Double Bubble Gamesys
Double Bubble is optimised for mobile devices and this is a trait of pretty much all Gamesys slots. The game was developed in HTML5 technology which enables all players to access the game on their mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Powered by Gamesys, Double Bubble is a bubble-themed slot played along 5 reels and 20 paylines. The slot offers you a chance to spin and bag cash amounts. It offers classic fruit machine symbols, a bonus feature, multiplier awards, and a wild symbol. You will have lots of. Double Bubble on Mobile. The double Bubble is optimized for mobile devices, and it is a line substantially of all slots of Gamesys. A game was developed in HTML5 technology which includes to all players to get access to a game on the mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Double bubble is the second project I worked on at Gamesys. The game is a simple slot game for mobile with the additional mechanic of a bubble line and bubble pop bonus. Rebuilt from the ground up in javascript and HTML5 it is currently the highest earning game for the company.
My contribution to the project covered the following areas:
Audio – The sounds from the game were taken from the original flash version, compressed to a 64kb bit rate to suit mobile downloads and implemented for the spin, reel stops, win levels and bubble pop bonus.
Bubble Line – The bubble line is the meter present at the bottom of the game which reflects any bubbles currently shown on the reel-set, although the triggering of a win on this line is dealt with via https response from a server the icons on the line were implemented using Tween.js and Pixi.js.
Controls – The controls designed for the game are a standard across all Gamesys games and are injected into the DOM during the loading process, this injection was implemented via another team. My responsibility with this area was to ensure the game responded to the events sent from the controls such as mute, changing the bet lines, coin size and spin.
WinDisplay – The boxes and graphics that surround the icons of the reel-set during a win. My responsibility in this area was to draw the boxes and graphic (white background beneath the transparent icon of the reel). This was done using Pixi.js to draw the graphics in the right position. Additionally the smaller boxes that display the amount won per line were also part of this implementation.
Loading Screen – The loading screen of the game is a crucial feature, it is the entry point and the first thing the user sees when they start the game. Minus the logo and background (which is simply a canvas background set to the specific colour). The loading bar is the interesting part of this implementation.
The bar itself reflects the progress of several asset loaders running in the background via Pixi.js to load different aspects from the back end servers. These assets are determined via a bucket system and venture, the bucket system will define the boundaries of the screen and so will load the correct assets based on these reported boundaries, from the correct venture folder, in this case the venture is Virgin Games.
Additionally, the progress of the bar is forced to stop at 95%, this is to stop the user from believing the game has stalled when the bar reaches 100% and the game does not immediately start. The additional 5% reflects the game setting the assets up in the right place and waiting for the initial server handshake before showing the game, if this handshake does not get made for whatever reason an error is shown.
Bug Fixing – There were several bugs during the development process of the game. One bug that I’d like to highlight was related to memory usage within the game for iOS devices. The cache of an iPad can only support up to an OS Specific size, in our case the smallest size was 300MB. This meant that if any assets stored within the cache pushed the limit, the OS would automatically close the browser for using too much memory.
During development of the game we came across the browser crashing on an iPad 2 iOS 6. Not being sure of the cause I spent several hours tracking down the issue using instruments from Xcode to watch memory usage through the different parts of the game.
The solution to this issue lied within the drawing of the bet lines themselves. It was discovered that another developer had set the lines to cache as bitmap every time the line was shown rather than once. With 20 lines at a time and each one having the opportunity to be shown an infinite amount of times, eventually the cache limit would be hit and passed. Removing this setting to cache on draw proved an adequate solution to the issue.
Challenges:
Being the first game I have developed from start to finish using JavaScript, DoubleBubble presented many challenges, from learning another language having come from mostly a C, C++ and Java background to using several open source libraries such as Tween.js, Pixi.js, Howler.js and Node.js.
I learned not only the issues of developing for the mobile platform in terms of design, layout and problems involving rotation and screen size but also to better structure my code using the unique elements of javascript such as Closures and function callbacks.
Summary:
Since the game has been released I have moved onto other projects and my skill with JavaScript and game development in general has improved, I have learned from the mistakes made during development of the game and as a result the code written for the next games I am developing within Gamesys is shorter, more efficient and structured better to be more readable.
The game can be found here: https://m.virgingames.com/game/slot-double-bubble/demo
(NOTE: The game can only be viewed on a mobile device or with device emulation within a browser).
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Gamesys is a prominent online slot developer with a 200+-game collection. They also own and operate online casinos and some of the biggest online bingo brands.
The road to the current Gamesys Group was long and winding, but you’ll find it to be a fascinating journey with these stops along the way.
- A social casino
- A partnership with Sir Richard Branson
- The first real money slot game on Facebook
We’re going to cover all this and more below, starting with where to play Gamesys slots online for real money.
