INTERVIEW: Gaming Corps Head of Games Talks About Hyena Heist & the A-MAZE-CADES™ Revolution
Gaming Corps is by all means a familiar game provider when it comes to our readers.
We’ve already had the pleasure of introducing the company, an innovative and creative game studio building all sorts of games – from slots to crash games.
We spoke with the company’s Head of Games Connor Blinman on several occasions to discuss Piggy Smash and Piggy Smash 2 Smash 4 Cash, and now we’ve sat down with Viacheslav Pechernyi, Product Owner at Gaming Corps, who takes us through the studio’s latest game release featuring its innovative A-MAZE-CADES™ mechanic.
Enjoy.
What inspired the theme of Hyena Heist, and how did you blend humour with high-volatility gameplay?
High volatility games need to be combined with a thrilling theme, and what better way to get the adrenaline pumping than with a high-stakes heist?
Throw in a trio of laughing hyenas, and you have a truly unique but exciting theme that promises to put players on the edge of their seats. With so many slots in the market, studios are having to put their own twist on themes and narratives, and we’ve done just that with Hyena Heist.
The A-MAZE-CADES™ mechanic is quite unique—can you explain how it enhances engagement compared to traditional cascading slots?
A-MAZE-CADES™ is our take on the cascading wins mechanic and sees winning symbols eliminated after each spin.
Existing symbols then follow a unique pattern and move through the grid towards the “exit” position while new symbols drop in from the right-most reel to fill the grid. For players, this provides a fresh cascading reels experience and makes the gameplay more focused, directional and easier to navigate. Simplicity really is key when it comes to innovative mechanics – if it’s too complex, the player won’t spend the time or money learning how it works, so making it easy to understand and play is key.
With three distinct Hyena features, how did you approach balancing gameplay so each character feels rewarding but not overpowering?
The distilled math model for Hyena Heist balances the gameplay to let each hyena shine and enjoy some time in the spotlight.
There are three Hyena symbols – red, blue and yellow – which award the Cash Prize, Cash Multiplier and Cash Magnet respectively. The Cash Prize adds a cash prize to the pot with values ranging from 5x to 1,000x the bet, the Cash Multiplier adds a Multiplier of between 2x and 10x to the pot, while the Cash Magnet collects all the values from the Cash Symbols remaining on the reels.
The combination of bonuses brings tons of value to the game, with players keen to trigger each of the Hyena bonuses during their session.
How do the two Free Spins modes—Reset Cash Pot and Sticky Cash Pot—cater to different player types?
The Free Spins have been designed to really amp up the action while providing players with an element of control, as they can choose which mode to play in.
Free Spins are triggered after eight consecutive winning cascades, the progress bar is filled, and the corresponding icon is highlighted. While the Free Spins play out, up to three Hyena symbols appear on the reels, too. Once the Hyena symbols have been collected, the player receives the collected value in the Cash Pot. In Reset Mode, players get six Free Spins with the pot resetting after each spin, while in Sticky Mode, they get three Free Spins, but the pot doesn’t reset after each spin. Sticky Mode is definitely for those who prefer more risk in their gameplay, but with a potentially bigger reward up for grabs.
Reset, on the other hand, is a little less crazy and gives a bit of a smoother ride while still providing plenty of big win potential.
The Wild Bomb feature is a surprise twist—was that designed to address player frustration during dead spins?
Yes, exactly that. It’s triggered at random on a non-winning spin and offers a chance to completely change the board and to create an opportunity to move forward on the Progress Bar towards the Free Spins. Up to five Bomb symbols can land on the reels and in the adjacent 3×3 area, and each Bomb symbol destroys all symbols except the Hyena, Wild, and Cash Coin – the position where the Bomb lands also becomes Wild.
What kind of performance or engagement metrics are you hoping to see with Hyena Heist, and how does it fit into your broader roadmap for 2025?
A-MAZE-CADES™ debuted in Wet and Wild Beavers back in 2024, so we are hoping to build on the success of the mechanic with Hyena Heist.
The goal here is to increase the number of players engaging with the game through a refined game flow and exciting math, wrapped up in a captivating theme and stunning visuals – something I think we have very much achieved.
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