Max Elements – Interview with Yggdrasil Gaming

Interview with Marcin Tomala

If there's one thing we know, it's that players love a feature-heavy release. At a time when volatility is at an all time high in the online slot industry, so too are the number of bonus options, feature spins, and mechanics on offer in each new release.

Yggdrasil Gaming, one of the biggest names in this industry, have teamed up with Casino Grounds for their first collaborative project, and it fits perfectly into this category.

Max Elements GigaBlox introduces us to Max, a wizard possessing the power to tamper with the elements. Boasting four modifier symbols, two bonus choices, a super free spins round, and feature spins, there's plenty in Max Elements to keep every kind of player entertained.

We sat down with Marcin Tomala, Senior Game Designer at Yggdrasil Gaming, to ask him some burning questions about this release.

Max Elements Base Game

Chloe: Hi Marcin, thanks for talking to us! Can you tell us a little bit more about Max Elements GigaBlox?

Marcin: Hey, gladly! Max Elements GigaBlox is a brand new slot game, an exciting collaboration between Yggdrasil Gaming and Casino Grounds.

The game boasts impressive volatility and an entire palette of features, tailor-made to enhance the high-volatility gameplay.

All that with a fun theme of an eccentric Wizard, enchanting Elements in his forest temple.

Chloe: The theme chosen here is quite an interesting one  – a wizard with elemental power. How did you decide to go for such a unique story?

Marcin: This is an interesting topic. It came up as one of the ideas during our early brainstorming sessions with Casino Grounds.

There were a lot of ideas flying around, but this one stuck the most, as vibrant, fun, and memorable.

Chloe: How did the team decide to go for a Scatter Pays mechanic in Max Elements GigaBlox?

Marcin: Every payout mechanism has its own pros and cons, and the Scatter Pay has a unique strength among them.

Since the symbols can be anywhere on the reels to win, the wins are not easily read right away – which adds an element of cool surprise to every win when the winning combinations are suddenly lit up!

Unless you land a win-guaranteeing GigaBlox, that is, but if you do, the stream of prizes flow on anyway, enhancing the spectacle still. It’s a win-win!

Max Elements GigaBlox offers a lot of features that keep the money flowing – each of them playing out an exciting spectacle with tangible profit.

Chloe: Max Elements GigaBlox offers players a Super Free Spins bonus. Can you tell us more about how you decide which games to offer this in, and which to avoid?

Marcin: To be honest, it is one of the intricacies of Slot Game design. Of course we can’t just go sprinkling any feature into any game.

When designing a Slot’s features, a whole lot of aspects must be considered, including the volatility, player’s journey, intended experience, the overall spectacle and target market.

Super Free Spins, for example, work well for games with very high volatility, with prominent Buy Bonus options, where the rarity of a feature is something expected and does not interfere with player’s expectations.

Chloe: We love the feature spins on offer in Max Elements GigaBlox, allowing players to bet more to guarantee features and modifiers. Do you think this is something you’ll continue to offer in other releases moving forward?

Marcin: You tell me! When we design a Slot Game here at Yggdrasil, our ideas target the best possible player experience, but it is you guys – the players – who verify if these ideas are fun to play.

If we see a lot of positive vibes around this feature in the player feedback and reviews, then expect to see more of it in the future.

After all, we strive to make games that are awesome to play, and listening to the players is crucial to achieve it.

As we speak, some of the best, heavy hitting ideas are being developed in our studio.

Chloe: Which is your favourite Free Spins choice; Mystery Stone or Runic?

Marcin: Tough question. Honestly, it’s a real dilemma, as both offer such vastly unique experiences.

Mystery Stone Free Spins guarantee a lot of wins, boosting the multiplier steadily and safely, keeping your wallet safer.

Runic Free Spins give an amazing spectacle at a higher volatility – higher risk, higher reward. My safest bet then would be to pick Super Free Spins, that give both!

Chloe: Can you tell us your favourite feature in Max Elements GigaBlox?

Marcin: While Max Elements GigaBlox offers a lot of features that keep the money flowing – each of them playing out an exciting spectacle with tangible profit  – I often catch myself counting on Add and Multiply Runes to land, boosting the Multiplier sky-high.

While avalanches are a fantastic way to rack up wins, the Multiplier makes these numbers big!

Chloe: 2024 was a big year for Yggdrasil, can you give us any hints about which game you’re most excited to release this year?

Marcin: Well, I’m glad you asked. While 2024 has been great for us, it was just a warmup compared to the upcoming 2025, where we plan to shake up the market.

As we speak, some of the best, heavy hitting ideas are being developed in our studio, planned to release this year, and trust me – you don’t want to miss it!

Unfortunately, I cannot spoil too much – that honour lies with the lucky guys in our Marketing Department – but you can expect some strong comebacks and explosive innovative ideas, after which the Slot Game Market will not be the same!