Best Yggdrasil Casinos
Boutique slots developer Yggdrasil is based in Malta. It’s headed up by Swedish gaming supremo Fredrik Elmqvist, a former executive at NetEnt. Building on his knowledge and expertise from NetEnt, Elmqvist set out to create a gaming software brand that was big on feature intensive games, picking up on a clear gap in the market between the other major players.
GENERAL INFORMATION
What Sets Yggdrasil Apart?
When most people think of casino software developers, there are a few big names that come to mind – Microgaming, Playtech, and NetEnt. Between them, the big three command swathes of the market, effectively dominating the casino industry through their expansive network of licensed operators.
Over the last few years new challengers have launched disrupting the dominance of these large casino software developers, and some are making games that stand head and shoulders above the competition, as they fight for their share of the action. Yggdrasil Games falls firmly into this category. The quirky name arches over a company that has quickly carved a reputation for excellence since their first licence back in 2013, and is fast becoming the favored choice of the slots connoisseur.
Yggdrasil combines impressive game features with stunning graphics and cinematic animations, to create slot games that are as engaging to play as they are appealing to view. The combination of strong visuals, and strong in-game features makes Yggdrasil a serious contender, and a growing threat to the dominant developers in the industry.
The games benefit from a range of interesting features that go above and beyond the norm, like stacked wilds, sticky wilds, cascading reels and more. Each of their games has something extra built in, whether in the main game or as a bonus feature – like the smashing vikings in Vikings Go Berzerk, or the character bonuses in Beauty and the Beast, which breathe new life into the slots format.
It’s hard to overstate the quality of the output from Yggdrasil. The games really are that good, and it’s a clear reason an increasing number of operators are choosing to partner up with Yggdrasil. Together with the likes of Play’n Go, Betsoft and Thunderkick they are the next generation of slot games providers snapping at the heels of NetEnt and Microgaming.
Stand-Out Titles
Jungle Books: Probably their most ambitious game to date, Jungle Books is a go-to example of just how good Yggdrasil can be. The characters look reminiscent of the Disney version, and right from the initial animation, you know you’re in for a treat.
The slots game itself has so many additional features, it’s almost completely different from anything you’ve ever played before. The reels are there as normal, set in a jungle as you’d expect, with Mowgli, Bagheera, Shere Khan and the gang popping up from time to time at the side of the reels. But there are instantly multiple different wilds, multipliers and other bonuses in play, which definitely keep you on your toes.
There are no fewer than 58-68 paylines, with bets ranging from £0.10 to £100 per spin. The jackpot stands at 50,000 coins, which is on the generous side. With an RTP of 96.1%, it’s good value for money, too. There’s not much to dislike about Jungle Books, and you can tell the team at Yggdrasil have put their heart and soul into creating a game. The results are compelling to say the least, and cement Yggdrasil’s position as a force to be reckoned with.
Beauty and the Beast: The recent cinema remake of Beauty and the Beast means it’s the perfect time for Yggdrasil to have developed a slot based rather closely on the Disney original. Fans of the animated film (who are by now, mostly well over the legal gambling age) can relieve the trials and tribulations of the romance that could never be – this time, in the form of another ambitious slot that combines cinematic trailers and animations with a feature set that would make any of their bigger rivals blush.
The character features from the Butler, the Maid and the Chef add an interesting twist to proceedings, adding additional wilds, nudging your reels, or syncing some reels when they appear to make it easier to complete your winning lines. There is the also the Golden Bet feature, where players can boost, nudge, or boost and nudge their reels for an enhanced stake.
The free spins feature is also pretty nice, given that it’s retriggerable and comes with your choice of character bonus. When you retrigger the spins, you can even stack the bonuses, so you can benefit from more than one character feature at a time. The RTP stands at a lofty 96.6%, and you can feel it as you spin through this game. So much more than just a pretty theme, this game has plenty of features that help you complete winning lines for more lucrative sessions.
Super Heroes: An earlier offering by Yggdrasil, Super Heroes still bears all the hallmarks of a slots classic. The game is themed around a sci-fi super-hero mash up that comic book fans find instantly appealing. From the very first animation, this game has a blockbuster feel to it – like the Marvel movie that never was, except with a whole host of new characters. Alongside the base game, the super heroes burst onto the screen from time to time, triggering bonus features in their wake that help add to the winnings potential of this game.
The RTP is an impressive 96.1%, which is around the average for Yggdrasil slots, and well above what you can expect as standard elsewhere.
Awards Won
Yggdrasil Gaming has barely been around a few years, but they’ve already made waves within the industry, winning a number of accolades for their unique software, while being nominated for countless others.
EGR B2B Awards Slot Provider of the Year, 2017, 2016
International Gaming Awards Operator of the Year, 2017
International Gaming Awards Gaming Software Supplier of the Year, 2016
EGR B2B Awards Software Rising Star, 2015
Company History
Even today, Yggdrasil recognises they are the ‘underdogs in an industry of giants’. Yet in just a short period of time, the company has grown from a tiny boutique firm struggling to find a platform into a serious contender, responsible for some of the best slots to see the light of day since 2013.
The firm was started by Fredrik Elmqvist, who established the company after leaving industry rivals NetEnt. In a few short years, the company has built a team of highly distinguished artists and animators, responsible for crafting their stunning collection of slots. While the firm remains small in size today, its dynamism and responsiveness is an asset in an ever-moving industry.
In 2014, Yggdrasil stole a lead on the rest of the pack, by becoming one of the first developers to identify the decline of Flash as a web technology. Their iSense platform introduced HTML based games in place of the traditional Flash-based games that had become the norm, giving Yggdrasil a first mover’s advantage in making the switch to HTML games.
By 2015, Yggdrasil was looking at launching new in-game features, and their Boost tool came online later that year, giving operators even greater flexibility in using their games, through added extras like raffles and player leaderboards.
A year later, the company opened their doors to operators still further, with the launch of their white label solution, Yggdrasil White Label Studios, which enabled operators to develop their own custom games, leveraging Yggdrasil’s in-house design talent.
This remains an exciting avenue for future growth, and stands as another example of Yggdrasil setting out to accommodate their clients to strengthen their reputation and market position.
Yggdrasil has had an incredibly exciting start to life in just a few short years. With innovation after innovation proving a hit amongst operators, and their high quality games proving an enduring hit with players, the company looks to have a bright future ahead in online casinos and casino software development.
