Online casinos have enthralled people ever since the first one popped up on the internet years ago. You can find gamblers both young and old trying their luck and whiling away the hours on their favorite casino games. But do you know what actually goes into the design and development of these games?

That’s what we’re going to delve into in this guide. Whether it’s the latest casino games playable at online casinos in Montreal or classic three reel slots at another online casino, this is the hard work and development that goes into these games.

Deciding the genre

The first step of the process is to actually decide what type of casino game the studio wants to develop. This will dictate what the rest of the stages of development are going to be. The choices range from different styles of online slot games (progressive jackpot, classic, 3-D etc.), video table games, live casino games and more.

Brainstorm ideas

After the genre of the game has been decided, the next phase is to brainstorm ideas. Every genre of casino game will have the same basic mechanics behind it. The big difference will usually come in the different features that will be added and the theme of the game.

If the studio is going for a branded game – using intellectual property such as the WWE brand – then they will have to get the rights to use the property. Otherwise, they can just brainstorm as many ideas for new, fresh features and themes as possible.

In this stage, there can be a lot of research done to see if the idea for the game resonates with audiences and the potential profitability of the idea. This research can include things such as focus groups of the target audience and questionnaires.

Outline Requirements

Once the idea has been confirmed and research has been finished, it’s now time to come up with a list of requirements for the game. This will be an incredibly in-depth document, noting down various aspects of the game including things such as the animation styles, whether it’s going to be 2D or 3D, any special effects that will be needed, the coding type, any app

integrations etc. One thing that is also noted is the timeline for the project and estimated costs of development.

Sketches and wireframes

It’s at this phase that things start to ramp up and the whole idea starts to take shape. The game goes into actual development and rough sketches and CAD wireframes are designed with the aid of game design artists.

All elements are drafted out. From any characters that will appear in the game to backgrounds, symbols, images and more. Once these wireframes and drafts are approved, a very rudimentary prototype is created to help show the studio how the game will look and feel when it’s played.

The game is developed

Once the prototype is approved and everyone is happy with how it plays, the full development begins. The whole success of the game largely relies on this stage and the experience of the game developers who are tasked with creating it.

Most casino games are created using various coding languages, such as HMTL5, Javascript and Pearl. There can also be the inclusion of various third-party software as well as payment gateways.

Testing and quality checks

Now that the game has finished development and the developers are happy with it, the rigorous testing and bug hunting begins. An experienced coder or designer will go through the finished product to make sure everything works smoothly and there are no flaws or vulnerabilities in the game.

This phase can take weeks, if not months, as things such as the quality of the code, functions, loading times, gameplay and more are checked.

Go live

After all of this, the game can finally go live on online casinos. There’s plenty of post-launch stuff to do – marketing, support, updates etc – but in terms of development and design, the studio is all done!