MG vs NetEnt vs Play’n GO

Microgaming, NetEnt and Play’n GO:

The triumvirate of games providers in Slotland. But the question; is which of them makes the very best slot games, Wombat fans?

We’ve sized them up to find out. Read on…

The History

Microgaming and NetEnt both began producing slots in the early 1990s – in fact Microgaming was the first developer to launch an online casino in 1994!

For a while the 2 mega games-makers ruled the kingdom of slots, and while various pretenders tried to claim the throne; their reputation for creating high quality slots with balanced maths and varied themes gave them a reputation as the big guns…

But all that changed when Play’n GO burst onto the scene.

Despite being around since 2004, it’s only in the last 5 years that these developers have become a force to be reckoned with. After the release of Book Of Dead – one of the most popular and most played games of all time – these savvy Swedes upped their game, expanded into 4 countries and released 52 games in 2020 (one each week more or less).

Three providers; 2 from Sweden and one from South Africa. But who can truly be called the Slot Viking? Let’s see how the stats stack up…

Volume

Microgaming: These guys have over 850 slots in their portfolio – the good, the great and the not so great. And we reckon we’ve played most of them…

NetEnt: Have around 300 slot titles (plus another 200 or so casino table game titles). Quality over quantity you might say.

Play’n GO: These slot wizards have released a total of 200 slot games – with new titles being released most weeks.

Iconic Games

Microgaming: Mermaid’s Millions, Immortal Romance, Thunderstruck II

NetEnt: Starburst, Dead Or Alive, Gonzo’s Quest

Play’n GO: Book of Dead, Moon Princess, Reactoonz

Volatility

Microgaming: Best known for their low to medium volatility slots – they do come up with high-octane releases like Break Da Bank Again (and its x16,666 your bet wins) from time to time. Just to keep you on your toes.

NetEnt: Most of NetEnt’s games are mid variance – but they have churned out some insanely high-volatile games such as Dead Or Alive. But, there are also some famous low variance games too, like Butterfly Staxx and Guns ‘N Roses and Jack Hammer 2.

Play’n GO: These developers are famous for their high variance slots, in fact, they’ve even created their own volatility scale! At the one end sits games like Coils of Cash and Ankh of Anubis with a 10/10, while at the bottom you’ll find slots such as Golden Ticket and Fire Joker.

Graphics

Microgaming: The look and feel of Microgaming slots can be a bit hit and miss – particularly in the older games (anyone remember Prime Property slot? No? OK, just this wombat). That said, more recent releases, like Fire Forge and Silver Seas look first class.

NetEnt: Without a doubt, NetEnt makes some of the best looking games out there. Jumanji and Finn And The Swirly Spin are 2 of our favourites; but all their slots come with excellent graphics, animations and storytelling.

Play’n GO:

Their slots are characterised by top notch design and attention to detail that is second to none – all delivered with a very large dollop of tongue-in-cheek.

Progressive Jackpots

Microgaming: Their progressive jackpot network has paid out over €1.3 billion in prizes to date, mainly from the iconic Mega Moolah slot (this absolute beast paid out a massive $21.7 million to someone in 2018). Major Millions and Fruit Fiesta are progressive game favourites, but there are heaps to choose from.

NetEnt: Mega Fortune plus Arabian Night are the big progressive players for Net Ent – but most famous is Hall of Gods, where one lucky player managed to scoop the £7 million jackpot!

Play’n GO: There are only 3 progressive jackpot slots in the Play’n GO portfolio; Spin and Win, Fruit Bonanza and Bells Of Fortune. Their Jackpot prizes tend to be in the thousands rather than the millions like their rivals.

Defining Slot Moment

Microgaming: In 2011 Immortal Romance was released and with its max win of 12,150 x was the highest paying slot out there by a country mile!

The vampire slot has stood the test of time too. Fast forward 10 years and Microgaming are partnering with some of the hottest game studios out there – to give their new games some extra pzazz…

NetEnt: This is an easy one! Gonzo’s Quest of course, that was the first slot to bring ‘avalanche’ or ‘cascading’ reels to online casinos. Or, perhaps even the release of Starburst – that is still the most played slot worldwide. This simple game spawned heaps of copycats – but it’s still the best gem game out there.

Play’n GO:
The release of Book Of Dead transformed these providers into big players in the high volatile slot market – but Reactoonz with its cluster pay mechanic was one of the first games to do away with the 5 reel 3 row format…

So it’s a tie.

Game Mechanics

Microgaming: Traditionally a stalwart of the standard 5 reel, 3 row slot they’ve recently brought out the Hyper Strike feature and Ultraways (their take on BGT’s Megaways) – showing they can keep up with the competition.

NetEnt: Of late, these guys have mostly been turning their older games into Megaways slots. In fact we have seen a truly groundbreaking game from NetEnt in quite a while. Tut tut.

Play’n GO: One thing you can always expect from Play’n GO slots are original features. And lots of them. They like to trail-blaze when it comes to gameplay mechanics, and have recently come up with the unique cluster pay system, win multiplier trails and horizontal reel cascades to name but a few…

The Verdict

This is a tricky one…

Microgaming wins in terms of sheer volume and variety of games, but they miss a trick when it comes to cutting edge design.

Meanwhile, NetEnt has a good mix of low and high variance slots that are very well designed, but haven’t released a smash game over the last 12 months.

Finally, Play’n GO are the arbiters of slot innovation bringing new mechanics and features to the games on a monthly basis! But they have almost no low variance games…

So, drumroll please… The winner is NetEnt!

These guys have a bit of everything; a wide range of low, medium and high volatile games, beautiful graphics, progressive jackpots slots and their finger on the slot pulse.

But don’t go resting on your laurels guys; we want to see some more awesome slot making, very soon!

The Author: Lucy Hatherall, Slot Expert, Wombat Casino
Lucy has been writing about all things slots since 2017 and has reviewed over 2,000 games! She has an eager eye for the latest trends in the world of online slots and puts all games through a rigorous spin test before she reviews them. This means she knows her onions.
Aside from online slots, Lucy is also a big fan of cheese and sci-fi. Oh, and in case you are interested, her favourite slots are Hot As Hades, Punk Rocker and Gonzo’s Quest… Although this is subject to change.