It’s not difficult to find places to play Gamesys online slots for real money as most, but not all, are Gamesys-owned sites.
You still want to join the best casinos, though. We can help you with that. Here’s our list of the top Gamesys slot sites.
Rank | DE Gambling Site | Exclusive Bonus | Get Started | |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Betway Casino | 100% Up To€250 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#2 | Europa Casino | 200% Up To€500 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#3 | Jackpot City Casino | 100% Up To€400 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#4 | Spinia | 100% Up To€250 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#5 | Spin Casino | 100% Up To€400 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
Whenever you play a Gamesys online slot, like The Godfather or Tiki Temple, you can rest assured that you’re experiencing safe and fair gaming.
The Gamesys Group has first-rate licensing in four global locations, including the UK.
Therefore, your mission is to spin the slot reels in an online casino that’s reliable, reputable and has all the side perks that are important to you – like the online casinos we recommend.
During our review process, we take a deep dive into the casino’s banking, bonuses, customer service, mobile access, user-friendliness, and patterns of player feedback.
The point? Not only can you have confidence in their games, but you can feel secure selecting any of the gambling sites listed above too.
To understand how today’s Gamesys Group came to be, we have to look at two corporate paths.
Gamesys and Intertain (later JPJ Group) merged in 2019.
In 2001, Noel Hayden and a larger team of online developers joined forces to create Gamesys.
The plan was to design proprietary online gambling software. But that focus quickly expanded, as Gamesys launched its first site, JackpotJoy, the next year.
JackpotJoy is now the world’s largest gambling site offering real money bingo online. But it’s only one of many providers under the Gamesys umbrella.
Gamesys Acquires and is Acquired
Over the years, Gamesys launched new brands and acquired others, like Virgin Games.
But in 2019, the company was on the flip side of the coin when the JPJ Group, formerly Intertain, purchased Gamesys, creating the all-new Gamesys Group.
Intertain made a significant impact when it entered the gambling industry in 2014.
Purchasing JackpotJoy put the company on the map, as it’s the most prominent bingo brand in the world.
Intertain also brought Costa Bingo, InterCasino, and Vera&John in-house.
Gamesys Group
In 2015, Intertain became JPJ Group plc. The new name was short-lived, though, as the Gamesys acquisition combined JPJ and Gamesys’ assets into the new Gamesys Group.
Gamesys Group might not be as big of a player as Microgaming, Playtech, or NetEnt with its online slots collection. But it’s a powerhouse in the online bingo space.
Gamesys also has something Microgaming and Playtech don’t – licensing in the United States.
Gamesys Group at a Glance | |
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Company Headquarters | 10 Piccadilly, London, UK |
Phone | +44 20-7478-81000 |
Gibraltar Office | Floor 2, Suite 2, Waterport Place, Gibraltar, GI |
Number of Games | 250 |
Licensing and Regulation | UK Gambling Commission, HM Government of Gibraltar, Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling – Spain, State of New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement |
Employees | 1,000+ |
Company Status | Public company on the London Stock Exchange |
As the Gamesys Group resulted after combining Intertain/JPJ Group and Gamesys, the company has a somewhat confusing history.
Each company has their own milestones, as well as the milestones they’ve achieved as the Gamesys Group.
We’ve created three timelines below, one for each individual company and one for the Gamesys Group, to show you all they’ve accomplished since launching their companies.
Gamesys Timeline
Intertain Timeline
Virgin and the United States
We gave away the punchline to Virgin and the US in the above timelines, as you can see that Gamesys established a relationship with Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin brand in 2013.
Virgin Games emerged back in 2003, but Gamesys didn’t purchase it until ten years later.
Not only has Virgin Games become one of the UK’s top online casino brands, but Virgin Casino was Gamesys’ ticket into the US market.
Gamesys is behind the Atlantic City Tropicana Casino’s online brand with Virgin Casino. It launched in January 2014 as one of the first state-licensed gambling sites in the Garden State.
In 2015, Gamesys made headlines in the United States once again when it introduced the first real money 90 Ball online bingo game for Americans on the Virgin Games platform.
In addition to cash bets, 90 Ball Bingo has free and awards nearly $100,000 each month in bonus prizes.
It was a logical addition for a company that specializes in online bingo. However, Virgin Games is primarily a Gamesys online slot site.
Virgin Games doesn’t come close to hitting the mark of JackpotJoy with its 400 million players and a monthly 300 million prize pool. But it’s a state regulated Gamesys online casino, with geofencing that limits action to within New Jersey state lines, so they have a good excuse.
We’ll get into the original Gamesys online slot titles next.
But because Gamesys takes a different approach to online gambling, it’s one that’s worth noting.
The Games and the Casinos
You’ll find that Gamesys produces all the standard casino games, including a few hundred slots, plus table games and video poker.
