For this Critical Play I played the game, Eon Slots Casino Vegas Game. This is a gambling game developed by Mythic Robe Games. This game is available on the Apple iOS App store and targeted towards adults, as seen through both the promotional material and the 17+ requirement for downloading on the website.
This game is an online gambling game, in the sense that it requires an internet connection in order to play. However, since this game is pretty much built upon Slots, the game does not require the player to interact with others in the sense a game like Poker might require. The game of Slots however is a purely random game and has no application of skill. As such, any player who claims to be applying some strategy to the game is either severely uninformed or deluded.
Personally, I did not find playing this game to be very fulfilling as there was no application of any skill required and the reward for “success” was simply watching numbers for my fake money amount go up. Other online slot games have an option to chat with others, but this game did not, and as such, I did not have a chance to speak with others online.
I can imagine that this game can cause some people to develop gambling addictions and cause them to become overly reliant on the game for their daily hit of dopamine. This game cleverly weaves together traditional gambling mechanics with the all too common predatory mobile game micro-transactions. A player is only limited to a certain number of slot spins per day, which they can only refill by either watching an Ad or purchasing new ones with real money. Additional mechanics like having a random “mystery gift” appear every once in a while or gaining coins by connecting to Facebook increase the game’s market access and engagement while providing the player with some type of “reward.”
As this game blends “Candy Crush” type mobile game microtransactions with traditional gambling mechanics, the game seems like it would be quite effective in achieving financial success and lead the player to invest real world money into the game. This blend of mechanics is what sets this game apart from others within the gambling genre.
Game mechanics wise, Slots is quite simple. It simply has the player spin the slot machine, and when a certain pattern of slots align, the player wins and gains coins. The player is required to invest coin resources in order to be able to turn the slot machine. This simple game mechanic, combined with the aforementioned purchase/microtransaction mechanics are the root of the game. The fun in this game is probably purely from the sensation that arises from being successful and obtaining a fruitful a slot combination.
I would improve this game by adding additional themed slot patterns, such as a Marvel theme, or a Star Wars theme, to make Slots seem appealing to those under the age of 50. Additionally, the UI is very cluttered (akin to a real casino), but could perhaps use a more minimalistic redesign.
