I’ll be the first to admit, I was never the best student of history. It’s vast, complex, and I could just never get all those pesky dates into my head. But that’s not to say I wasn’t a lover of history. I was. I remember learning about the tomb of Tutankhamen, the outbreak of WW1, the War of the Roses, the fall of the Roman Empire, and I remember being fascinated by it.
And it seems I’m not the only one. Another passion of mine, other than history, is iGaming, and I’ve found over the last few years that history has been a constant source of inspiration for developers across the industry. Every time I log onto an online casino, I come across multiple games with a history theme, whether that’s ancient Egypt with its iconic pyramids and pharaohs, the battle-worn gladiators of Rome, or the voyages of discovery from the Age of Exploration.
There isn’t a platform I’ve found that doesn’t have history-themed slots, and with most of them appearing on the ‘most popular’ section, it’s clear that these are the kinds of features that players want to see. So why is this the case? Why is history a constant source of inspiration for iGaming themes, specifically, and what do these kinds of titles do differently to engage us as an audience?
The Visual Elements
The first answer I found to this question came when I was browsing JohnSlots UK and read deeper into their Egypt-themed slot. Cleopatra, especially, plays an ongoing role for many developers, and the reason for this is the wealth of visual and narrative material that her story provides.
It can be hard to come up with fresh and unique stories, of course, with developers having to consider:
- Story
- Character
- Atmosphere
- Tone
- Symbols
- Aesthetic
- Graphics
And with the iGaming market building constantly, many developers simply don’t have the time to come up with all of this from scratch to grab our attention. So why not borrow from the history books that have all of the above on a platter? The era of Cleopatra comes with its own symbols, architecture, characters, and a visually stunning backdrop to keep people engaged through the design, and the same goes for plenty of other eras too.
The Sense of Adventure
When I was learning about the Ancient Pyramids, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of adventure and exploration, and many iGaming platforms give me the opportunity to feel part of great historical moments. Whether it’s uncovering hidden treasures, battling ancient warriors, or navigating through uncharted territories, the excitement of experiencing events from the past – even in a simple slot game that uses those events for inspiration – cannot be beaten.
It’s not just about spinning reels or winning prizes, after all. It’s about stepping into a world outside of your own, where history, mythology, and the adventures that surround them can come to life. Some developers do it better than others, of course. I’m not going to say that every history-themed title is perfect just by nature, but by utilising a history-theme with a strong gaming UI, they certainly get off on the right foot.
The Diversity of History
As I mentioned before, our history is vast, with so many eras and cultures to explore and choose from. This makes it a great source of inspiration that also ensures developers create diverse titles and don’t repeat themselves. If you look at the traditional gaming market, one of the most successful games in recent times has to be Assassin’s Creed, which borrows from multiple periods in history to create worlds, stories, and keep things fresh for every release.
Developers in the iGaming market can do the same thing, releasing multiple titles that focus on a particular period of history with its own distinct aesthetic, music, and atmosphere. It’s also worth noting – with the success of Assassin’s Creed in mind – that historical themes have a proven track record. Whether it’s in films, television shows, or books, audiences always enjoy immersing themselves into a historical world, and this success makes it a perfect fit for iGaming, where developers want to tap into themes that have the broadest appeal.
Conclusion
I’ll be the first to say that my history knowledge is not the best, but the key point is that it fascinates me, and therefore, I’m more inclined to lean towards online platforms that have a variety of history-themed titles on offer. And, hey, sometimes I even learn a few things. Just the other day I was playing a game based around the Byzantine Empire, and it stimulated my curiosity enough to delve deeper into it and learn more.
Once again, by blending education with entertainment, historical themes can attract a broader audience – like me! – who are open to learn more about things that interest them. That, and all of the other reasons I mentioned above, is probably why iGaming platforms are so inspired by history and will likely continue to borrow from it in years to come.