But instead of distributing its titles through as many gaming providers as possible, the group primarily focuses on its brands and a few top-rated gambling sites in its target jurisdictions.
Gamesys casinos, under the group’s umbrella, include Virgin Games, Vera&John, InterCasino, Monopoly Casino, Rainbow Riches, Starspins, Botemania, and the Tropicana Casino.
Double Bubble Game Free
The slot collection runs the gamut with some licensed brands and a few progressive jackpot options.
Community Jackpots
What you might notice, even before you spin the slot reels, is that there’s a Gamesys “experience.” The company prioritizes its players with online chat rooms, free games, social gaming, and community jackpots.
If you’re curious about community jackpots, take Virgin Casino, for example. The community jackpot stays put at 20,000.00. When a player wins, he or she receives 10,000.00. The other half is split with all of the other active players who participated in the last 24 hours.
Gamesys extends its community-based focus to mental health organizations with its relatively new Gamesys Foundation.
The Gamesys Foundation was established in 2019, and Gamesys has consistently contributed £150,000 each month to charities supporting mental health causes.
A Few of the Best Gamesys Casino Slots
Now that you’ve got a feel for Gamesys as a casino and bingo provider, slot developer, and philanthropist, let’s dig into the company’s entertaining side – its unique and innovative slots.
Double Bubble Games
Like its competitors, Gamesys doesn’t stick to one genre or feature. The virtual banks in Gamesys slots casinos are filled with a wide variety of unique betting opportunities.
We’ll ease you into the Gamesys slot experience with a laid-back game called Tiki Totems.
Tiki Totems is an oceanside 25-payline slot with two koalas on drums and peaceful music and visuals. The gameplay won’t jolt you back to reality either, as it’s a low volatility game that should keep the reels in motion longer than usual.
You’ll stretch your per-spin bet considerably whenever you land a winning combination, as Tiki Totems has raining reels, otherwise known as cascades or avalanches.
As long as you keep matching up those totems, you don’t have to place another bet to keep collecting payouts. After four consecutive rounds, you’ll get a free pass to the bonus round.
Over the years, The Godfather has become one of the most well-known online Gamesys slots. It’s not just the universal theme, but how the characters and storyline translate to the slot reels.
Philip Tattaglia and Luca Brasi accompany the Don as the high-value symbols. Horse head wilds will turn your head, and you’ll even receive an invitation to attend Connie’s wedding, doubling as a bonus round. When the cake is cut, you’ll collect the cash.
The 25-payline slot is a low-stakes proposition that you’ll find in most, if not all, Gamesys slots casinos online.
Random features add to the slot story with unusual opportunities like the Respect Feature and its random horse head wilds.
Family Business adds a keepsake photo to the reels for a second 1,000-credit top five-of-a-kind payout.
Mystery-driven slot games aren’t anything new. But the Gamesys slot machine, Agatha Christie’s Mystery Wilds, takes a different approach with its features.
You’ll experience 50 paylines of slot gaming with mystery symbols, wild collection, stacked images, and a bonus visit to the library.
The library is where the clues are hidden, so you’ll pick your favorite five novels. But instead of doing some light reading, those books determine your free spins count. Then, you’ll take advantage of sticky wilds and wild reels.
After all, the name of the game is Agatha Christie’s Mystery Wilds.
Like Tiki Totems, Agatha Christie’s Mystery Wilds is a game that you can play for quite a while. Its five-of-a-kinds are relatively low at 200-credits for the high-value symbols. However, it’s a low volatility game with plenty of wild assistance.
Raining reels are back in Guardians of Fire and Ice, another 25-payline mainstay at casino sites with Gamesys slot games.
It’s a cleverly produced game with special superhero slot powers assigned to each of the two “guardians.” The Guardian of Fire builds up its potency to blast random wilds across the board. Freezing wilds emerge when the Guardian of Ice shows off its unique abilities.
The keepers of the slot features are summoned whenever a 3D wild cube rotates in the middle of the screen.
There’s a free spins bonus in addition to the raining reels, which provide free re-spins prompted by winning combinations. Free games are awarded whenever four scatters are collected in a single round.
Gamesys’ Secrets of the Phoenix offers gameplay that’s quite similar to Tiki Totems.
It’s a fixed 25-payline slot with raining reels, also tied to the bonus game. Just as in Tiki Totems, you don’t need scatters to unlock free spins. Instead, you need a series of four consecutive raining reels rounds.
But there’s something that takes Secrets of the Phoenix to the next level, making it another player favorite in Gamesys slot casinos online.
The little extra is the Phoenix. This particular bird that rises from the ashes goes wild.
As your reels are raining, if you can clear an entire column, you’ll see the wild Phoenix do its thing, turning your whole three-row reel into a glorious, giant wild symbol for your next re-spin.
