Casual games come in all shapes and sizes, and they have been with us pretty much since the invention of the video game itself. Most of the great titles from the past - from Arkanoid to Tetris, even Pong - check all the marks: easy to learn, hard to master, and requiring little to no dedication. Of course, we call them “arcade games”.
But casual games predate computers by a lot. Before coin-op machines became computers, many of them were electromechanical (like pinball, for example), and even mechanical. And perhaps the oldest of them all is the slot machine.
The slot machine has been with us for more than a century and it has remained mostly unchanged. The video slots at Spin Casino share most of their basic characteristics with the first-ever slot machine, the Liberty Bell, built by Charles Fey in the late 19th century. There are, of course, many differences - the virtual reels, the incredible variety of themes, and the many bonus payouts and side games come to mind - but the essence of the game hasn’t changed at all in 120 years. And neither did its entertainment value.
A simple game
The first mechanical gaming machines were inspired by poker - they had five drums, a total of 50 card faces (two were removed to increase the house advantage) and they were very popular. They had a few shortcomings, though - a large number of potential winning combinations, for example, made it impossible at the time to build an automated payout mechanism.
San Francisco mechanic Charles Fey has, in turn, simplified the game by a lot: he reduced the number of the reels and the number of possible winning combinations by a lot, and built a payout mechanism that made it possible for the machine to be operated without human intervention - aside from the player, of course.
His design became insanely popular at the time, spreading to pretty much every corner of the US - and beyond.
Adding electricity
The first electromechanical slot machine was, perhaps unsurprisingly, built by Bally - a manufacturer of pinball machines - in the 1960s. While the mechanic of the game remained mostly unchanged, light and sound were added to the mix, making it even more entertaining. But its reign only lasted for about a decade and a half - the development of solid-state computers in the 1970s gave birth to the first video slot machine.
Video slots have proven to be another successful product - they are used to this day.
Going online
The 1990s were the time when slot machines truly earned their “casual” title - this was the time they went online. Until then, slot machines were almost entirely confined to real-money gambling - but when they went online, they suddenly became accessible for anyone with an internet connection. And they began their lives outside casinos - in the ‘casual game sphere’. Initially, they were browser games, often available through social networks, then, thanks to smartphones, they went straight into the players’ pockets. And once there, they grew - today, there are several “social casino” apps filled with high-quality video slot machines that are played casually by millions all over the globe.
