Wazdan's Recipe for Success: A Deep Dive into 13 Years of Innovation

October 2, 2023

Wazdan has been on the market for 13 years. Very few providers can boast of success over such a long period. What is the secret of the work?

Truthfully, our secret is simple – we’ve been consistently delivering quality products and services over the years, which has effectively helped us to build a strong reputation and a loyal customer base. We have the ability to adapt to changing market conditions and evolving player preferences, with Wazdan continuing to work closely with operators and industry partners to develop solutions that meet players’ needs. A prime example of this is our Mystery Drop™ promo tool, which has been shown to deliver strong results for operators whilst also increasing player engagement. It was recognised as the Game Feature of the Year 2023 at the CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards, a testament to both the success of the tool and our desire to constantly evolve. Proof of this promo tool’s effectiveness is a set of upcoming network promotions with a total prize pool of €2,500,000 that has caught traction among the operators and players. Everyone at Wazdan has extensive experience in the iGaming field which, in turn, has helped us develop a deep understanding of the wider market and its players. Our team is extremely passionate about their work and the industry, which has naturally helped us to maintain drive and motivation over the past 13 years. We are constantly pushing the bar higher and striving for new solutions to stay ahead of the innovation curve.

Your games trace a Scandinavian, magical, dark vibe. What inspires your games? Do you choose your themes or are they based on player preferences?

We have definitely established a unique style when it comes to game design, but we try to incorporate a wide variety of themes into our titles to appeal to all types of players. We do a lot of market research when it comes to finding our next game’s theme, with our teams often inspired by local mythology as well as legends from across the world. Our portfolio includes many releases with magical or folkloric world-building, including Power of Sun™: Svarog, our Power of Gods™ series with popular titles such as the player favourite Power of Gods™ Hades or Power of Gods™: Medusa. However, we also love an old-school, retro style, which is how we came up with our popular Hot Slot™ series as well as colourful games such as the recent Mighty Symbols™: Crowns, which combines classic fruity symbols with modern game features. We strive to release content that appeals to as wide an audience as possible, especially in different jurisdictions and markets. Our innovation is also reflected in the choice of themes for our upcoming slots. We are excited about the Extremely Light series, which has been designed with mobile users in mind and reduces game loading time by 2.5 times. Thanks to elegant graphics and optimised animations, we will cut the data transfer rate and lower the carbon footprint. The Extremely Light series kicked off with our most powerful game, 9 Coins™, which was released in a lighter version on the 30th of August and has already gained many fans.

What is the average and highest RTP on your slots now?

Our highest RTP belongs to Win & Replay, a slot released back in August 2014, with an RTP of 96.99%. The average RTP of all new slots is 96.15%.

What is your most popular game of all time?

At this point, it’s difficult to choose one! Many of our slots have received similar recognition, which we’re both grateful for and proud of. If we had to pick, though, our 9 Coins™ and Hot Slot™ series are both currently doing extremely well. Recent releases such as 16 Coins™ and 9 Coins™ Grand Platinum Edition have seen massive success upon launch, contributing to our exponential growth and solidifying this franchise as one of the most popular and instantly recognisable in the industry. 9 Coins™ Grand Platinum Edition in particular is already proving to be an evergreen title in the slots market.

In which countries are your games best known?

As mentioned, we’re thrilled with how popular our slots are across each market we operate in. Europe, however, is where Wazdan is most well-known, as it’s where we operate in the biggest number of markets. We are present in over 25 jurisdictions worldwide and in particular, our slots are extremely popular amongst players in the United Kingdom, Greece, Switzerland and Portugal, but there is also a lot of interest from North America. We’ve got our eye on the latter for further expansion, as more states legalise online betting and gaming and more providers enter the market in the hope of runaway success.

Another of your chips is the level of volatility in the slots, which is set by the player himself. Can you explain how this works and how actively this mechanic is used by players?

Our Volatility Levels™ mechanic is a player-favourite feature, albeit a simple one! Players are able to switch between three levels instantly during gameplay, giving chances to reap big rewards for big risks. The low volatility, signalled with one chilli pepper, gives more frequent payouts that are usually smaller – the ideal choice for someone who prefers a shorter game session. This scales up to the high volatility option (three chilli peppers), with players able to hit the game’s biggest possible wins but not as often. The standard volatility however is a middle-ground of the two, offering a balanced gameplay. Giving players the option to risk it and win big has boosted player engagement significantly, with the lower volatility options also remaining popular as it allows customers to play the way they want to.

