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Can Playtech consider the Kingdoms Rise series a success?
In the autumn of 2019, Playtech announced that they were releasing Kingdoms Rise, a brand new game suite that initially featured three new online slot games Forbidden Forest, Sands of Fury and Guardians of the Abyss.
Playtech took a real jump into the unknown by pumping its resources into not only developing a brand new slot series but creating an entire fantasy universe that features original characters and stunning locations, all with their own rich backstories.
Two years later the slot series has continued to evolve into something much bigger than the initial three games that debuted on October 24, 2019… We’re asking what makes the Kingdoms Rise series so unique, and can we look back and consider it a commercial success today?
Kingdoms Rise – iGaming’s first interconnected slot series
The Kingdoms Rise slot series is truly unique because it’s interconnected in more ways than one. Firstly, players can jump between games by clicking an interactive map.
This map is a completely fleshed out world that spans across multiple continents with different biomes, so you could be jumping from a game set in the harsh frozen mountains one moment, a lush elven forest enclave next and a pirate ship after that.
To date, there are ten online slots available to play from the Kingdoms Rise map, each featuring a host of unique characters hailing from one of the many in-depth fantasy kingdoms.
The other element that ties all ten games together is the Features Shop, the ‘driving force’ behind the series, which offers players the opportunity to buy bonus features… Not with real money, but Game Tokens instead, which are earned when playing any Kingdoms Rise slot.
Players can earn up to 15 game tokens per spin, these tokens are shared across all 10 games, so if you earned 645 tokens whilst playing Kingdoms Rise: Shadow Queen then you’ll still have 645 tokens when playing Kingdoms Rise: Chasm of Fear… The only condition is that these tokens are strictly linked to one casino account, so you couldn’t play Kingdoms Rise on two different sites and carry over your tokens.
Tokens are used to automatically trigger the bonus features in any of the Kingdoms Rise games… Whether or not this breaks the rules relating to the UK Gambling Commission’s ban on Feature Buys, we’re not quite sure, but as of today, the Features Shop is still available to UK players… So we can only assume that Playtech has found a clever workaround?
What makes the Kingdoms Rise series so popular?
If we had to pinpoint the main thing that makes Kingdoms Rise so successful it’s definitely the features shop. Whilst online slots require patience… Most online slot players are not that patient, so the ability to jump straight into the action is just too good to ignore.
It’s entirely plausible that players can earn enough game tokens to trigger one of five different bonus features in just 20 spins (if they’re playing at one of the higher stakes)… Whilst it’s not foolproof, it’s likely that this is significantly faster than it would be to trigger the bonus on their own through standard gameplay.
With 29 different bonus features available to trigger for between 300 and 4,000 tokens there’s an abundance of choice, high rollers can trigger the most lucrative bonus feature in the entire series in less than 300 spins. If they’re lucky enough to trigger any bonuses naturally in the lead up then they’ll earn the required amount of game tokens even faster.
Another thing that makes this series so popular is the sheer variety offered in each and every Kingdoms Rise slot, Playtech has created each game so that no one is the same. Some slots have 10 or 20 paylines, others have thousands… There are even slots in the series that ditch the traditional reels in favour of cluster pays mechanics.
Finally, the greatest pulling power the Kingdoms Rise series has is its networked progressive jackpots. All of the slots feature three jackpots, a Power Strike Jackpot that must pay by 2,000, a Daily Strike Jackpot that must pay by the end of every day and an Epic Jackpot, which can offer players the chance to win life-changing sums of money.
Was Kingdoms Rise the successor to Age of the Gods?
Some industry insiders and online slot enthusiasts have speculated whether Kingdoms Rise was a like for like replacement for the Age of the Gods series, because let’s be honest, whilst the god-based mythical-themed slots are legendary, they’ve not aged too well.
There’s a lot of crossover between the two series, both feature ancient heroes, terrifying monsters, and powerful Kings and Queens… Most notably, both online slots have huge networked progressive jackpots that can net players some serious cash.
Has Playtech got the manpower to maintain two similar series alongside one another, as well as create new online slots on a month-by-month basis?
There’s been no indication from Playtech as to whether Age of the Gods’ time in the spotlight has come to an end, but you have to wonder if they’re going to quietly stop making new slots… There are no new games planned, but does that matter when the old slots are still so popular?
Kingdoms Rise feels like a spiritual successor to Age of the Gods, but whether it was officially planned to spearhead the Playtech brand instead, we’ll probably never know.
What’s happening with Kingdoms Rise right now?
There’s another mystery to be solved when it comes to Playtech and Kingdoms Rise. The last game to be released in the series was Battle Beast, which arrived in casinos in February 2021… Since then there’s been radio silence with regards to what’s next.
