Bernd Baumert: “We asked ourselves – how to make the game more appealing to the player?”

In an exclusive Q&A, Bernd Baumert, Director of Games Production and Operations at Greentube, reveals the inspiration behind its latest release, Piggy Prizes Wand of Riches 2, the magic-filled sequel that builds on its predecessor’s success. From new mechanics and jackpot systems that keep the excitement high, Baumert shares how Greentube balances innovation and nostalgia elements to enhance the player experience.

Q: Piggy Prizes Wand of Riches 2 builds upon the success of its predecessor. What were the key elements you wanted to preserve from the original game, and what inspired the new mechanics such as magic rewinds and super free games?

Piggy Prize – Wand of Riches was a very successful addition to our games portfolio, so we focused on the key aspects of the game like the magician, the Piggies and the key mechanics like the Magic Rewind. After that, we wrapped our heads around the question how we can make the game more appealing to the player and the answer was to make the Free Games even better and provide a chance to enhance winning combinations already on the reels.

The magician and super magician symbols play a central role in unlocking jackpots and triggering features. Can you walk us through the design process behind these symbols and how they enhance player engagement?

After the success of the first game, it was very clear that we want to keep the main character but give it a little twist or enhancement, if you will. Hence, the idea to add a Super Magician in a golden suit to provide our players with more excitement which would drive their engagement because there are now 2 powerful symbols that will help in their journey through the game.

One of the standout features is the magic rewind, which can shift reels to guarantee key symbols land. What was the biggest challenge in balancing this feature to maintain excitement while ensuring fair play?

Magic Rewind is the perfect example how you can create anticipation in a game. After enjoying the game for a while, the player knows that the Magic Rewind can happen anytime one of the Magician lands in the central position and turns a non-winning spin into an exciting win for the player.

Q: Jackpots and bonus rounds have always been a key attraction in the Piggy Prizes™ series. How does Piggy Prizes™ Wand of Riches 2™ raise the stakes with its jackpot system, and what kind of player experience were you aiming for?

The Piggy Prize series makes it very clear how to win one of the jackpots compared to other games which creates a very joyful experience for the player. There is no need to get a full screen to win the Grand Jackpot, for example. Just one Magician and one Grand Symbol is enough to win it but who knows? Maybe the Grand Jackpot also appears magically via a Magic Rewind, triggered by the Magicians on the central position.

Q: With this being another instalment in a beloved series, how do you approach innovation while maintaining the familiarity that fans love?

The key ingredient to expand an existing successful family like Piggy Prizes, is to determine the success factors of the games that bring the players to the family in the first place and then try to enhance that experience with additional mechanics or features that not only excites the players but also fits the game family.

Image credit: Casino Guru News