Play'n GO at a Glance
- Founded
- 2005 (founders' first gaming product in 1997)
- Headquarters
- Växjö, Sweden
- Leadership
- Co-founder Johan Törnqvist (CEO)
- Catalogue
- More than 300 games, according to the company
- Markets
- Regulated markets across Europe and North America
- Known for
- Story-driven series, the Book format, mobile-first design
- RTP versions
- Several versions offered for many games
- Games we review
- Book of Dead
Company Background
Play'n GO's founders began building gaming software in 1997, initially as a subcontractor for another company. The Play'n GO business was founded in 2005 and is still led by co-founder and CEO Johan Törnqvist.
The studio was an early adopter of mobile gaming, developing mobile-ready games before smartphones became widespread. It has grown into a large international business with a team of more than 700 people and a catalogue of more than 300 games, and it focuses on supplying regulated markets in Europe and North America.
What Play'n GO Is Known For
Story-Driven Series
Play'n GO is known for building recurring characters and series. The best known is the adventurer Rich Wilde, who appears in Book of Dead and several other titles. Recurring characters give players familiarity across games, although each game has its own maths and features.
The Book Format
Book of Dead helped popularise the "Book" format, in which a single symbol acts as both wild and scatter and triggers free spins with a randomly chosen expanding symbol. Many other studios now use a similar design. See Free Spins Explained.
Grid and Cluster Games
Play'n GO also makes grid-based games such as Reactoonz, in which wins are formed by clusters of matching symbols and features build up as symbols are removed. See Cluster Pays Explained and Cascading Reels Explained.
Classic-Style Games
Alongside its feature-rich games, the studio also produces simpler, classic-style slots, such as Fire Joker, with a small number of reels and straightforward features.
Play'n GO Games We Review
Browse all titles in our Slot Game Reviews.
RTP and Volatility
Play'n GO publishes RTP and volatility information for its games. However, many of its games are offered in several RTP versions, and some versions are considerably lower than the headline figure. Book of Dead, for example, has a standard RTP of 96.21%, but lower versions are also available to casinos. This makes it especially important to check the RTP shown in the game's information screen. See Pokies RTP Explained.
The studio's catalogue covers a wide range of volatility levels, from simple classic games to high-volatility titles such as Book of Dead. See Slot Volatility Explained.
Licensing and Testing
Play'n GO supplies games to many regulated markets, and its games are certified for each jurisdiction it operates in. Independent testing helps confirm that game results are random and that games pay in line with their published maths. See Slot RNG Explained.
In Australia, it is illegal for companies to offer online casino games, including online pokies, to people in Australia under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Long track record and stable leadership
- Distinctive story-driven series and characters
- Wide range of game styles, from classic to feature-rich
- Strong focus on mobile play and regulated markets
Weaknesses
- Lower RTP versions of popular games are common
- Many "Book" style games share similar mechanics
- Some popular titles are high volatility
Playing Responsibly
No studio makes games that are more likely to pay on any given spin. If you choose to play, set a budget and time limit before you start. Our guides on setting gambling limits and recognising gambling harm explain practical steps, and Gambling Help Online offers free, confidential support 24/7 on 1800 858 858.