Usually, that wouldn’t be any cause for concern… It can take months, if not years for new slot games to come to fruition, however, sometime between February 2021 and today, the official Kingdoms Rise website disappeared from the internet entirely… Redirecting players to the Playtech website instead.
Hardcore Kingdoms Rise fans (or anyone that had visited the site) will have seen for themselves just how much information that site held, it contained the biographies of more than 30 in-game characters, information on the game-world and even featured a progressive jackpot tracker.
Looking at the Kingdoms Rise map in-game, it’s quite clear that there are plenty of named areas that were designed to play host to new Kingdoms Rise slots in the future (such as Stonegrow, Dark Strait and Grand Coast), but will they ever arrive? Who knows… The silence is deafening.
Has Kingdoms Rise been a success so far?
Ultimately, we believe the Kingdoms Rise series has been a success up until this point. The PR and hype surrounding the game suite in the early days was unrivalled, players were keen to get stuck in and Playtech couldn’t bring out new slots fast enough, such was its popularity there was even live casino spin-off games.
However, the hype train seems to have slowed down considerably, it may even have come to a complete halt, and that’s down to a lack of communication on Playtech’s part… However, we can’t see the numbers these slots generate, so we can’t say for certain that players have moved on from the series and onto pastures new.
If players are still playing the original Age of the Gods slot with as much enthusiasm as they were in 2016, then players will still be playing Kingdoms Rise slots as well.
Personally, we think these games are a lot of fun and there aren’t any other slot series out there that go into as much depth as these do, we truly hope we haven’t seen the last of them.
CT Interactive is thrilled to announce its nomination for the prestigious Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 2025, with two standout titles: Macho Wild and Three Crowns Kingdom. This recognition cements CT Interactive’s reputation as a leading provider of premium, innovative content in the competitive iGaming market.
The Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards are a key industry platform that brings together developers, operators, investors, and technology partners to celebrate cutting-edge innovation, share insights, and forge valuable strategic partnerships.
Monika Zlateva, Chief Commercial Officer at CT Interactive, expressed her excitement: “Being nominated alongside some of the industry’s most forward-thinking studios is a true honor. Macho Wild and Three Crowns Kingdom represent the passion and creativity of our team, and we remain committed to delivering immersive, high-quality gaming experiences that resonate with players worldwide.”
The winners will be revealed at Harmony Meetup V on July 10th — a premier event focused on networking and driving business growth across the iGaming ecosystem.
The post CT Interactive nominated for Ortak x B.F.T.H. Arena Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Introducing Rhythm of Resistance: A Fresh Rhythm Metroidvania Where Your Playlist Is Your Weapon
Drenched in Darkwave: Innovative 2.5D Rhythm Based Metroidvania – Fueled by Forbidden Music and Gothic Soundscapes.
NetherMoon Game Studio, a small independent development studio based in Karlstad, Sweden, unveiled today Rhythm of Resistance, a shadow-draped adventure that fuses the somber tones of gothic and darkwave music with atmospheric Metroidvania exploration, creating an unforgettable game experience unlike anything you’ve seen, or heard, before.
Proudly tipped to be the world’s very first Rhythm Metroidvania, Rhythm of Resistance places explorers in the role of Aria, a hero fighting for survival in a dystopian future where music is forbidden, joy outlawed, and the skies hang heavy with cloying silence. The world is ruled by shadow and steel, until Aria discovers a relic of the old world – a cracked cassette player pulsing with forbidden power. This ancient music player unlocks a host of mysterious abilities, and allows her to navigate through labyrinthine dungeons, spectral foes, and traps as cruel as they are cursed. Each corridor hums with a forgotten melody, each enemy a sentinel of silence.
In Rhythm of Resistance, music is your key to success. As your adventure progresses, Aria discovers dusty cassettes hidden in the ruined world and expands her music library, unlocking more than 20 unique tracks, each holding the key to progression and altering the gameplay, unlocking different stats and abilities. Choose your playlist with care, in Rhythm of Resistance, your chosen beats can be your saviour or your downfall, with each track dynamically changing your surroundings, working at a different tempo to increase or devastate your chances of survival. Players will enjoy full freedom to choose the haunting songs, and will watch as the entire world around them reacts to their choices.
Expected to release in 2026 on Steam, Rhythm of Resistance offers a host of unique gameplay features, the first and only Metroidvania adventure where your playlist is your weapon! With music controlling your destiny, playlists can not only alter your surroundings, but alter enemy behaviour, reveal hidden paths, and solve the most fiendish of musical puzzles.
Music is a key factor in the title, with two early band announcements being Swedish goth sensation ABU NEIN, who took the darkwave world by storm with the release of their debut album “Secular Psalms” in 2020, and Underground Fire, a Swedish gothic rock band formed in 2015 by the aptly named Rob Coffinshaker in 2015. More musicians will be announced as the game’s development progresses, but you can be sure that they will delight any fans of the genre.
