Slot | Reels | Paylines | RTP | Min Bet | Max Bet |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beetle Mania Deluxe | 5 | 10 | 95.25% | 0.1 | 50 |
Big Catch | 5 | 20 | 94.04% | 0.2 | 400 |
Book of Ra | 5 | 10 | 94.26% | 0.1 | 400 |
Bullion Bars | 3 | 20 | 94.00% | 0.2 | 400 |
Columbus | 5 | 10 | 97.03% | 0.1 | 500 |
Fairy Queen | 5 | 10 | 95.09% | 0.1 | 100 |
Jewel Action | 3 | 10 | 94.00% | 1 | 500 |
Katana | 5 | 20 | 95.02% | 0.2 | 400 |
Lord Of The Ocean | 5 | 10 | 95.10% | 0.1 | 500 |
Lucky Lady’s Charm | 5 | 10 | 95.13% | 0.1 | 500 |
Lucky Rose | 5 | 10 | 95.23% | 0.1 | 500 |
Party Games Slotto | 5 | 20 | 94.06% | 0.2 | 400 |
Plenty on Twenty | 5 | 20 | 95.61% | 0.2 | 400 |
Rome and Egypt | 5 | 40 | 96.00% | 0.4 | 200 |
Rumble In The Jungle | 5 | 20 | 95.00% | 0.2 | 500 |
Win Wizard | 5 | 20 | 94.00% | 0.4 | 200 |
Xtra Hot | 5 | 5 | 95.66% | 0.5 | 20 |
Seasoned players will know (and maybe love) Novomatic for their unique style. The Austrian software developer has been around for quite some time and has released a rather impressive number of popular titles. The company first launched way back in 1980 which means it has been in business for 40 years now, and that makes it among the oldest software developers in the industry.
However, they haven’t exactly embraced the changes in the industry; if you’re familiar with Novomatic, you’ll know that graphically they aren’t quite on par with some of the bigger providers. In fact, they completely lack any of the fancy 3D and HD visuals that many players are feverishly chasing today.
Nevertheless, this hasn’t seemed to diminish their following in the least. On the contrary, they have developed something of a cult status among many players, and their specific style of visuals, sound and overall gameplay has earned them a special place in the industry.
Novomatic has managed to release several classics over the years, but they are a picky bunch, so not just any casino can offer their products to players. Perhaps that is something that adds to the air of exclusivity about this software manufacturer, and it also demands a level of respect.
A titan of the gaming industry
Ever since its foundation in 1980, Novomatic has made it clear that it is a presence to be reckoned with. The company has enjoyed a rich history of constant growth and relentless power moves over the span of its lifetime, and its accomplishments are truly inspiring.
Initially, it started off as a software provider offering its products to land based casinos in Austria, where it still has its head office today. Only a year after its conception it began to expand to neighboring countries, coming across as something of a new kid on the block. At first the move was only to Germany, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands, but over the next couple of years Novomatic continued to creep into other markets as well, and it wasn’t long before they became a global presence. It probably helped that their founder was a billionaire.
Then 1984 came along, and the company developed the Micro Processor Unit 01 hardware platform, and this was the gateway to creating state of the art slot machines. What better way to enforce your presence and declare yourself as a serious player? Soon after, Novomatic was delivering full-range casino equipment to the Republic of South Africa and other countries outside of Europe.
Year after year, demand for the company’s products just kept on growing. So much so, that they were forced to keep establishing new production facilities in various parts of the world. What’s more, they also created a range of subsidiaries in different countries, as well – they spread like a welcome weed laying down roots wherever they went.
Thus, by the time the year 1993 rolled around, the developer was already present in over 30 countries, and if you think that maybe they’d want to slow down a little by that point then you don’t know Novomatic. They actually experienced a bit of a growth spurt thanks to the emergence of new jurisdictions, and hence, even more subsidiaries were created. This led to all kinds of restructuring, rebranding, and acquiring of other companies, but Novomatic still kept their branding throughout, which is important.
Fast forward another decade and a half through takeovers and ruthless new acquisitions and the year is 2004, when Novomatic finally joins the world of iGaming. It’s understandable that they weren’t in any particular rush to enter this part of the market, after all, they had been quite busy expanding just about everywhere else and winning the award for Most Dynamic Business in Austria while they were at it.
But enter the iGaming market they did, and Novomatic’s online slots have captured the minds of millions of players across the globe ever since. Many of their already existing land-based titles were made into online versions, and although some suffered certain changes, even to their names, all in all, their portfolio is solid with dozens of different offerings of every shape and size.
To conclude with statistics, let’s point out that at the moment Novomatic has offices in 43 countries – there are not a lot of software developers out there who can say the same. In addition, the company boasts over 30,000 employees across the globe, and had their highest ever revenue in 2016 of a mind-blowing €2.3 billion. With this in mind they certainly aren’t going anywhere, and you kind of start to wonder whether their exponential growth will ever come to a halt.
A hallmark retro vibe
We pointed out earlier that there is a unique feel to Novomatic slot games and that they don’t boast super high quality graphics. This retro feel is that exact kind of thing that has certain players hooked and it’s not something that many other major players in the field focus on, and these two things go hand in hand.
The online slot games by Novomatic are distinctly reminiscent of their old land based counterparts. You have pretty much the exact same style of the visuals, and if you have ever played their games then you will also familiar with that trademark soundtrack; it’s something that most Novomatic offerings have in common, that generic kind of music. It is certainly a bit of an acquired taste, but once you’ve acquired it it proves nigh on impossible to shake off.
