ZapLab: What Happens When Reactoonz Drinks Red Bull and Joins a Science Cult?

Q: Let’s address the giant, twitchy, one-eyed monster in the room – was ZapLab always meant to be this delightfully chaotic, or did it mutate into madness somewhere in the dev lab?

A: We actually set out to create a new Toro game when we started this project. If you think about Zappy “charging” Dr. Mayhem, you can still sense traces of our beloved Toro and Matador. Halfway through, though, it became too different. That’s when we did some serious brainstorming and invented the chaotic Zappy and the evil Dr. Mayhem. That pivot opened the door to even more fun and madness for ZapLab.

Q: Dr. Mayhem is zapping souls and bubbling brains in vats… and yet somehow his lab looks like IKEA science-core. Was there ever a version that leaned into horror instead of the cartoon?

A: Yes, good eye! One of our early Toro theme ideas leaned toward Frankenstein and horror. A little of that DNA still made it into the final game, but overall, we decided to go more goofy than scary.

Q: Zappy is an unhinged little legend – part Jammin’ Jars, part Pikachu on pre-workout. How did this electric gremlin come to be the star of the lab?

A: Every lab slot needs a star, and this time we chose the good guy!

Q: You’ve built a cluster slot with 10 layers of modifiers, monster meters, feature symbols, Shockwaves, and zapping demons – how do you expect players to keep up without a whiteboard and a lab coat?

A: Yes, a lot is going on, but you don’t need to keep track of it all. Our best advice is to turn up the volume, fill the monster meter and just enjoy the wacky ride!

Q: Be real: how often does Zapocalypse go off in regular play, and how much of it is marketing sizzle to lure us into dropping 500x buys for chaos?

A: Zapocalypse triggers about once every 200 base game spins. It’s rarer because of its big win potential. Every time Zappy attacks Dr. Mayhem, his multiplier grows, and during the final zap, he can inflate into a massive 4x4 wild symbol. This is where the biggest wins usually come from, so keep an eye on the monster meter when it shows pink Zapocalypse slime - you might be in for something huge!

Q: ZapLab doesn’t even bother with a proper free spins round. Bold move. Are you saying bonus rounds are outdated, or was this just a way to funnel everything through the X-iter menu?

A: Five regular free spins felt too boring for a game like ZapLab. Instead, we created a cycle of five different features, with Zapocalypse always coming last - saving the biggest potential for the finale!

Q: On a scale from 1 to 10, how many times did the team say, ‘This one’s going to get people talking?

A: Maybe a 7? It was a challenging project with lots of changes along the way, so we had our ups and downs. But after a strong finish, we’re proud. The game turned out fun, cool, and distinctly different from your typical ELK slot.