Top 5 New Game Providers to Watch in 2025

The online casino industry is brimming with innovation, and while new casinos often grab the spotlight, it’s the game developers behind the scenes that truly drive the player experience forward. Every year, a new wave of studios emerges, some as offshoots from larger brands, others as completely independent ventures, bringing bold ideas, distinctive mechanics, and visual flair to an already competitive market.

Below are five new game providers that are worth watching in 2025. Each brings something different to the table, whether it’s experimental gameplay, stunning visuals, or a completely new take on what a slot can be.

1. Hungrybear Gaming

Founded: 2022
Headquarters: Canada/UK
Focus: Mobile-first slots with social elements

Hungrybear Gaming may still be under the radar for many players, but that’s likely to change soon. Originally active in the social casino space, the studio is now pivoting toward real-money gaming with slots such as Mafioso. Its standout feature is the Slot Masters platform—a competitive, free-to-play slot tournament engine that integrates with various casino brands.

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What sets Hungrybear apart is its blend of classic slot design with interactive multiplayer features. While their portfolio is still growing, the underlying tech is already being adopted by several operators in regulated markets.

Their games are intentionally lightweight, optimized for mobile use, and designed to support engagement-driven features like leaderboards, challenges, and event-driven promotions.

2. Hot Rise Games

Founded: 2024
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Focus: Visually intense, feature-rich games

Hot Rise Games is a new name operating under the ReelPlay publishing umbrella. What makes Hot Rise interesting is its unique thematic focus: many of its titles draw on stylised versions of action movie aesthetics, anime, and sci-fi. 

This provider has embraced visually intense, feature-rich games that feel deliberately over-the-top in both presentation and payout potential.

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Since launching in mid-2024, Hot Rise has released a handful of titles that caught the eye of aggregator platforms and early adopters. Games like Monsters VS Gigablox and Juicy Jelly Thunder Ways show that the team isn't afraid to push limits and blend gameplay systems.

While still a small operation, Hot Rise has already aligned itself with trusted distributors, giving its games solid visibility in markets like Europe and Australia.

3. Jelly

Founded: 2023
Headquarters: Cyprus
Focus: Classic slots with contemporary math models

Jelly is a small UK-based studio that's been gradually building its reputation since late 2022, but it really came into focus in 2025. Their games mix British humor, colorful visuals, and sharp UX. Backed by Lightning Box and Scientific Games in distribution, Jelly has found its way into several major casino platforms, even with a limited catalogue.

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The company’s design philosophy is approachable and fun, while still offering high volatility and solid win potential. Games like CleoPatrick and Sugar Bomb Multiboost highlight the team’s talent for remixing familiar tropes into new formats.

Jelly’s strength lies in its ability to strike a balance between playful design and sharp mechanics, making their slots attractive to casual players and bonus hunters alike.

4. Octoplay

Founded: 2022
Headquarters: Malta
Focus: Proprietary tech stack and rapid-fire development

Octoplay is a fast-moving new studio founded by industry veterans from Red Tiger and Evolution. While the company itself is new, its internal leadership has experience building major slot franchises, and that shows in the quality of their early releases.

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What sets Octoplay apart is its proprietary game server technology, which gives it full control over how its games are built, deployed, and maintained. This allows it to experiment with bonus mechanics, game speed, and volatility in ways that legacy platforms often can’t.

Notable releases like Hot HarvestDisco Dive, and Blazing Touch demonstrate a mix of classic formats and fresh ideas. The studio is also expanding rapidly, with licenses already in place for key European markets and several deals signed with operators in Sweden and the UK.

5. Peter & Sons

Founded: 2019
Headquarters: Armenia/Spain
Focus: Artistic slots with unique storytelling and innovative mechanics

Peter & Sons has been quietly gaining recognition for its highly creative and visually distinctive slot games. Known for their painterly art style and quirky characters, the studio’s games often feel more like animated stories than typical slots. Recent titles like Book of Books and Punch Club showcase their flair for blending artistic design with fresh gameplay concepts.

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What sets Peter & Sons apart is their dedication to originality and experimentation. Rather than following mainstream formulas, they frequently explore new mechanics and narrative-driven features that engage players on multiple levels. Their partnership with Yggdrasil’s Masters program has helped increase visibility, and their games are steadily becoming available at major casinos.

Peter & Sons focuses on providing rich, immersive experiences with thoughtful pacing and varied bonus rounds, appealing to players who appreciate both aesthetics and depth in their slots.

The Golden Age of Small Game Providers

The iGaming world has always been driven by innovation, but in recent years that innovation is increasingly coming from smaller, agile studios willing to experiment with both mechanics and aesthetics. While established names continue to dominate the top of the charts, new developers are beginning to carve out space through creativity, niche appeal, and partnerships with larger distributors.

For players, this wave of new studios means a more exciting and diverse casino experience. For operators, it’s a chance to offer something unique and different from the saturated selection of Megaways clones and Book-style slots. Keep an eye on these providers in 2025: they’re just getting started, but they’re already making a strong case for the future of online slots.