Interview with Andrey Anikeev, Chief Business Development Officer at PoggiPlay

Andrey, could you start by telling us a bit about the journey of PoggiPlay? How did it all begin, what’s your mission, and what vision drives the company forward in the competitive iGaming space?

Hi. Thank you for the opportunity to talk about PoggiPlay and share my thoughts on iGaming. PoggiPlay was founded in 2020, and since then we have been on a steady course. And this course seems to be simple: to make casual games similar to mobile games with their casualness, easy-appealing atmosphere, and exciting gameplay, where every round seems to be something new and special.

In reality, it's certainly not that simple, but there are at least two factors that make us start developing each new game with even more enthusiasm and passion. First, we really love our games. Second, the players who play them remain delighted with this eye-candy approach.

Can you share insights into PoggiPlay's company culture? How do you foster creativity and innovation within your team and ensure it remains motivated and continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in game development?

In the past, I would have been skeptical of what is commonly referred to as "the stars have aligned." A company got together some particularly creative people who don't know the limits, who make games they enjoy, and who make them successfully. And with such enthusiasm from the resulting work, we were able to break out into a full-fledged company. Our method is to not produce clones of games, not reproduce the same ideas over and over but bring to life full-fledged worlds, each of which is strikingly different from the previous one, thus turning it all into a whole universe.

Yet this company has proven to me that corporate harmony is possible. This is a unique case, as far as I can tell. Everyone here understands that, and it just boosts our creativity, energy, and optimism. We’re all committed to becoming the industry trend-setters one day, and there’s seemingly nothing that can shake our motivation.

It's fascinating that PoggiPlay integrates elements of casual mobile gaming into slot games. Can you share how the concept of integrating the casual mobile gaming experience into your slots originated and how it influences your development process?

The idea is simple. Millions of people play mobile games. For a long time now, no one has been surprised to have a smartphone with an extensive library of games on it. The games are all different, but most of them have a certain aesthetic. That's what most people come to these games for. It helps them relax, dream, and recharge with positive emotions. To make it real in our industry, we have been working very hard and painstakingly.

Merging these two worlds, we explore what the average user wants, what would surprise and please them, and what would be calm and pleasant for them to play, no matter what gender and nationality they are. Having understood all this, we started, brick by brick, to build a unique and mesmerizing universe, which is now known as the PoggiPlay Universe.

Could you elaborate on the creative process behind the PoggiPlay Universe where characters and settings are interconnected and almost tangible? How has this approach been received by your players, and what impact has it had on player retention?

The first thing we usually start doing is visualize the story's setting. It should be something recognizable and understandable for everyone, not just at the surface perception level but also at the core level of feelings. Next, we introduce a character or several characters who fit perfectly into the world to attract the player with their charismatic appearance or behavior.We come up with stories about the characters in these worlds so that they look organic in the game.

On the basis of this, we can add details to the environment and the character, animating what’s happening on the screen. Next, of course, is adding mechanics, visuals, physics, more details, etc. that are interesting to us and the players. Just a jungle — boring. Just a forest — not interesting enough. I'm not even talking about just adding a slot to some background and putting it on the market. We are moving away from that, making our games deep, pleasing to the eye, and engaging, so that people come back to us for those unusually pleasant emotions that they got from the first game.

And the results speak for themselves: players come back, play as much time as they want, and then come back again and again, bringing new ones with them. If that's not an indicator, I don't even know what is.

How does PoggiPlay incorporate cultural elements into your game design, ensuring that your titles are globally appealing and resonate with players across different demographics?

The design of our games is created for adults of all ages and nationalities. First of all, PoggiPlay is a pleasant, fun, and cheerful pastime. The games give pleasurable emotions, and the meaning, lore, and visuals are laid down in a positive and intriguing way. This is what makes them attractive to many.

Developing cutting-edge online slots must come with a set of challenges, especially when trying to incorporate complex features like the 27 bonus game options in your Purple Fox game. What are some of the hurdles you face in the game development process, and how does PoggiPlay overcome them?

This is not a difficulty, but rather a feature of our creative development — we have too many ideas to fit into one game. The more ideas we realize, the longer the development process takes, and we want to delight players with new worlds more often. As for Purple Fox, we didn't have a goal to cram as many bonus options as we could; it was a creative development process that we decided to stop after number 27.

How do you balance complexity and accessibility in your games to keep both casual and hardcore players engaged?

Visual is aimed at casual players, that's obvious. Our games play almost like mobile casual games. But the best part starts when you try the in-game content. Hardcore players like the abundance of interesting mechanics and bonus games for every taste, while casual players enjoy the replayability, visuals, and the feeling of something new during each session.

Sustainability and responsible gaming are becoming increasingly important in the iGaming industry. How is PoggiPlay addressing these concerns within its game development and company practices?

First of all, we sincerely believe that gone are the days when iGaming companies tried to evade the fact that gaming should be responsible. That’s why we make sure our games are certified to demonstrate the proven mathematical fairness with help of the leading test laboratories. It’s the least we can do – bring new ideas and concepts to slot games while staying fair to our players.

As we grow, we adhere to more sustainable practices and make sure the environment is safe for all parties involved in the process of game creation – the industry itself, our employees, players, media, you name it.

Looking ahead, what new developments or innovations can players expect from PoggiPlay? Are there new themes or technological advancements you're particularly excited about?

In addition to improving our games for mobile devices, we are introducing exciting mechanics that have never been seen before in the industry. I won't be able to tell you about them, as we may still be perfecting them, but at least I can say that you will see a sequel to one of our games pretty soon, as well as three unique ones with brand new, memorable worlds. I'm sure the variety will please the players.

How does PoggiPlay plan to maintain its unique position and continue to captivate players with its offerings?

We could simply say that we will continue in the same vein, but that is not quite true. We are growing, and it's clearly visible to our business partners and ordinary players, judging by their feedback. We are adding new ideas and mechanics to each new game, creating new atmospheric experiences so that players who like our designs and visuals have a huge amount of variation in choosing worlds that are sympathetic to them. So we will continue to reach new heights and excellence in our craft.

From your perspective, are there any current trends you believe are particularly important for the future of iGaming?

For someone, modern iGaming trends are about closer cooperation with casinos and affiliates; someone emphasizes technologies that develop every day; for me and business, it all matters, but PoggiPlay decided to approach trends from the player's point of view.

What are they interested in right now? What is important and a reflection of what they would like to find in the games they play? We're not following iGaming, not other developers, but the whole world. Trends for retro, for calming visuals, or, on the contrary, for bold unconventional ideas that can inspire them. Our trend is players, and their satisfaction is our number one priority.

Finally, Andrey, what message would you like to share with the players who have supported PoggiPlay's games and those who are yet to discover the vibrant universe you've created?

First of all, I would like to thank you, the players, for choosing our games. We work hard for you; every piece of feedback from you makes us better and motivates us to create new worlds that will amaze even the most demanding players. And to those who have not yet experienced our games, I can only say: try our games; they are visually remarkable, and they have so many different mechanics that with each session you will discover new layers laid down by our creative team.

And remember: play for your own pleasure, do it responsibly, and stay with the friendly PoggiPlay team, because with every game we will blow the roof off with joy!