Interview with Brady, Casino Product Manager at ELK

ELK is on a roll, as proved by the plenty of releases it has dropped this year. And they’re hardly done! On October fourth, Dropz has become available to the public. We’ve sat down with Brady, casino product manager at ELK, to discuss the most recent game ELK has released. He’s also the mind behind Coba and Phoenix Graveyard.  

More about Elk Studios

ELK Studios is a game provider that since the start of 2013 has been able to provide millions of players with a fantastic gaming experience, through their innovative designs and groundbreaking mathematical models. This Swedish game studio is located in central Stockholm and has since the start grown to have more than 30 employees. Where it is the quality over quantity mentality that permeates this company, which has been constantly proven over the years. To succeed in creating something good, it is necessary that the ingredients are good as well, ELK Studios creates its games according to three primary principles, which are Art, Math and Technology.

1. Dropz is your newest release, what can players expect?

Dropz is our very first candy game! With Dropz, we took a look at existing candy-themed slots and often felt that gameplay was very one-dimensional. We wanted to fix that. There is a crazy amount happening in Dropz: from matching symbols to increase your multiplier, to breaking chocolate, getting a feature in play and upping your chances of winning a delicious 25,000x your bet!

2. ELK has been a top provider for a number of years now. According to you, what makes ELK different from other providers? 

ELK has always had interesting games, from the crazy-potential found in Nitropolis 3 to some of our lesser known titles: innovation is a founding principal here. We’re not afraid of pushing what is possible within a slot game, and when we come with a new game - whether it be a tweak on an established classic, or an entirely new gaming experience - the quality and entertainment it delivers is one of the best in the industry. And that wouldn’t be possible without the wealth of immense talents we have working on each and every title.

3. What are your goals?

Creating the best slot game of all time is a very broad goal. Each of the product team at ELK has their own take on what that would mean. I’d say that there is no “perfect slot” that would tick the boxes for everybody. The sheer variety of themes and mechanics in slots is exciting and once I get my fix for entertainment playing one game, I move on to something entirely different. Knowing this, I feel that creating unique experiences in games is something that enriches the entire slots industry. 

4. Can you tell us about your journey and what motivated you to start developing slots? How have you developed since then? What’s special about your games?

I began working in product development with Stars of Orion, but I actually started as a programmer at ELK years ago, my first game being Ice Wolf - give it a spin if you haven’t played! I’ve always had a great interest in games, and especially the development of slot games in recent years. There is a lot to consider, the looks, the mechanics and math all need to work in harmony. Working on different levels within ELK has given me insight into what can be accomplished when creating a game, and with that I want to bring new realms of possibilities.

5. What’s your best game?

Coba. It’s outstanding. The team did wonders with the visuals, and the audio design is incredible. I had total faith in the coders and animators to realise the snakes. It is way beyond what they would normally work on for a slot! 

Coba introduced so many new concepts that when it was released it felt like a big gamble. It’s a great success for ELK and reinforces the innovation we’re known for.

6. What are your future plans?

ELK is pushing into new markets, and our first launch in the US will be coming soon. We’re expanding to be able to produce more games year-on-year, but will keep our development cycle untouched so the quality of our games is maintained. I’ll be focussing on some of our established IPs in the future, but there is always room for something never-before-seen in the roadmap. 

 7. What would you like to tell your viewers/fans/users?

I’m overjoyed to see the love for ELK over the recent year or so. I feel like we’ve made new steps in creating fun and interesting slots, and we have even more on the horizon! We always want to hear about your big wins or any thoughts you have on our games, and quite frequently you’ll be able to find one of us in the CasinoDaddy chat. And finally, regarding Coba’s 1mm away™: Feedback noted, I’ll make it 2mm next time.

We’re excited to see what else ELK Studios will come out with, but we can confidently say 2022 has been a great year for them and 2023 will see even more amazing games from this successful studio!