Hammertime Games Studio Spotlight: Data-driven creative decisions. Informed innovation.

Less than a year on from making their debut on the Games Global platform, Hammertime Games are already hammering it, dropping quality game after quality game.

With three diverse, innovative titles already in their arsenal, and their latest enchanting creation hitting lobbies this week, we caught up with Hammertime’s Head of Game Product Elaine Nagel to find out more about this exciting exclusive studio’s successful approach to game development.

What can you tell us about Hammertime Games?

Hammertime Games is a strategic studio brand under the Stormcraft Studios banner. We deliver innovative, fun-to-play games to the market, with a focus on A/B testing and data-driven decision making.

What makes Hammertime different to other studios?

The team behind Hammertime Games is the same crew that have been crafting legendary game titles since the inception of Stormcraft Studios, and before. With decades of industry experience, they bring all the expertise, quality, and stability to Hammertime that Stormcraft are so well known for. Knowing that beneath the shiny, fun-to-play Hammertime hood lies such a solid foundation of well-established experience, coupled with an unwavering dedication to quality, makes me extremely proud of the games we create and the experience they offer players.

How does Hammertime’s strategy facilitate game evolution?

The Hammertime Games brand presents the perfect platform for the team to tap into their rich reservoir of accumulated ideas, and to explore alternative business objectives with new creative criteria, all based off data-driven decisions and informed innovation. The added diversity of themes that Hammertime brings to the table allows the team to further flex their creative talent.

With our Hammertime strategy facilitating new ways of working, we’re able to push the boundaries of efficiency to quicken our market feedback loop and respond quickly to learnings and developing market trends.

All these factors enable us to deliver innovative, game-changing content that meets the changing demands and interests of operators and their players.

What is your personal favourite title from your studio?

I have two personal favorites: Sugar Craze Bonanza™ and Mega Magic Spell™ (15 February), our latest release to go live.

Sugar Craze Bonanza™ is a game that really embodies the spirit and personality of the Hammertime brand with its playful, eye-catching candy theme. With cotton-candy skies that cloud over into whirling storms of Wild Reel spins, engaging features like Multi-Chase™ and SugarStorm award players up to 10 000x their bet, and make the excitement in this game – literally – mouthwatering! It was a fantastic experience presenting Sugar Craze Bonanza as the curtain-opener for the Hammertime brand at ICE in February 2023.

As for Mega Magic Spell™, the cash collect mechanic in this game is enticing with coin values frequently spinning past and landing on the reels, making the win potential feel so tangible. Coupled with that, four growing jackpots turn near-misses into exciting events by incrementing the jackpot values, while offering the player the chance to win up to 5000x their bet. Characterful owls hoot in celebration when awarding players their collected treasure, and in Free Spins our Owls add modifiers that multiply and increase cash prizes, and even award additional Free Spins. Overall, this game is packed with personality and action!

What is your favourite part of the game development process?

I really enjoy working with the team in bringing our games to life. The diverse spread of talent we have brings so many different perspectives: there’s always something to learn, another angle to see things from, and unique design interpretations. It’s creative, challenging, inspiring work, and very rewarding when the bones of the game come together to present the team’s vision for the game.

My next favorite part is when maths, mechanics, sound, visuals, and dynamics all combine to give the first playable experience of the game. There’s a special kind of magic in that moment, seeing the game come to life and being able to experience it as players will. And then, of course, sending our games live out into the world and seeing how players respond is – exhilarating!

What can we expect from Hammertime's roadmap?

We’re excited to have kicked off 2024 with the global release of Mega Magic Spell™ this February. We’ve seen good early success with the Growing Jackpots and Cash Collect mechanics, and we’ll be maximizing this engine opportunity by whizzing up a delicious pizza-themed version of the game. We're busy mixing in the final ingredients and we can't wait to serve up this tasty treat!

Our roadmap will continue to build on the success of these engines with a series of plus-ones, as well as some entirely new mechanics currently in progress (…watch this space!) True to the Hammertime brand, you can expect to see the games on our roadmap presented in a range of fun and engaging themes that will hold a strong appeal for players across our markets.

Follow Hammertime Games on LinkedIn here to stay in touch with their upcoming releases!