The idea of building a game with an animal theme has been popular for many years, with dogs, elephants, and bears being some of the creatures most commonly featured. By looking at the latest generation of games, we can see how wildlife themes remain as popular as ever.
Buffalo Blitz Live
This betting game is based on a popular slot by Playtech called Buffalo Blitz, with a live dealer added to the format in this version. The original slot is still at the heart of the game, with the buffalo joined by other animal symbols such as bears and moose. With 4,096 ways to win and the possibility of free spins, it’s similar to the slots that inspired it, but with all players getting the same results on each spin.
It’s part of the growing trend for live casino games that has led to developers searching for new ideas to capture the imagination of their players. Big Bad Wolf Live is another live slot-type title based on animals, but in this case, the gameplay includes a live bonus game. Many of the other live games are based on casino classics like baccarat and blackjack, but it seems that there’s still space in the sector for more animal games.
Apiary
Apiary was classed by some reviewers as being among the best new board games of 2023. Created by Stonemaier Games, it takes players into a future version of our planet where bees have somehow become the most powerful species. The goal is to make the right decisions to build the biggest and best hive of worker bees.
This is done by carrying out actions including earning resources and adding new bees to the hive. The individual bees have a number between one and four on each side, which lets you see at a glance how strong they are. Complexity is added in the way that bees need to hibernate, so you need to choose carefully when you do this and which workers to rest.
Wyrmspan
Wyrmspan is partly based on the successful Wingspan game but replaces the birds from the original with dragons. It can be played by up to five players, who play the roles of amateur dracologists who need to use their skills and decision-making ability to attract dragons to a sanctuary.
Set for launch in March this year, Wyrnspan is filled with many different types of dragons and players need to excavate spaces to keep as many of them as possible in their sanctuary. The trailer reveals a beautifully designed game where players use resources to attract dragons including the flocking dragonette and the lavender feydragon. With the second series of House of the Dragon to be released by HBO, the timing could be perfect for this game.
The popularity of wildlife themes in such different games suggests that we can look forward to seeing more games of this game hitting the market in the near future.
