Dimitra Tsoupei: "It’s less about isolated spins and more about building momentum within a session"

Game designer Dimitra Tsoupei talks about the success of the Candy Links Bonanza 3 game by Stakelogic, and what it takes to build a popular and player-favorite franchise in today's competitive iGaming landscape. She also shares insights into how innovation, player engagement, and evolving mechanics shape the future of successful slot series.

Q: Candy Links Bonanza 3 is the latest entry in the series. What motivates Stakelogic to keep expanding this franchise, and how does the new instalment aim to meet both player expectations and your own creative ambitions?

Candy Links Bonanza has proven to be a strong and recognisable concept, combining an accessible theme with engaging mechanics that resonate well with players. Expanding the franchise allows us to build on that familiarity while continuously evolving the experience.

With Candy Links Bonanza 3, the goal was to enhance what players already enjoy, such as the collection mechanics and rewarding features, while introducing new layers of depth like Hot Spots and an upgraded Hurricane Links system. From a creative standpoint, it’s about pushing the concept further without losing its identity, delivering something that feels both familiar and fresh at the same time.

Q: When you release a new game within an established series, what specific goals are you hoping to achieve in terms of gameplay innovation, player engagement, or market positioning?

When working within an established series, the challenge is to strike a balance between consistency and innovation. Players should immediately recognise the core experience but also feel that the new instalment offers something meaningfully different.

For Candy Links Bonanza 3, we focused on increasing player engagement through more dynamic gameplay elements, such as position-based features and evolving reward systems. From a market perspective, the aim is to strengthen the franchise’s identity while ensuring it remains competitive and relevant in a space where players are constantly looking for new and more interactive experiences.

Q: In the Candy Links Bonanza series, Stakelogic chose to deviate from the standard slot grid. Have you seen growing demand from players for these more unconventional grid layouts and mechanics?

Yes, absolutely. Players today are increasingly drawn to games that offer something beyond the traditional reel format. There is a clear appetite for more interactive and visually dynamic experiences.

The Candy Links Bonanza series reflects this shift. By moving away from conventional structures and introducing grid-based collection systems, we create a different kind of gameplay rhythm, one that feels more progressive and rewarding over time. It’s less about isolated spins and more about building momentum within a session.

Q: Candy-themed slots often combine high volatility with the promise of big wins. How do you strike the right balance between volatility and delivering satisfying win moments that keep players engaged?

Balancing volatility is always key. While high potential wins are important, players also need frequent moments of excitement to stay engaged.

In Candy Links Bonanza 3, we approach this by layering different types of rewards. Smaller, more frequent events, such as Coin collections, Hot Spot interactions, and modifier effects, provide continuous engagement, while larger features like Hurricane Links and the Wheel of Fortune deliver the bigger win potential.

This combination ensures that even when the larger wins don’t occur immediately, players still experience progression and meaningful activity throughout their session.

Q: With each new release in the series, have you observed organic growth in the player base, or do new installments also serve as a way to re-engage players who may have stepped away from the earlier games?

It’s a combination of both. New releases naturally attract new players, especially when the theme and mechanics are easy to understand and visually appealing.

At the same time, new instalments are a very effective way to re-engage existing players. By evolving the mechanics and introducing new features, we give returning players a reason to revisit the franchise and experience it in a new way, without having to learn something entirely different.

Q: Looking beyond Candy Links Bonanza 3, how do you decide when a slot concept has the potential to become a long-running franchise rather than a standalone release?

It usually comes down to three key factors: player response, flexibility of the core mechanic, and long-term creative potential.

If a game introduces a mechanic that is both engaging and adaptable, it creates a strong foundation for future iterations. In the case of Candy Links Bonanza, the collection-based gameplay and modular features allow us to expand and evolve the concept in different directions.

When those elements align with positive player reception, it becomes clear that the concept has the potential to grow into a long-term franchise rather than remain a one-off release.

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