Lucksome Founder Bryan Upton on Building Games, 2023 Plans, and New Bon Bomb™ Bonanza Hyperboom™ Slot
Young but already very successful, Lucksome is a growing casino game developer known for its close relationship with Blueprint Gaming. So far, Lucksome has produced 11 video slots exploring jungles, Norse mythology, Ancient Egypt, sweets, Vegas, and many other themes, with big plans for portfolio expansion that we look forward to seeing in the future. Indeed, Lucksome games are games to treasure.
But perhaps the key thing to know about Lucksome is that each release is a full package – potent features, stunning visuals, and innovative mechanics are paramount! Lucksome’s Bryan Upton was kind to sit down with us and answer some questions from our team, and he also gave us a glimpse into the latest release titled Bon Bomb™ Bonanza Hyperboom™. Read the whole interview right here.
- Hello and welcome to BestCasinos, we are glad to have you here! Before we get to the nitty-gritty of your new slot, would you please start by telling us a little more about yourself and your position at Lucksome?
I graduated with a Master’s degree in 3D Art and Multimedia application design. Initially seeking jobs in Video Games or TV, I unexpectedly landed a position as a Game Artist at a Gambling start-up. Since then, I’ve had a dynamic journey in both land-based and online casino industries.
Most of my education and knowledge came from GTECH, which later became IGT. Working with the teams on land-based casino games and hardware exposed me to advanced game design and slot mathematics. I also had the opportunity to explore various markets and product verticals, ranging from street market AWP and VLT games to premium products on Vegas casino floors. This experience provided me with over 5 years of expertise in product and content strategy methodologies and game design.
After my time at IGT, NetEnt offered me a chance to apply my knowledge to the online space. This introduced me to the exhilarating innovation and fast pace in Malta. Now back in the online industry, I face the challenges of a rapidly evolving market, complex regulations, and fierce competition. After leaving NetEnt I wanted to start something small but full of talent and ideas. With the help of friends at Blueprint Gaming, Lucksome was born.
- How would you describe Lucksome to someone hearing about you for the first time? What makes you stand out from the rest?
Firstly, transparency isn’t just a buzzword for us – it’s a key component of how we operate and interact with our players. We believe that players should have access to all the information they need to understand our games thoroughly. This includes everything from the game mechanics to the odds and potential payouts. We strive to be open and build a sense of trust and respect with our audience. We’re not just about creating games; we’re about creating an experience that’s fair and enjoyable for our players.
“Transparency isn’t just a buzzword for us – it’s a key component of how we operate and interact with our players.”
–Bryan Upton, Lucksome
Secondly, the visual aspect of our games is paramount. Superior graphics are an integral part of the gaming experience. We recognize that players are drawn in by the artwork and animation, which serve as the first impressions of our games. Our team of talented artists and designers work hard to create immersive graphics that bring our games to life. Whether it’s the wild-west cyberpunk aesthetics in our recent release “6 In The Chamber,” or the eerie yet classic allure of “Treasures of the Dead”, we aim to wow our players visually every time they take a spin with us.
Finally, the cornerstone of any good slot game product lies in its mathematics. We at Lucksome are committed to superior mathematics, providing balanced gameplay that’s fair, exciting and rewarding. We understand the allure of potential big wins, but also recognize the importance of consistent, smaller victories that keep players engaged. Our games, like “6 In The Chamber,” provide a range of volatility levels to cater to different player preferences.
- So far, Lucksome has launched almost a dozen casino games, each with a unique theme, visuals, and payouts. I’m sure the journey so far has been more than fun, but what would you say has been the biggest challenge for you as a team?
In today’s industry, competition is intense, and it can be challenging to capture players’ attention when launching a game. You have limited number of spins to make an impact and create excitement for the player before they go off to another game. It’s crucial to ensure that all your game features are easily accessible to the players. Even the most well-designed features are pointless if no player ever sees them. It is a challenge, but a fun exercise, to make sure all your features are accessible to the players and features with low frequency are supplemented by other features that keep the players engaged and rewarded until they get to the big ones.
- Classic Vegas-style games, Norse mythology, animals, Egyptian mysteries, and candy are just some of the themes you have covered in your slots so far. Can you take us through the process of picking a theme and developing it further at your company?