Another thing that it fairly typical about Novomatic online slot games is that they tend to follow the same kind of setup. Hardly any of them strive to wow you with an elaborate structure or crazy bonus rounds. Gameplay can be fast paced or very laid back, but you will still be looking at the same layout and roughly the same features from title to title.
Since we are on the topic of common features, there is one that most every player always appreciates: the Gamble Feature. With slight variations here and there, the side game(s) offer(s) a little extra excitement during gameplay, and of course that may also involve winning some extra cash along the way, which nobody’s ever complained about.
How and where to play and why
Novomatic isn’t one to dish out its products lightly. This is precisely the reason why you won’t find their games littering the internet. In fact, Novomatic is quite particular about the online casinos it partners with, and likes to make sure that the entities on the other side have all the proper licensing and accreditation in their respective jurisdictions. With that in mind, the full number of online casinos offering Novomatic slots is under 100.
Although we mentioned that Novomatic took its time to enter the online gambling world, it was quick to make the right moves afterwards, and by that we mean that the team has made sure to make their products available across all platforms. Following the acquisition of Greentube back in 2008, Novomatic gained the omni-technology necessary to make their slots available online. This is called Plurius.
So, today players can play their games on different operating systems as well as on different sorts of devices like mobiles and tablets using iOS, Windows or Android.
Titles that inspired imitations
Novomatic’s selection of online slot games isn’t as impressive as that of some of the other major names out there, but some of them have gained cult status nevertheless, and will probably be around for as long there is the internet. One insanely popular title by Novomatic is Book of Ra. This Egyptian themed classic has inspired so many other developers to copy it that you simply wouldn’t believe. In fact, just about every developer has their very own version of the hit slot, but the original Book of Ra is a timeless piece that is still favored as much now as when it was originally released.
Even Novomatic couldn’t leave it alone and created their own sequels. The latter versions certainly boasted an improvement on the graphics quality, and they were received pretty well by players, but nothing could match the success levels of the original.
Another classic is Lucky Lady’s Charm, which also has a sequel. Just like with the Book of Ra, the developers bettered the visuals to make them appealing to modern fans. Then there is also Dolphin’s Pearl, another all-time favorite. It revolves around an underwater theme with various sea creatures on its reels, and – surprise, surprise – there is a deluxe version of this title as well. However, the setup and structure are pretty much still the same in all instances, and the winning potential is just as high, which is what keeps players flocking.
No list of Novomatic slot games would be entirely complete without a mention of Lord of the Ocean. Yet another amazing title that has earned cult status with players, it offers a simple but very rewarding bonus round. Once triggered, it will grant you freespins with double payouts and expanding symbols, but it is also a very volatile offering, so caution and experience are recommended – hence why we said in the beginning that Novomatic does tend to cater to the more seasoned player.
Speaking of high variance games, Katana is certainly a must-play if you prefer the riskier slot. It might not be as huge online, but the offline version Shogun is very popular to this day. It’s a great slot that’s set in Japan and offers very impressive winning opportunities.
Something old, something new
Novomatic offers players a wide range of different themes and genres to choose from, but one thing that they don’t have is branded titles. This is something that many other software developers strive to achieve due to the obvious extra appeal, but Novomatic, being the giant that they are, have decided movie and other related titles are something they can do without.
What you will find are a multitude of traditional Asian themed offerings. Some are clearly very dated, while others seem sleeker and glossier. Prominent examples include Dancing Dragon, Dragon’s Pearl and Dragon’s Wild Fire. Yes, very stereotypically they all have to do with dragons, but a few of them offer a distinctly more modern setup and almost all boast terrific winning potential.
Novomatic is no stranger to your typical vintage style slot machines either. There are a variety of titles that bring your traditional fruit and other classic symbols to the reels; Blazing Riches, for example, brings together all of the above and some contemporary bonus features.
Players can also enjoy fun mystery-themed titles like Cops N Robbers or any of its sequels. There are plenty of magical, fantasy offerings, too, and some of them even revolve around literary works, historical figures, myths, as well as holidays. One particular favorites that we can name is Rumpel Wildspins. Cleary taking the famous Brothers Grimm fairytale, Rumpelstiltskin, as its basis, this has become yet another hit with players, and it boasts a better design than most other Novomatic games.
Last but not least, we should also mention that Novomatic provided the most watched man on TV with a slot game. Yes, David Hasselhoff has his own online slot and it’s called Hoffmania.
The game did strikingly well, becoming one of this developer’s most popular titles of all time and as close to a branded slot as it ever got. It’s extremely cheesy and the visuals aren’t exactly top-of-the-line either, but it passed the test with flying colours if you ask the players, so it must have done something right.
Conclusion
Novomatic is the embodiment of a success story. These kinds of things shouldn’t really happen, but when they do it is pretty inspiring. This company started out as a seed and year after year they just kept growing into the almighty oak that they are today. Novomatic are rightfully proud of their achievements too, which you can even read about in detail on their website.
To have become such a huge presence in the gambling world, both online and offline, takes something special. We can see this special quality in their many games that have been attracting players from around the world. Yes, the graphics aren’t always fanciful and glossy, but in all honesty, many players don’t even want them to be. It’s something about that old-school charm and simple, fool-proof game structure that makes Novomatic slots timeless.
Slots That Are No Longer Available
Slot | Reels | Paylines | RTP | Min Bet | Max Bet |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Showtime | 5 | 20 | % | 0.20 | 500.00 |