On the second day of G2E, we had another action packed schedule that featured stops at some key manufacturers. Today, our targets were IGT, Ainsworth, Incredible Technologies, and an online game maker called 4ThePlayer.
The first stop of the day was the ever popular IGT “influencer” event. This event started bright and early, offering Josh and I, plus a few dozen creators the chance to explore the booth before the tradeshow floor technically opened. To make sure everyone was able to get a rundown of the games, we were broken up into small groups to take a tour of a variety of titles, including Wheel of Fortune Sunny Money.
Wheel of Fortune Sunny Money is a new addition to the deep catalog of slots that the TV show has lent its name to. One of the game designers shared that the idea was that the prize wedges you saw on the gameshow deserved a vacation of their own. The title embraces a colorful cartoon vibe that incorporates elements of a tropical destination including palm trees and pool floats.
The IGT booth is also where I acquired my favorite piece of swag from day two – a stuffed pig that doubles as a stressball. This isn’t the stressball design you’re used to, the IGT team commissioned a company to create a custom stressball that is encased in a stuffed pig. When you squeeze the pig, the green glitter stressball expands outside of the back of the pig – like you have an exploding piggy bank.
After securing some swag, we made our way over to Ainsworth to check out what they were bringing to the table this year. I wasn’t disappointed, as this is where I found what could be my favorite game of the expo – Shrine of The Guardian Anubis. I was instantly drawn to this machine because of its titular character. That title character is a cute, little Anubis dog that is highly expressive.
One of my bigger pet peeves when it comes to game design is when the title character is featured on the cabinet but it does not react when you press them. That is not the case for Anubis; when you tap on him, he will react and offer up an adorable animation.
The animations are on full display during any one of the bonus games. Anubis is eager to help you win as much as possible, ready to zap credits, flood the reels with prizes, or expand your playing area. Something else that I found very interesting is the game offers up the chance to “fast forward” through the bonus action. By double tapping the spin button, you can switch the game into a fast mode that also makes Anubis sound high pitched and a little like a chipmunk.
Our last physical game provider of the day was Incredible Technologies. We were able to check out three games in their booth, two of which we recorded for demos. You’ll see those on social media soon! One of the games was Just Buried, another spooky title, this time featuring a pair of newly wed zombies, and Happy Cats. Of the two, I really enjoyed the playful nature of Happy Cats and was particularly drawn to the cat named “Bill” while the others were named “Whiskers,” “Muffin,” and “Mittens.” We will talk more about both Just Buried and Happy Cats in the overarching themes recap a little later this week.
Our last stop of the day was with 4ThePlayer. During our chat, Josh and I were able to take a look at what games were coming down the pipeline including some American exclusives complete with flaming eagles. I was most excited about 4 Fantastic Fish Puffer Pots, a game that includes 4ThePlayer favorites and big jackspots. Above each reel, is an adorable puffer fish that gobbles up shrimp until they are full and bestow a bonus.
We will be back tomorrow for our last day of reporting from the trade show floor. You can catch up on yesterday’s coverage here.
