Exclusive Interview: Behind the Scenes with Apparat Gaming on 'Fishin' The Biggest’

1. To kick things off, could you share with us a bit more about Apparat Gaming? How would you describe your studio’s philosophy and creative process?

It’s been four years since Apparat Gaming was established, but we still consider ourselves to be a start-up. In addition to receiving an MGA license for our platform, we spent a large part of the first two years building up a game portfolio that was large enough to be relevant for our casino and aggregation partners. Book games, games with sticky features, Hold&Win, and fruit games – these have all been featured heavily in our roster. Our games are now live with almost 600 operators, with more being added every week.

The next step in our growth plan was to create a more varied portfolio and try out new features. Like cooking, we wanted to see if different combinations of ingredients and features would create a product that would leave people coming back for more.

The Jack Potter series with Book of Nubia, a variation on the well-known Egyptian book games, is just as much an example of this as Total Eclipse XXL and 100 Sevens, both of which have been released in recent months and are among our best performers. As we now have a portfolio of more than 30 games, we are now entering a phase in which we are incorporating game principles that we did not previously have in our portfolio, the first of which will make its debut in the second half of this year.

2. Moving on to your latest release, "Fishin' The Biggest" has just made a splash in the online slot world. What was the inspiration behind this aquatic adventure, and why did you choose fishing as the central theme?

It would be a lie if we were to deny the inspiration of Big Bass Bonanza. This game may not have been the origin story behind this genre, but its success has more or less established its category of casino games. However, we didn't just want to be a free rider who wanted a slice of the pie - or rather, of the fish - but instead, we wanted to improve on the features that didn’t quite resonate with us in the original game. For us, the number of fish is decisive for the further free games, even if these do not result in a win line, not the number of fishermen. In our opinion, this makes the game more coherent and exciting!

During free spins, the Fisherman throws the fishing net to turn some symbols into Fishes.

3. The slot boasts some interesting features, including the Free Games with Increasing Multipliers. Can you dive deeper into how this mechanic enhances the player's experience?

Depending on the number of Scatters, 3, 4 or 5, with which you entered the Feature Game, the player receives between 10 and 20 free games at the start of the feature. The more fish that you collect in the feature, the more likely you are to receive 10 more free spins and thus automatically reach the next multiplier level, where each fish suddenly has double, triple or even ten times its original value. Our approach was that even if you get fewer fishermen and therefore automatically fewer winnings, it should still be rewarding for the player, and they should not feel like they are being punished twice. Here we are convinced that our variation is a clear improvement.

4. The Feature Buy option in "Fishin' The Biggest" is quite an interesting addition. Why did you decide to include it, and how do you think it affects players’ gaming experience?

From the data that we have collected, we know that many players are excited to collect the next feature. To cater to those players and add to that sense of anticipation, we added Feature Buy. With more volatile games, such as Fishin' the Biggest, it can be extremely lucrative to purchase the feature several times. Let's be honest: you don't play such games for the winnings in the base game!

5. Finally, for those yet to try "Fishin' The Biggest," what would you say to convince them to give it a spin?

I may be biased, but I would say that any Apparat game is worth a spin. Fishin' the Biggest, in particular, is a testament to the principles which shape Apparat’s games: exciting gameplay, engaging graphics, and of course, high chances of winning. I personally love the crab. Even though it is the number of fish which activates the next multiplier level and awards the player 10 more free spins, it is still the crab that is my favourite.

Apparat Gaming is definitely on the up and up - keep an eye out for more exciting releases in the future. But for now, we can’t wait to unpack the deck chair, bait the rod, and cast our attention into Fishin’ The Biggest, which is out this week.

Sign up for any one of our recommended casinos to give it a go!