Your games stand out for their complex and unconventional mechanics. For example, in Sizzling Eggs:
• The player chooses the volatility
• You can catch five eggs in a special sector
• Coins and multipliers can also be caught
• Winnings can be doubled in the minigame
In addition, there are classic scatters in the game and a jackpot in-game system. It turns out that in one slot, more than five mechanics are involved. How do players feel about it? It seems that people usually come for something simple and straightforward. Or am I wrong?

We’ve got over 180 slots in our portfolio, all of which offer something different, such as new or evolved mechanics. Adding multiple of these mechanics to one slot game could be overwhelming for some players, but this could be considered extremely exciting for others.
Some consumers do enjoy the challenge and variety that come with multiple mechanics, while others might prefer simpler games that are easier to understand and play. It’s important for us at Wazdan to cater to both types of players and ensure that we have a broad appeal.
If a game does have several mechanics that players have not yet encountered, clear instructions and tutorials can help them understand their chosen game better. These are a crucial inclusion in any of our slot games. The functions themselves also need to be simple. Using Sizzling Eggs as an example, Collect to Infinity is so intuitive that players understand it even without reading the help. This is our recipe for success.
There is also a significant proportion of players who enjoy long playing sessions with more than one way to win - our multi mechanic slots help with this. We believe player feedback and data are the clearest way to determine whether adding multiple mechanics improves the player experience or is actually a detriment to it.

Everyone knows about the success of crash games as exemplified by Aviator and its reskins. Given your experience creating unusual mechanics, have you thought about creating something similar, or unique?

We’ve been paying attention to the rise in popularity of these games, but we believe the market is quickly becoming overcrowded with similar releases. Instead of rushing to release a title that will most likely see a lot of competition, we prefer to focus on fine-tuning our slots and creating brand-new mechanics that continue to stand out.
An example of this are the Extremely Light slots, which, thanks to elegant graphics and animations, allow players to enjoy the game without unnecessary distractions. We know that this is the type of development that players expect, and we are on our way to satisfying them.

The affiliate marketer can log into your site and get the data packet. What’s inside? What do you give away to work and advertise your games?

Our partners can find our ready-to-use promo packs in our Client Area, which include different types and sizes of graphics that they can then implement on their own websites. This consists of press materials such as banners or graphics. Also, they can find official marketing copy, including catchphrases, game sheets or game reviews they can use as inspiration.
We always strive to provide our operator partners with an extensively customisable experience, which is why our graphic team is able to personalise all materials to fit atypical preferences, and our copy team can create original content when requested.
Our Client Area is also home to every game sheet for each release, as well as our roadmap for the next few months and confirmation of every certification Wazdan has to its name. Just as every client has its own account manager, every affiliate that enters a partnership with us has a dedicated partner from our marketing department who ensures that we provide them with all the material they need.

What do you see as the future of the iGaming industry? You have huge experience under your belt (13 years!), you notice trends like no one else and surely can advise something interesting to affiliate marketers.

Continued expansion into new markets is perhaps our most certain prediction – as further markets implement regulatory changes and consumer demand increases – we can see certain countries and jurisdictions emerging as the ones to watch.
We’re also predicting a growth in mobile gaming and multi-device compatibility. Players want to be able to access their favourite games wherever they are and whenever they want, which is why we always strive to make our titles as enjoyable on mobile as they are on desktop, with Extremely Light slots serving as a prime example.
Building relationships with your audience is extremely important, and social media is very helpful in this. Generating authentic content in a way that is consistent with the affiliate's brand and being natural will build audience engagement and trust, which is so easily lost in this industry. Speaking of trust, the obvious advice is to provide verified information and only work with licensed providers and operators. Just as following trends can generate good coverage, creating unique content will attract a loyal audience that will become regular readers.

What’s the hardest thing about being a game provider?

In such a busy market, it can be a challenge to meet players’ expectations when it comes to creating engaging and entertaining games. We’re extremely proud of our portfolio thus far, but it can sometimes be difficult to maintain and develop such high-quality titles. It also keeps us up-to-date with technological advancements, but our attentive and driven team have a genuine passion for the industry that keeps us up to speed.
Ever-changing regulations can also cause difficulties. We find that constant adaptation is required to remain compliant, which is always done to the highest standards thanks to our dedicated team. Part of this involves maintaining fair and random game outcomes, not only to adhere to regulations but to also maintain players’ trust in us.
Internally, we always want to attract and retain the best talent. Whether it’s game developers, graphic designers, or account managers, Wazdan prides itself on quality, so it takes work to cultivate the right team for the job – and we’re delighted with our current cohort of fantastic individuals.
Ultimately, perhaps the biggest challenge of all is competing against other slot providers for market share and player attention. However, we definitely enjoy fair competition, and we embrace it as an ideal way for Wazdan to continually improve its products and keep growing.