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iSoftBet’s Twisted Tales: folktales with a 21st century twist

By Lewis - 26 November 2020

iSoftBet’s Twisted Tale slot series is a unique series of games based on famous folktales where players experience the plot from a villain’s perspective. Ahead of the latest entry in the series, Queen of Wonderland Megaways, hitting the wider market following its exclusive launch with LeoVegas, G3 speaks to Mark Claxton, iSoftBet’s Head of Games.

What is the inspiration behind the Twisted Tale series?

We wanted to offer players both something different and experiences to remember in their slot adventures. More often than not in slot games you typically find yourself playing as the hero or the ‘good guy’ of a given theme, but in line with our values of curiosity and passion we wanted to mix this up by enabling our audience to play as the anti-hero in each release.

We’ve respected the theme and storylines, but we thrive on delivering amazing experiences and this led us to delve deeper and to give some of these classic tales a 21st century twist. We felt there were a lot of characters and stories in slots that focus too much on one side of the story, so in the Twisted Tale series we wanted to flip things completely and explore these areas more.

The first game in the series, Sheriff of Nottingham, launched earlier this year. How has the series been received by players so far?

Sheriff of Nottingham was a huge success when we launched the game in February. Its graphical style mixed with classic game features meant it found its way into many players “go to” lists. The series has since gone from strength-to-strength with Morgana Megaways, the famous evil enchantress in the legend of King Arthur. Our partners and their players have given us some very positive feedback around the series, and we have plenty of new ideas for future titles that we will be announcing very soon.

How integral is having a great theme to the success of a new series of games?

The theme of the slot will get you the clicks you need for players to instantly play the game. The production value and depth of that theme then keeps the audience having fun, so the theme plays a huge part in the game’s success. Without it you risk people losing interest after spinning for a short amount of time. However, as with most things in the slot world it is not an exact science. There are many components that can lead to a successful game, not just the theme, and all elements combine to creating a successful title.

How are the villain’s chosen?

We have a five-point grading system. Only joking! There are many inspirational stories, folklore and so forth that have given us an extensive list of subjects. We cross reference these with what we have seen in the slot market as the ‘hero’ versions and see which of the villains are most recognisable which then narrows down the list. Then, we take into consideration the current climate of the slot market which moves us away from certain titles as well. Watch this space for our next unveiling!

Can you give us a sneak preview?

The game is called Queen of Wonderland Megaways, our eighth Megaways title of the year. We’ve invited several well-known operators and media, including G3, to a unique virtual event on 2 December that will not only showcase the game but immerse you in the theme with some very special goodie bags and ‘play along’ elements we’ve sent everyone.

This ‘Wonderful’ game is set in a magical land ruled by a fearsome royal, and it contains a lucrative free spins mode, which is triggered after three or more bonus symbols land on the reels, but also a Hold and Win respins mode – the first game of its kind to combine both top performing mechanics.

Once players access free spins, up to 25 spins are awarded, with every win rewarded with a x1 multiplier. This accelerates with more wins and, due to the cascading nature of Queen of Wonderland Megaways, can be unlimited, leading to colossal wins.

Cash Respins can also be triggered if several hearts land on the reels on any one spin, taking players into the classic iSoftBet Hold and Win environment, with the initial count of three respins resetting every time a new heart lands on the reels.

The game is currently with LeoVegas as part of an exclusive launch and is performing exceptionally well.

Does the Twisted Tale series feature any new mechanics or bonuses?

Each game features something unique and different. Sheriff of Nottingham had locking prizes, Morgana Megaways has a unique Megaways collection mechanic and our next game has multiple bonuses that can link between one another. Unlike some of our competitors, rather than create a collection of reskins we are constantly pushing the boundaries of originality with the games in this series.

What is next for the Twisted Tale series? What is its potential?

I can’t give too much away future titles, but one example has a unique free spins round that can link a total of three-reel windows. We are looking at this series to continue with some of the best premium titles and feature designs iSoftBet has ever produced.

Our mission is to build quality gaming products that inspire, innovate and entertain, always placing players and our partners at the heart of everything we do and, with Twisted Tales, we’re ensuring the series hits that sweet spot every time. So, watch this space for more innovative Twisted Tale slots that will constantly amaze players in their variety, depth, and amazing gameplay.