In this interview, George Olekszy, Head of Game Retention at Play’n GO, discusses the enduring appeal of Rich Wilde, one of the most iconic characters in online slots. He credits the franchise’s variety and innovation, such as cluster pays and crash games, for keeping it relevant. George teases future expansions involving Rich, Cat Wilde, and Gerard, hinting at new characters and mechanics. The story of Rich Wilde continues to be written in Play’n GO’s freshest releases.
Q: As far as characters go, Rich Wilde is unmistakable! There’s absolutely no doubt that he’s one of the online slot world’s most recognisable protagonists, how has Play’n GO managed to keep him in the mainstream for well over a decade?
The success of Book of Dead over the years has definitely helped make Rich Wilde a prominent character within the industry. The way we've managed to keep him relevant following that initial success is simply the variety of the games he featured in. There are no other characters that appear in such a diverse set of games anywhere else, you don’t think of one specific style of slot when you think of Rich Wilde, and I think that’s a testament to the franchise.
Q: Book of Dead is the most famous of all the Rich Wilde releases over the years, helping define an entire genre and a generation of online slots. Does this title still play a big role in Play’n GO’s overall success, and creative direction in 2025?
There’s no doubting that Book of Dead is still a huge release for Play’n GO, and naturally it influences what we do today with new Rich Wilde content to a certain degree. It’s also still up there amongst our best performing slots, and I believe that’ll always be the case, even if players are playing more of our games as each year passes. Once upon a time, the vast majority of our players were playing Book of Dead, but as we’ve added some great games to our portfolio, that’s gradually changed, but we know they’ll always go back for a spin.
Q: The franchise has expanded further than Rich Wilde, and we now have a number of Cat Wilde games available for players to enjoy, as well as Gerard’s Gambit. Are there any plans to further expand upon the Rich Wilde universe?
We’re constantly exploring different characters and new stories, and the level of detail we go into is quite extraordinary. Some of my favourite Rich Wilde games are those that feature Gerard, and we know for a fact that players love the Cat Wilde games as well. There’s nothing I can exclusively reveal right now, but rest assured we’ll see these characters will return, and perhaps we’ll even meet some new members of the family.
Q: Play’n GO has a number of table and crash games as within its portfolio, could we ever see the Rich Wilde portfolio expand into these verticals?
For sure. It’s more than likely that we’ll see a Rich Wilde crash game one day. If you look at our crash game portfolio right now you’ll see that every single game leverages existing slot IP, and that’s the trend we’ll continue building.
Q: Rich Wilde and the Tome of Dead is your latest game in the series, what can you tell us about this new slot and why should players be excited about it?
Rich Wilde and the Tome of Dead sees players join Rich as he explores an ancient Egyptian tomb in search of a mysterious book said to hold secrets of the afterlife. In true Rich Wilde fashion, he ends up unlocking more than he bargained for and must deal with the consequences. It’s a classic adventure that fans of the character will feel right at home with.
The game itself introduces a 5x5 cluster pays format with cascading wins, offering a different style of gameplay compared to traditional paylines. One of the key features is the Ritual Meter, which builds over time and gradually unlocks effects like Protection, Devour, Judgment, and Banishment. Once full, players trigger the Banishment Free Spins round, where all the effects come together. There’s also the All-Seeing Eyes feature, which can add extra Wilds and increase the chances of a big win.
Q: The only other Rich Wilde game with Cluster Pays mechanics is Rich Wilde and the Tome of Insanity, just how popular was this game when benchmarked against more traditional Wilde slots?
Tome of Insanity was a real standout for us and performed exceptionally well. It showed that there’s a strong appetite among players for cluster pays mechanics, especially when paired with a well-established character like Rich Wilde. While traditional Rich Wilde titles like Book of Dead remain hugely popular, Tome of Insanity proved that fans are open to exploring new formats within the franchise.
It also helped reinforce Play’n GO’s reputation for creating engaging grid slots. The success of Tome of Insanity gave us the confidence to explore that style further with Tome of Dead, blending the visual identity of the earlier games with mechanics that really resonate with today’s players.
Q: If you had to pick a favourite Wilde slot from the entire franchise, which one would it be, and why?
That’s always a tough one because each Rich Wilde game brings something different to the table. But if I had to choose, it would probably be Book of Dead. It’s the one that really set the standard for the series and continues to perform incredibly well to this day. There’s something about its simplicity and timeless theme that keeps players coming back.
That said, I’m also a big fan of the more recent releases like The Wildest Gambit and Tome of Insanity. They show how far the franchise has come in terms of mechanics and storytelling. It’s great to see how the character continues to evolve while still staying true to what made him popular in the first place.
Q: Finally, can you give us an insight into what the future looks like for Rich Wilde and the rest of the Wilde family?
We’re always looking at ways to keep the Wilde universe fresh and exciting, and that includes both Rich and the rest of the family. There’s definitely more to come, whether that’s new adventures for Rich or expanding on stories involving Cat, Gerard, or maybe even a new face.
The great thing about the Wilde franchise is that it gives us a lot of flexibility. We can explore different themes, mechanics, and formats while still maintaining that sense of familiarity players enjoy. Nothing’s confirmed just yet, but we’ve got some ideas in the pipeline, and we’re excited about where the next chapter might lead.
Image credit: Casino Guru News