One of the aspects I truly enjoy about game development is the ability to switch gears from one theme to another, keeping the excitement alive for both our team and players. We find inspiration for our slot games from various sources, as ideas can emerge from anywhere. Whenever someone on the team suggests an idea they believe would make a fantastic slot game, be it mechanical or thematic, we add it to our backlog. Periodically, we gather as a team to review our backlog, matching mechanics with themes that resonate with us. From there, our game designers take the chosen ideas and further develop them until we achieve a design that everyone is satisfied with.
“We’re not just about creating games; we’re about creating an experience that’s fair and enjoyable for our players.”
–Bryan Upton, Lucksome
- What’s your favourite Lucksome slot release from your arsenal?
Saint Nicked is one of my favourites for the funny theme and the depth of engagement it offers. I’m a big fan of the Hyperlines mechanic on Treasures of the Dead too.
- Let us move onto today’s topic – you have a brand-new candy-themed slot machine titled Bon Bomb™ Bonanza Hyperboom™! It’s still brand-new so it is harder to say right now, but what are your expectations regarding the audience’s reaction to the second Bon Bomb slot?
With the Hyperboom™ feature, the rising multipliers can add an extra layer of excitement to the gameplay, keeping players engaged and entertained. We’re hoping the anticipation of bigger wins as the multipliers increase can create a thrilling experience.
- Bon Bomb™ Bonanza Hyperboom™ is a sequel to the popular Bon Bomb Luxpots™. What inspired you to continue the story with another candy-themed video slot?
The decision to develop a sequel, Bon Bomb™ Bonanza Hyperboom™, following the success of Bon Bomb Luxpots™, was motivated by several key factors. Firstly, the feedback we received from both operators and players regarding Bon Bomb Luxpots™ was overwhelmingly positive. One thing we all know very well is that the market is not short of candy themed slots, primarily due to the appeal and friendliness of the theme. When we conceptualised Bon Bomb™ Bonanza, we thought the Bon Bomb theme would be a good fit for the mechanic and the math profile.
- Well, the main focus of Bon Bomb™ Bonanza Hyperboom™ is of course the Hyperboom™ feature. Can you tell us a little more about the progressive multiplier feature? And what does it have to do with Hyperlines™ we have previously seen in Treasures of the Dead™?
The Hyperboom™ feature offers a multiplier that is always active and will deliver the advertised multiplier when a candy bomb is present on the reels on a winning spin. You can upgrade these multipliers by collecting winning symbols on win streaks. Hyperboom™ in fact shares a few similarities with Hyperlines™. Most notably, both mechanics have multipliers that keep rising which will only reset when they are part of a win. During free games, these multipliers are not reset and escalate the win potential throughout the feature.
“In today’s industry, competition is intense, and it can be challenging to capture players’ attention when launching a game. You have limited number of spins to make an impact and create excitement for the player before they go off to another game. It’s crucial to ensure that all your game features are easily accessible to the players.”
–Bryan Upton, Lucksome
- Is there room for another, third Bon Bomb™ slot down the road? Perhaps an entire slot series?
Looking at the continued performance of Bon Bomb Luxpots™ and early numbers for Bon Bomb™ Bonanza, players will accept a well-designed game and clever mechanics. We don’t have a third game planned at this moment, but if we find a compelling mechanic that works best with the Bon Bomb theme, there could be room for another Bon Bomb game. Besides, here at Lucksome, we never say never. 😉
- Speaking of potential upcoming slots, what’s in store for the rest of 2023? What can we expect to see in the coming months?
We have several games lines up as we speak. In July, we have Joker Lux with our popular Luxpots™ mechanic and also 6 in the Chamber which is a Cyberpunk Western Bounty Hunter theme game with super high volatility and up to 100,000x base bet max win. And brace yourself, because in early September, we’ll be unveiling our revolutionary FatStacks™ mechanic with the exciting debut of Miami Cash. But that’s not all! We’re also working on a highly anticipated sequel based on a recognisable brand, and we’re developing two completely fresh grid game concepts. Team Lucksome is on fire at the moment, and there’s more exciting news on the horizon. Stay tuned for additional updates coming soon!
- Thank you so much for talking with us, it was our pleasure. We hope to have the opportunity to speak with you again soon!
Thanks for the opportunity to introduce Lucksome and Bon Bomb™ Bonanza to your readers! If you’re interested in what we do and are doing, please subscribe and follow us on Instagram and YouTube. We only post when we have something to important say so don’t expect a lot of spam from us or you can visit us on our website https://lucksomegaming.com.Feedback is always welcome! Until next time. 😊
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