Whether it’s a Norse god wielding lightning or Jokers locked in battle, the most memorable slots succeed when art direction and gameplay fuse seamlessly. Aleksey Ulanov explains how background art and symbols work in tandem like actors on a stage.
What's your take on the relationship between symbolic elements and background art?
One way we like to look at the relationship between background art and a game’s symbolic elements is to treat them as a stage and actors, respectively. Te background art creates the overall mood and setting, while the symbols are like the actors; they are designed to enrich the game’s narrative, while also hinting at gameplay progression through features and bonuses.
We have found this approach to be highly effective. Our team is always eager to explore new themes and genres, and striking the right balance between background art and the symbols and action on the reels is always the key to success.
In what ways do animated effects such as cascading reels, win particles, and symbol transformations help narrate progress or plot without traditional cutscenes?