Not to be confused with Massive Entertainment, the Swedish video game company that has been around since the 90s, Massive Studios may have decades of experience amongst its developers and other staff but is still a relatively new startup. It has ambitious plans to produce 24 games by the end of 2024 and looking at its first four titles, it is already off to a good start. Click here to read more.
Massive Studios background/history
It is difficult to have a history section on a company that only launched in 2022; however, with four slots already on its books and more queued up for 2024’s hectic release schedule, we are likely to be hearing a lot more about Massive Studios soon. It is already pretty impressive for a startup, with a team that has more than 40 years of combined experience in the world of slots. There are experts in every aspect of the process, from initial development to operations, the commercial side, and ensuring legal compliance.
The company has an international perspective, with its workforce spread across the UK, Portugal, and even Australia; what’s more, its registered address is on the Isle of Man. At the time of writing, recruitment plans include a search for a game mathematician; presumably, it will expand even further if its current crop of slots does well.
There is work to be done to smarten up the Massive Studios website, which is still pretty barebones in terms of details; however, it is fairly easy to navigate and has sections for its first four games: Buffaloads (May 2023), Super Mega Monsters (July 2023), Rooster’s Revenge (October 2023), and Drac’s Stacks (December 2023). This list is likely to grow longer soon as the diverse and experienced team members put their heads together to try to create more innovative slots that make their mark in this sometimes crowded industry.
Top Massive Studios slots
In just over a year, Massive Studios has managed to release four new slots. Each slot is highly volatile and each has a distinct theme and set of bonus features, although all share aspects of the developer’s emerging style. This is a modern developer, which is reflected in how it plays with classic ideas to bring sometimes surprising twists to the reels.
Massive Studios tends to be fond of letting you buy bonuses and enhancements, which is not allowed under UK gambling laws. This may mean British players are excluded from parts of the games.
Buffaloads
When you see a reference to buffalo in the title of a slot, you are often in for something good. It is a staple of games set on the plains and deserts of the American West, famous for its dramatic landscapes. In this vein, Buffaloads is a little unexpected. We are in the shiniest and most modern city you can imagine, with gleaming buildings rising in towers of glass and metal around a central square with a buffalo statue. The reels are full of brightly coloured gemstones, wads of cash, and tightly sealed safes. This is a slot about money, with most of the buildings being banks and the buffalo main character reminding us of Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses, complete with fur coat, blingy necklace, and chunky cigar.
Buffaloads is a highly volatile slot with an unusual 6x5 reels. The max win is 25,000x. Symbols can pay from anywhere and features include cascades, multipliers, free spins, and game enhancers.
Super Mega Monsters
Monsters can sometimes make a slot dark and scary; however, these quirky little fellows still have a sense of fun, tentacles, and the wrong number of eyes. Quirky could be the word for the 7x7 layout with a cluster pays mechanic - there is nothing as boring as regular paylines here. This is another highly volatile slot, this time with a 10,000x max win. Each of the five eyes you fill can give you a different bonus, whilst a full mouth can increase the available multipliers. Bonuses come in super and mega forms too, with cascading symbols, warping symbols and extra wilds among the possibilities.
Roosters Revenge
You may be realising by now that Massive Studios doesn’t really do standard 5x3 slots or low variance options. Roosters Revenge has a 6x4 layout, is highly volatile, and has a max win of 25,000x. This time, we are in the countryside, visiting a typical if somewhat hectic farmyard. Roosters can become expanding wilds and multiplying wild reels can lead to free respins. Another set of bonuses starts when you collect eggs. Collecting enough of these will trigger free spins with multipliers, whilst golden eggs could bring a spin of the golden wheel on which the multipliers are higher and even more free spins could be awarded.
Drac’s Stacks
Drac is our old friend Dracula. This is a dark and gothic slot that still has a sense of humour. Again, there is an unusual layout, this time 5x6, which sits somewhere between the castle, the mountains and the graveyard of the typical Transylvanian setting where we traditionally find the eponymous count. Magic mirrors can reveal regular, special or wild symbols, and free spins come in both normal and super forms. Watch out for the flutter of vampire bats, which can bring all kinds of extra modifiers and prizes to your game. Drac’s Stacks is a volatile slot with a 50,000x max win.
Responsible gambling
You might find your game timing out if you leave it too long, but you still have to take some responsibility for your own game when it comes to budgeting and limits. Casinos may also be able to help with limits and self-exclusion features, so make sure you have explored all possible options for keeping your game under control before you start playing and be ready to walk away if your budget takes too many hits or the game stops being fun. Like all slots, games from Massive Studios are random in their results and wins can never be guaranteed.
