic. Often accompanied by a change of scenery, such as day to night, or light to dark, this has the overall psychological effect of increasing fun and tension.
Conclusion
So there you have it; there’s far more that goes into your favourite games than you might have thought! Slot developers are using psychological concepts within their slot machine design to create immersive and engaging games that capture their target audience. Now you know some of these techniques, it is down to you whether you go with the flow or buck the trends! Sign up and play today at SpinGenie!
