Playson has been delighting online casino players with its unique brand of games for over a decade. Over 135 titles have been released during that time, and every one of them has impressed in terms of both aesthetics and gameplay. Playson games are currently being offered by more than 330 casinos in 18 regulated jurisdictions, and it's a testament to their longevity that many of its earliest titles continue to be enjoyed by players in New Zealand and around the world. In this review, we'll take a look at how the company got started and how it has developed to become one of today's leading providers.
Best Playson Casinos in 2023
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A Brief History of Playson
Playson was launched in Malta in 2012, and in those early days, it was powered by the skills, talents and enthusiasm of a small group of programmers with a passion for gaming. The number of people involved has swelled considerably since those humble beginnings, but the original focus on creating unique games that are as technically advanced as they are entertaining is one that remains.
The first game to be released by Playson was Fruits of Ra in 2012. That game isn't available to be played today, but it was a fantastic spin on the classic video pokie format, and combined traditional fruit machine symbols with an Egyptian scarab beetle scatter. It was a hit when it was launched, and the only reason why it isn't around a decade later is because online gaming technology has changed.
Playson showcased a whole collection of games at industry shows over the next few years, and in 2014 the company had booths at both ICE in London and at the iGaming Super Show in Amsterdam. A few games from those early years which are still being played at online casinos today include Odysseus, Lucky Pirates, and Dracula's Family.
While Playson released a few table games towards the latter half of the last decade, all of them have since been decommissioned and the focus now is squarely on producing online pokies. This is a move that has served the company well, and Playson games are now on multiple platforms. Its territories have expanded to include Italy, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and more.
Best Playson Slots
The best way to discover the award-winning appeal of Playson casino games is by playing them. You'll need a fair amount of time to play all of them in turn. Some classic games so here are a few of the key titles from this company that we recommend you start with.
Odysseus
This was one of the first video pokies to be released by Playson and that it is still playable even today. Launched in 2013, this is a five-reel game which is set in Ancient Greece. The reels are displayed on the sail of a classical warship, and symbols include shields, coins, a helmet, a trojan horse and Odysseus himself. While not nearly as involved as many of the more recent games from Playson, this one is still very enjoyable and boasts a top prize of 1,370 times your bet.
Claws vs Paws
Who would win a battle of wits between cats and dogs? That's the question at the heart of this 2018 pokie, which puts a cat burglar up against a watchdog. The game has five reels and takes place outside a bank, which the masked cat is intent on robbing. Symbols include keys to the vault, a British policeman's helmet, a diamond wild and a bank vault scatter.
There are three different free spins modes that can be triggered in this game. Each is named after a special feature that is active throughout, so play for long enough and you'll trigger Sliding Wild Free Spins, Sticky Wild Free Spins and Progressive Multiplier Free Spins.
Super Burning Wins
One of the things that Playson does extremely well is breathe new life into classic formats for the benefit of modern online casino players. A great example of this is the game Super Burning Wins, which gives you all the fun of a traditional Vegas-style pokie without any of the hassle involved in actually going to Vegas.
This game was released in 2018 and has just three reels and five pay lines. That allows the symbols in play - cherries, lemons, oranges, plums, BARs, red 7s, and so on - to appear larger than life. Get nine matching fruit symbols on the reels at the same time and all wins will be doubled in value.
Mighty Africa
Launched in 2019, Mighty Africa is a brilliant demonstration of how Playson also caters to players who want to enjoy a rich sense of atmosphere when they are gaming. This is a six-reel pokie that takes place against an African savanna backdrop. The playing card ranks of 10, J, Q, K, and A serve as lower-value symbols, while higher-value symbols are animals like rhinos, cheetahs and elephants.
A silhouette of elephants crossing the savannah serves as a scatter, and when you get two or more of them on the reels you'll trigger a free spins feature. The more scatters you get, the more free spins you win, with up to 60 free spins being available for getting six scatters at once. No matter how many free spins you win, this part of the game has a Wild Split feature which divides all wild symbols into two or three, giving you more ways to win.
Luxor Gold Hold and Win
This is one of the most recent games from Playson, having been released in 2022, and it's also one of the most popular. Luxor Gold Hold and Win has an Egyptian theme and gives you 25 ways to win with every spin of its five reels. The titular Hold and Win feature kicks in when you get six or more coin symbols on the reels. When that happens, the coins will be held in place and the reels will respin so that you can try and add other coins to the collection.
There are four different jackpots to be won in this game. Those are known as the Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand, with the latter being the biggest of the bunch at 5,000 times your bet.
The five games highlighted here will give you a very good overview of what Playson is all about and how the company's output has developed over the years. There are plenty of other titles that we could have recommended just as easily, so do take time to explore the full range when you get the chance.
Mobile Compatibility
As you would expect from a modern developer, all of the Playson games that are currently being offered by casinos around the world can be played on mobile devices without any special software being needed. All titles run smoothly, but some are particularly good for mobile players. One great example is Super Burning Wins, with its larger-than-average symbols showing up very nicely on even the smallest of screens.
Playson Awards
As well as proving itself popular with online casino players, Playson is a company that has also received plenty of industry recognition. Just some of the awards that it has in its trophy cabinet include:
Solid Gaming Rules at Playson
Playson is all about giving players as solid a gaming experience as possible. Its titles do a fantastic job of combining the strengths of traditional land-based pokie games with all the features that online pokies have to offer. This is a recipe that has made the company a very popular developer over the last decade or so, and which has also earned it multiple awards from its industry peers. We applaud Playson on its huge success and confidently expect even more from the company in the years ahead.
