With the SwinttStudios partnership programme offering a great way for boutique, third-party software providers to get their games to market, NEXT.io caught up with Swintt CEO, David Mann, to learn more about the initiative’s upcoming Samurai Studio release, Babel Builder Accumulator

You have some exciting game launches coming up in your pipeline, can you tell us a little more?

Given Christmas is right around the corner, one of the releases we’re most excited about is our new holiday-themed slot, Chessmas. The latest addition in the Elysium Studios line-up, the game combines all the trappings of the festive season with a unique wild mechanic that sees selected symbols expand across the reels in the style of chess pieces. On top of that, we’re looking forward to next title to be launched via our SwinttStudios partnership programme, which is a new cyber punk-themed game called Babel Builder Accumulator from Samurai Studio.

How did your relationship with Samurai Studio come about?

Samurai Studio were actually the second SwinttStudios partner that we ever signed and we were initially attracted to them because of their unique position within the industry. As one of only a handful of slot developers based in Japan that already had a global market presence and operations in multiple countries worldwide, we felt their games would be a perfect addition to our portfolio and that our network could help them expand their outreach even further.

What is Samurai Studio’s history like, and what about their previous games made you want to partner with them?

The history of Samurai Studio dates back to 1987, when their parent company, NatsumiAtari, operated as a business that supplied technology, artwork and other services to video game developers and pachinko machine providers. It wasn’t until 2020 that NatsumiAtari actually decided to turn its hand to video slot creation – and you can really see the influence that these decades of experience in other sectors have had on its titles. All Samurai Studio slots feature excellent visuals and innovative features that pay homage to group’s gaming heritage, such as the recurring Capsule Treasure bonus that replicates the design of Gacha Games found in Japan.

Samurai Studio is planning to launch its new game, Babel Builder Accumulator, this month. What can you tell us about the inspiration behind this title?

Fans of Japanese manga and anime will know that many of the genre’s most popular comics and shows often take place in a dystopian, sci-fi setting. I’d say that’s probably been quite a big inspiration on the design of Babel Builder Accumulator, as the game also takes place in front of a cyber-punk style backdrop and many of its unique symbols include robots and other bionically-enhanced humans. The game also uses a pulse-racing, techno-inspired soundtrack, so overall it really does do a fantastic job of getting this futuristic, other-worldly atmosphere across to players.

Are there any unique mechanics, aesthetics or features that make the game stand out?

As I mentioned before, unique game mechanics are one of the hallmarks of all Samurai Studio titles, so it should really come as no real surprise that there are a couple of standout examples in Babel Builder Accumulator. In the base game, there’s a feature called “Mirror Reels”, which sees two or more reels selected at random, with all symbols then being duplicated across them for huge wins. On top of that, there’s also the “Accumulator Bonus” which is triggered by landing three or more scatter symbols, with this transporting players to a special free spins feature where any orbs collected not only award an instant prize, but also count towards an in-game multiplier.

What markets will you be targeting with this particular title?

We’ll be rolling out Babel Builder Accumulator across all regulated markets that we operate in, but due to the game’s futuristic setting and innovative bonus features, we’re expecting it to be especially popular in regions where more progressive titles are favoured. In particular, we think the game will make a big impression in markets like Sweden and the UK where players tend to prefer modern releases to more traditionally-designed slot machines, as both the theme of the game and its unique mechanics are likely to appeal to these younger, more tech-savvy audiences.

What benefits do SwinttStudios partners get?

The main idea behind the SwinttStudios programme was to provide a means for boutique, third-party studios to develop and distribute their games using our existing network and infrastructure. As we have significant expertise on the marketing, technology and commercial side of things, what this effectively means is that we handle the nuts and bolts of game logic and product delivery on their behalf so that they’re free to focus entirely on game design and performance. In this way, developers like Samurai Studio can dedicate their efforts to creating outstanding titles safe in the knowledge that we’ll ensure they get released in the markets they need to be seen in.  

Are you hoping to onboard more partners into the programme in 2025?

Generally speaking, we’re pretty happy with the providers we already have in our SwinttStudios line-up, so the main focus for 2025 will be working to develop the portfolio of Elysium Studios. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we’ll simply be turning a blind eye to any up-and-coming developers that capture our attention, and we’re always ready to onboard partners if we feel they can add something unique to our offering.