As the latest technology brings us an ever-increasing number of ways to play casino games online, it’s perhaps a surprise to see how simple games are still so popular. Money wheels and Wheel of Fortune-style games are among the best examples of this. So how have they retained or even increased their appeal as technology and trends have evolved over the years?
A Variety of Ways to Play
We can start to understand the appeal of this kind of game by looking at the Paddy Power Wonder Wheel as an example. This is a game that can be played for free each day by members of the site. A simple spin of the wheel is all that’s needed, which can lead to prizes such as free spins on slots, scratchcards, or bonus cash. The wheel has bonus rounds with cash prizes but the simplicity at its heart remains a key feature.
Another example of this type of game can be seen with Spin a Win by Playtech, featuring a wheel split into six different colored segments with various multipliers. A similar yet different approach is taken on Crazy Time by Evolution, which has eight symbols split out over 64 segments. As well as numbers, the wheel in this case includes the names of the bonus rounds that can be triggered.
Here we can already see three very different games coming from a similar concept, and there are many other examples of wheels being used as a game’s central mechanic but with varying aspects in the gameplay that make each of them unique.
Long-spinning Tradition
Despite the simplicity, the idea of spinning a wheel has led to many other diverse types of games over the centuries. Possibly the secret of its long-running success is that it’s so easy to devise different games that involve wheels marked into different sections, with the player spinning it and waiting to see where it lands.
In fact, Roman soldiers are thought to have created the first game of this type just by carving symbols or points onto their shields before spinning them. If it stopped spinning at the right point the soldier won, which is a remarkably similar mechanism to what we see in modern versions. It’s a game of chance, as explained here by the official Merriam-Webster definition, meaning that special skill is not required in order to understand and play these games.
The Power of Retro Fashion
Another point to remember is that retro fashion is currently hugely in demand. For many people who grew up watching TV shows like Wheel of Fortune, this may feel like a trip down memory lane to a simpler time when they enjoyed watching games that everyone could understand and take part in.
The concept of spinning a wheel to win prizes is something that captured the imagination of our ancestors centuries ago and remains as intriguing as ever. The latest technology makes it easier for us to play these games. Still, the idea behind them is as simple and attractive as it ever was, with simple gameplay and the fascination of a random outcome.