You wouldn’t consider Gamesys to be at the top of its game with progressive jackpot slots.
But there are a few titles that can be life-changers.
Don’t expect the sleek presentation of other Deal or No Deal recent rollouts, as this version has been licensed since 2006 when this game first hit the online casino floors of Gamesys online slot casinos.
It might not have high-tech styling, but Deal or No Deal gets the job done with three bonus rounds.
- Deal or No Deal Bonus – players select from 22 boxes for cash awards
- Banker Phone Call Bonus – an old-school dial phone sits below the reels just waiting for a call from the Banker – when the phone rings, there’s a cash offer or the option to take a free re-spin
- Mystery Box Bonus – the Mystery Box Bonus is similar to the Deal or No Deal round but has the added options for “win,” “win all,” or “game over”
Even though Deal or No Deal doesn’t look like much, it packs a wallop with its linked progressive jackpot.
This particular online slot is behind one of Gamesys’ top payouts of £1.9 million.
Like Deal or No Deal, Tiki Temple isn’t new to casinos with Gamesys online slot games. It’s been awarding six and seven-figure prizes for a decade.
While Tiki Temple is a potential millionaire-maker, players are paid a jackpot according to their bet level. Three jackpots – 0.01, 0.05, and 0.20 are up for grabs, but a maximum bet is also required.
As it’s a 20-payline online slot, the minimum bet for jackpot contention is 0.20 and a maximum of 4.00 – not too bad for the rewards on display.
The rainforest-themed online slot by Gamesys has a few wannabe stars, as lizards Lenny and Benny take the spotlight in the bonus. Their sticky tongues turn symbols wilds, and wild is what you want to be in this slot jungle.
If you’re already a Gamesys jackpot slots player, then you’re probably already familiar with 2014’s Double Bubble.
It’s a unique game that prompted two sequels, Double Bubble Jackpot and this 2019 release, Double Bubble Triple Jackpot.
The custom Bubble Line returns with X22 multiplied payouts with a maximum bet in place. But the new bubblicious feature in this 20-payline game is the Bubble Popper feature. It’s a pick and win bonus round that’s also behind the three progressive jackpots.
Double Bubble Triple Jackpot is a variable payline game. But players have a better shot at jackpot success with all lines in play. Additionally, covering 20 lines awards a higher Bubble Line multiplier.
In our timeline, you might have noticed that Gamesys is behind the first-ever real money online slot app hosted by Facebook.
Facebook’s Bingo and Slots Friendzy
Bingo Friendzy was short-lived but impactful. It went live in the UK for two years, starting in 2012. Players had access to 90 online bingo and slot games with jackpots as high as £50,000.
The problem with Bingo and Slots Friendzy was that it drew criticism for its cartoonish appearance, which was thought to be enticing to underage gamblers.
That doesn’t mean that Gamesys has left the social media space. The online provider has its free slots and bingo titles on Facebook and through Gamesys mobile slot apps for iPhone and Android.
Players can also play Gamesys online slots for money through browser apps. The game collection is mobile responsive – no app needed.
Highlights of Gamesys Slots and Online Casinos
Gamesys has gone from an online slot provider to a full-service studio with its extensive line-up of games, corporate-owned gambling sites, social gaming, and platform.
Most of Gamesys’ slots are developed in-house, but it has established partnerships as well. For example, it carries some licensed titles from Endemol Games.
And in 2020, Gamesys signed a deal with North American Spin Games. Spin will provide exclusive online content, like its Ripley’s Believe It or Not slot, for Virgin Casino Online.
With so many products, services, and plans in the works, we’ve put together a few Gamesys highlights to give you a better feel for its brand of online gaming.
- More than 250 online games – slots, table games, video poker, bingo
- Licensed brands like The Godfather, Deal or No Deal, Battleship Wild Targets, and a collection of MONOPOLY titles
- Social gaming
- Behind the biggest online bingo brand (JackpotJoy) in the world
- Owns and operates online casinos, including Virgin Casino, Starspins, Monopoly Casino, and Vera&John
- Partnership with the Tropicana Casino in New Jersey allows Gamesys to integrate with the Trop’s land-based loyalty program
- Social gaming on Facebook since 2009
- Gamesys online casinos feature a player chatroom, creating a more social-driven experience
- Nearly half of Gamesys’ websites are dedicated to non-gambling activities (free games, chat, etc.)
- Progressive jackpot availability with millionaire-making payouts
- Community jackpots – half to the winner and the other half split amongst other online and active players
We don’t just have the complete rundown on Gamesys. We can also point you in the right direction so you can get the reels spinning at the absolute best online casino sites with Gamesys slots.
You’ll appreciate the social atmosphere, a wide range of themes, and jackpot options that go hand in hand with Gamesys titles.