We had a lovely Q&A session with Hubert Spala, Game producer at AvatarUX, who gave us exclusive insights into the provider's work. AvatarUX is an innovative slots developer that stands behind the popular PopWins mechanic, so it was great to take a sneak peek into the effort the provider puts into making its amazing games.
If you're interested in learning how AvatarUX slots are designed and what unique features they have in store for you in 2022, continue reading our interview!
Welcome, Hubert! We're so glad to have you in the hot seat in our interview series. To start, could you introduce yourself and AvatarUX to our readers?
"My name is Hubert and I am a Game Producer at AvatarUX. In my role, I make sure that we keep on delivering fantastic slot games offering unique and stellar experiences."
We cannot start our Q&A session without mentioning the PopWins™ mechanic, which is an exclusive feature of the AvatarUX brand. Can you tell us more about how it works and the intended player experience?
"Absolutely! In simple words, the PopWins™ mechanic consists of reel expansion on every win, which enhances the win potential and creates a more thrilling experience for the players. PopWins™ is the core, the heart of our brand for now, and we are happy to mention that we are working on much more elaborate iterations of this feature that players will enjoy in the near future.
For us, PopWins™ is what makes the win experience for the player better. The mechanic transforms a simple, singular win into a chain of expanding reels and new symbols filling the reels. In short, each win can transform into a whole avalanche of ever-growing wins."
Not only does your games look fantastic, but they also come packed with cool features. PapayaPop™ is one such example, we love it! You guys seem to invest a lot of effort into making sure your games deliver a high volume of entertainment. Can you share what is the creative process of developing a new game, from the idea to release?
"We always think about different ways of spicing up our core mechanics to offer something new and translate it into an exciting theme. We always think thoroughly about the combination of features and how to balance everything until we get a concept that just clicks.
Sometimes it is a fairly simple, key feature that just opens up a whole new potential like in PapayaPop™, where the Unlimited Free Spins really landed well, offering a unique experience of a bonus round that can last.
Actually, we wanted to make sure that the last Free Spin can be as exciting as the first bunch and that’s how we came up with the Unlimited Free Spins idea- reset the counter each time you land a win, so every Spin has the same huge chance to offer a thrilling experience."
Apart from PopWins™, what other features or values make AvatarUX stand out from the crowd of competitors?
"Well, the overall quality of our games is something that makes us stand out. We aim for our games to look and most importantly – feel stellar. Kinetic animations, bouncy sounds and music, fun, polished themes. It’s all carefully prepared with the aim to offer great fun to the players. Our games strive to be entertaining and engaging. And, of course, the well-balanced math models, fun mechanics and simplicity of our key features add a whole layer of smooth player experience to the mix."
The PiggyPop™ slot was received so well among our players that it ended up among the top 6 games for the Fresh Slot Award at the SlotsWise Gaming Awards 2021. What was your inspiration for this game?
"PiggyPop™ was just our attempt to go a little over the board with kinetic, cartoony experience. Our previous themes were definitely well polished, but Piggy is just a fun romp all around. But the key to its success, at least in our eyes, is that anticipation, that feeling of seeing each reel landing a Golden Pig during the Bonus Round, and the number on the Pig going up and up.
That moment when you have 10 pigs on the grid, and then you unlock the reels and their value skyrocket to 20 times their value. Add to that our classic Multiplier and you are facing a game that can very quickly transform into something quite explosive. During gameplay, when there are many Golden Pigs on the reel, the suspense is so intense.
As for the theme, we just thought that we really want a lighter, glitzy, fun-embracing game that will focus entirely on a single powerful feature. Easy to focus on. Easy to grasp. And with great potential."
You recently released the Lollipop™ slot. Can you tell us more about the development process of this game?
"LolliPop was a game that came through many iterations and concepts, with multiple features being tried to match its sugary sweet theme. Ultimately, we’ve decided to try something totally new with completely unique Bonus Round. The whole experience of the game is built around Collections.
The lollipops grant instant rewards and when you match them, they upgrade to the higher value. And that can happen again and again. So, a seemingly empty board can suddenly escalate into something massive. It wasn’t easy to balance everything in the game, but we are sure that this unique take on the sugary theme will offer a new thrilling experience."
Are there any particular competitors you’ve been impressed by in the past year?
"Too many to list, to be honest! I always enjoy checking the latest arrivals because there are so many unique takes to get inspired by. Nolimit City is definitely one that stands out due to its unique themes and playing experience. Peter & Sons games also have an interesting and uniquely distinctive style."
What else can we expect from AvatarUX in 2022?
"We’ve planned a lot of exciting things this year. We are working on a very unique set of games right now that will introduce new, unseen in our games mechanics and features. To mention a few; Scatter Collections in our upcoming game, new variants of the PopWins™ mechanics that will further enhance the player experience and a lot more. "
Thanks for the chat, Hubert! We're looking forward to more awesome AvatarUX slots and in-game mechanics!