Joel Fjällsby, Founder & Creative Director at Nethermoon Game Studio commented, “I wanted the music to be real songs with lyrics and everything. Like an old track you could actually find on a forgotten cassette tape. With this in mind, I reached out to bands that felt like a great fit—and everyone so far has fallen in love with the project.”
Get your groove on and feel the beat to attack, parry, dodge, and unleash powerful abilities, all in perfect sync to your soundtrack. Be on the lookout for spare parts to upgrade your music player and unlock new powers as you traverse a vast, haunted landscape of crumbling cathedrals, rust-choked catacombs, and decaying factories echoing with the whispers of lost, solemn songs as players guide Aria to uncover clues of a long-forgotten past.
Rhythm of Resistance Feature Highlights:
- World’s first rhythm based Metroidvania where every beat defies the void, and your playlist is your weapon!
- Wield the force of music to unlock exciting features and abilities.
- Discover 20+ forbidden cassette tapes,each one distorting reality in strange and surprising ways while dynamically changing your game experience
- Choose your tracks wisely to alter enemy behaviour, reveal hidden paths, and solve musical puzzles.
- Stay on the beat to stay alive! Attack, parry, dodge, and unleash powerful abilities in sync with the dark pulse of your chosen song.
- Traverse a vast interlinked world of cathedrals, catacombs and factories to uncover clues of a long-forgotten past.
- Collect spare parts to upgrade your music player and unlock new abilities.
- Featuring a haunting gothic darkwave soundtrack from a range of underground artists.
Joel Fjällsby, Founder & Creative Director at NetherMoon Game Studio commented, “I’ve always been drawn to dark music, dystopian worlds, and of course Metroidvanias—so this project is the perfect fusion of everything I love. Honestly, I’m surprised no one’s made a game like this before. It’s a massive undertaking, especially for a new studio, but I love every hour of it. Seeing this dark, mysterious world come alive is incredibly rewarding.”
Rhythm of Resistance – Every beat, a rebellion. Every song, a revolution.
To find out more about Rhythm of Resistance and to Wishlist, please visit the Steam page here: store.steampowered.com/app/3269550/Rhythm_of_Resistance/
Find out more about the team on the Nethermoon website: nethermoon.com
Stay up to date with all the latest news by following NetherMoon Game Studio on social media: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, LinkedIn
The post Introducing Rhythm of Resistance: A Fresh Rhythm Metroidvania Where Your Playlist Is Your Weapon appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Aristocrat Interactive Delivers New Player-Centric Experience to Cliff Castle Casino Hotel Through Mobile and Cashless Systems
Cliff Castle Casino Hotel Expands Long-Standing Relationship with Aristocrat Interactive Through New Products & Solutions
Aristocrat Interactive™ announced today the roll out of new player-centric solutions to Cliff Castle Casino Hotel, located in Camp Verde, Arizona, as part of a recent deal under its Gaming Systems division.
Already an Oasis™ customer for over 20 years, as part of the deal signed in December, Cliff Castle Casino Hotel will be adding Aristocrat Interactive’s player mobile app, PlayerMax™, as well as its Mobile nCompass™ cardless solution, ONE LINK progressive management solution and Oasis Loyalty™ suite of products, all rolling out over the course of the summer.
“Cliff Castle Casino Hotel has been a valued customer of Oasis™, our comprehensive casino management system, for over two decades now,” said Kristen Jones, VP of Sales of Aristocrat Interactive Gaming Systems. “We take great pride in being a trusted provider of products that support casino operations, while also keeping the player experience top of mind.”
These additional products will enable Cliff Castle Casino Hotel to push real-time progressive data to marquee video displays and electronic gaming machines (EGM) on the floor through ONE LINK. Separately, the Oasis Loyalty™ suite of products, will allow for advanced campaign management and enterprise-wide tier management – ultimately, leading to operation efficiencies and strengthened player retention.
Through PlayerMax™, Cliff Castle Casino Hotel patrons will benefit from access to a blend of immersive options, engaging features like live progressive jackpots, exciting rewards and personalized offers to stay informed through timely, location-based communications.
Players will also be able to “card-in” via their mobile device, enabling them to play an EGM without having to insert a physical players’ card.
“Aristocrat Interactive has been instrumental in our ability to provide our players with a personalized and entertaining casino experience,” said Paul Hamm, Director of Gaming for Cliff Castle Casino Hotel. “We’re confident that the addition of these products will continue to elevate the player experience and show the value we bring to players, reinforcing Cliff Castle Casino Hotel as a premier gaming destination.”
The post Aristocrat Interactive Delivers New Player-Centric Experience to Cliff Castle Casino Hotel Through Mobile and Cashless Systems appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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