Hooking the Big One: A Deep Dive with Booming Games’ Craig Asling

Comparasino CEO Martyn Hannah sits down with Booming Games’ Craig Asling to learn more about the studio’s latest release, Fish Tales Colossal Catch: Link & Loot.

If you’ve spent any time in an online casino lobby lately, you’ve likely seen the vibrant, high-energy slots from Booming Games making a splash. Known for titles that perfectly balance easy-to-play with hard-to-ignore features, the studio has become a go-to for players who want more than just a standard fruit machine.

Their latest release, Fish Tales Colossal Catch: Link & Loot, is already causing a stir with its massive 10,000x win potential and the debut of the Link & Loot mechanic. But what actually goes into making a hit sequel? And how do they keep the fishing genre – one of the most crowded in the market – feeling fresh?

We sat down with Craig Asling, Director of Games at Booming Games, to go behind the reels. From the spectacle of the new Colossal symbols to the secret sauce behind that perfect game rhythm, Craig explains why the studio’s 2026 roadmap is all about putting the player in the captain’s chair.

Booming Games has built a reputation for combining strong visual identity with engaging mechanics. How would you describe the studio’s evolution in recent years, and what core principles continue to guide your game development today?

Over the past few years, we’ve matured significantly as a studio. When you grow quickly, there’s always a risk of losing clarity in your identity but for us, the opposite has happened. Scaling the teams has actually sharpened our focus.

We’ve invested heavily in structure, analytics and cross-team collaboration, but creatively we’re still guided by the same core principle… that every game needs a strong hook. That hook might be mechanical, visual or mathematical, in an ideal world – all three, but it has to be clear from the first spin.

We also believe in balance. Our games need to feel bold and entertaining, but never complicated for the sake of it. Accessibility and depth should be able to coexist. That philosophy continues to guide everything we produce.

The online slot market is more competitive than ever. From your perspective, what differentiates Booming Games as a studio, both creatively and strategically, and how do you ensure your titles stand out in crowded slot lobbies?

Yes, competition is intense. For me, differentiation comes down to clarity of vision. We don’t chase trends blindly. Instead, we look at what players are responding to and ask how we can execute it in a way that feels distinctly Booming.

Creatively, our games are confident with strong colours, bold characters and impactful animations. Strategically, we combine that visual presence with carefully modelled gameplay. We spend a lot of time fine tuning volatility curves and feature pacing.

Standing out isn’t just about innovation, it’s about cohesion. When art, maths, sound and mechanics all reinforce the same idea, the product feels complete, and players notice that.

Fish Tales has become one of your most recognisable and top-performing series. What made it the right time to expand the franchise with Colossal Catch: Link & Loot, and what were your main objectives with this new instalment?

Fish Tales has proven itself over time with strong engagement, solid retention and broad market appeal. When a series performs consistently, it creates an opportunity to evolve rather than reinvent.

With Colossal Catch: Link & Loot, the timing felt right because players are clearly enjoying more feature-rich experiences. We wanted to build on what already works – the fishing theme, the lighthearted tone – but then introducing more scale and momentum.

Fish Tales Colossal Catch: Loot & Link from Booming Games

The main objective was progression. We wanted players to feel like there’s always something building, whether that’s toward a Link & Loot trigger or a Colossal symbol moment. It’s about keeping the energy moving.

This release introduces the enhanced Link & Loot mechanic alongside Barrel Boost in both the base game and free spins. Can you explain how these features work together to elevate the gameplay experience compared to previous Fish Tales titles?

What I like about this combination is that it creates layers of excitement. You have multiple routes into the Link & Loot feature, from Barrel Boost Collect, to natural triggers in the base and also even via both methods in the Free Spins.

Link & Loot provides a chase – it gives players something to aim for and builds anticipation. Barrel Boost, on the other hand, injects retention. Seeing growth keeps the game feeling dynamic and can go off at any moment.

Together, they create a rhythm: steady progression paired with big moments of impact. Compared to earlier Fish Tales games, this is a slight departure but  this version feels more interconnected. The mechanics aren’t isolated features – they support each other, which makes the overall experience more fluid and engaging.

The addition of Colossal fish symbols and Prize Pots bring significant win potential. What was the vision behind introducing this larger-scale mechanic, and how does it amplify player excitement?

Visually, Colossal symbols were about spectacle. When a larger symbol is formed, it immediately changes the energy of the screen. It signals opportunity for those bigger wins.

From a gameplay perspective, Prize Pots add tangible goals within the feature cycle. Players understand the stakes, they see what’s possible. That transparency increases excitement because the potential and goal is clear.

We wanted bonus moments to feel memorable. Not just incremental improvements, but standout events. The Colossal mechanic delivers that by combining visual scale with mathematical weight.

Looking ahead, where does Fish Tales Colossal Catch: Link & Loot sit within your wider 2026 roadmap? Could this signal further evolution for the franchise or expanded use of the Link & Loot system across future releases?

For us, this title is both a continuation and a foundation.

Fish Tales remains an important franchise, and there’s definitely room to explore it further. At the same time, the Link & Loot framework has broader potential. It’s modular and adaptable, which makes it very useful from a roadmap perspective.

Looking toward 2026, you’ll see us continuing to refine mechanics that can evolve across themes and markets. The goal is sustainable innovation, building systems that grow with us rather than one-off ideas.

Ultimately, everything ties back to delivering engaging, responsible entertainment. If we can keep players excited while maintaining clarity and balance, we’re on the right track.