What was the last in-game experience that really had you hooked in?
Was it a ranked match that had you on a rollercoaster until the final few seconds? Maybe it was that roguelike run where everything clicked perfectly into place (despite those ten failed attempts that came before it). It might even have been that moment when you landed a rare loot drop after hours of grinding.
Whatever it was—and whatever the game—it’s entirely possible that that stellar experience hinged on something a lot more layered than just good game design.
Randomness. Chance. Probability.
The best video games thrive on the unexpected. Lucky critical hits in Warframe, a last-second Dota 2 comeback, or that much-anticipated Call of Duty skins drop. They’re all unpredictable outcomes, but they keep you coming back for one more match, run, or a spin of the wheel.
Here’s the really interesting part, though. Those same mechanics that determine whether it’s a good gaming day or one where you need to strike off and try again, also sit at the heart of another major digital entertainment industry: iGaming…
Sandboxes and Slots?
You’re probably thinking, what on earth does a sandbox game have in common with online slots games? They’re worlds apart, right? One is driven by open-world roaming; the other revolves around pure randomness and real-world stakes.
Look a little closer, though, and you’ll see that they have a lot more in common than you first thought.
For starters, if you’ve spent any degree of time playing modern video games, we can guarantee you’ve already interacted with a random number generator-based system—probably quite a few times in a single session. RNG quietly powers away a huge number of gameplay mechanics in your must-play blockbusters: enemy behaviors, procedural level layouts, loot drops, sometimes even the timing of hits and strikes during that final match.
In games as diverse as CS:GO and Baldur’s Gate, developers integrate randomness into play to, well, keep things fresh. Without it, the systems that keep you on the edge of the sofa would soon fall into patterns of predictability. And how boring would that be?
eSports also isn’t immune to the influence of randomness. Subtle shifts—think item distributions and spawn patterns—can shape eSports matches in ways that might not be visible from the outside, but which have a noticeable effect on the gamers inside the match.
Casino Games are the Home of Randomness
Without randomness, online casino games wouldn’t exist. Seriously! Ask any top-tier iGaming operator, and they’ll tell you straight: the success of their platform hinges on unbreakable RNGs.
Why? Because they’re the systems that generate unique, provably fair outcomes across digital card tables, virtual slots, live betting markets, lottery draws… if you can think of a real money gaming activity to play online, you can be sure there’s an RNG behind it determining the outcome.
Even the most cutting-edge new online slots featuring bonus mechanics and complex progression systems still rely on randomness to not just keep the gameplay loop engaging, but—crucially—to ensure the integrity of the game.
Design Inspo that Flows Both Ways
Interestingly, the parallels don’t just stop at gaming mechanics. Nor is it simply a case of video gaming borrowing randomness from the digital casino sector.
Casino games have been borrowing ideas from video games for some time, evidenced not only in the increased complexity of online slots, but also in the pacing and narrative themes happening across the board. There’s been an increased focus on gamifying casino staples, which has even led to the rise of games that could only be possible in the digital realm, such as VR poker.
Of course, it’s much easier to see the influence that iGaming has had on the mainstream sectors, what with key mechanics in roguelikes or lightweight games echoing casino-style engagement systems. Loot boxes and randomized reward packs are video gaming’s equivalent of the jackpot drop, while short and frantic gaming loops clearly take their cues from the fast-fold card variants found in digital casinos.
The Rise of Real Rewards in Video Gaming
Meanwhile, there’s another fascinating overlap emerging between these two gaming sectors, and it revolves around real-world value. This is an asset, be that fiat currency or a decentralized token, that exists outside a single game ecosystem.
Traditionally—well, as traditionally as a few-decades-old digital gaming sector gets—it’s the iGaming realm that held the possibility of playing for tangible rewards. Much like a brick-and-mortar casino, when you play a digital casino game, you’re placing a stake and hoping the probability swings in your favor.
Video games avoided that structure, with rewards coming in the form of in-game progressions or individual achievements. Everything existed within the confines of the game, and real-world value wasn’t a thing. Now, thanks to blockchain, that boundary is beginning to shift.
GameFi introduces systems where digital assets carry measurable value outside the game environment. You may have come across Ubisoft’s Champions Tactics: Chronicles of Grimoria, or the smash hit Illuvium. They’re just two examples of AAA-quality video games that also enable players to earn digital assets and unlock resources that exist in broader digital economies.
The Diversity of Digital Gaming
Of course, none of this means that video games and casino platforms are suddenly going to merge into a single gaming genre. These two sectors serve very different audiences—not to mention operating within very different cultural spaces. But it’s fascinating to observe how the design philosophies that underpin them are becoming increasingly intertwined.
The truly exciting thing to take away from this relationship is just how diverse digital gaming actually is. Thanks to ongoing evolutions in tech and software, you can opt to add jackpot slots into your rotation, or stick with your tried-and-true open-world RPGs and never run out of new gaming experiences to enjoy.
