Knock Knock: ICONIC21 Enters The Crash Market

Comparasino sits down with Edvardas Sadovskis, CPO at ICONIC21, to learn more about the provider’s move into the non-traditional content space with its latest title, Knock Knock

The crash game market is really heating up with more studios staking their claim to Aviator’s crown. 

One such provider is ICONIC21, whose Knock Knock title offers a totally different experience to planes taking off and flying away. 

In Knock Knock, players open doors to reveal win Multipliers or losses, with the aim of the game to connect an epic winning streak before cashing out. 

To learn more about Knock Knock, we spoke to Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21. 

Knock Knock is the latest game to leave your production line and your first major play in the non-traditional content space. Tell us more about it.

The premise of Knock Knock is simple. A door opens, but what’s behind it? That’s the question players must decide if they want to answer as they play through the game. At the start of each game round, players find themselves in front of a door and must choose whether to open it or not. On the other side, they could find an Increasing Multiplier, but they might also find that their accrued winnings and original bet are suddenly taken away from them. This gives players total control as to how they play the game – do they shoot for the longest door opening streak (and a chance at hitting the game’s max win potential), or do they want to play it safe and lock in their winnings at a lower level. This makes for a high-suspense experience where one wrong move can see their run end abruptly.

Just how important is it for players to have a sense of control over the game and the outcome?

For some players, having a sense of control over the gameplay and the outcome is a must. This is certainly true for Millennials and Gen Zers, cohorts that engage with video and mobile games where control is baked into the core gameplay. The rise of non-traditional content, and in particular the crash format, is bridging the gap between video/mobile games and online casinos. And it’s why we have put players firmly in control of Knock Knock. Not only do they get to choose whether to open the door or not, but there are two game modes they can play – Short Path with fewer doors but greater risk and Long Path, with more steps and steadier progress.

Anticipation seems to be the aim of the game with Knock Knock. How have you built this into the gameplay and player experience?

While the format of Knock Knock is simple, it generates hair-raising anticipation with each game round. Players just don’t know what’s on the other side – could it be another Increasing Multiplier, or could it be game over? For those on a door-opening streak, the stakes get higher and higher with each game round as the player has more to lose if they make a wrong move. And because they have control over whether to open the door or not, they are ultimately responsible for whether their accrued winnings multiply once again or whether their winnings return to zero. If you look at some of the more recently released slot and casino games hitting the market, they are incredibly complex in terms of the formats and mechanics, but with Knock Knock, we’ve kept things simple, and this actually builds even more anticipation.

Knock Knock from ICONIC21

What types of players is Knock Knock aimed at? And does it help operators engage different cohorts compared to standard slots and casino games?

Like most non-traditional games, Knock Knock has been developed with the next generation of players in mind. These players are unlikely to engage with traditional slots as they are looking for more than simply hitting spin and waiting to see if they win. But given the simple format and intuitive gameplay, Knock Knock will also hit the mark with seasoned online casino players looking for something different to try. We also expect Knock Knock to appeal to sports bettors – the high stakes/high reward nature of the format resembles sports betting, and, again, the decision-making element will appeal, as this is at the core of the sports betting experience.

As a provider, ICONIC21 has expanded its portfolio from live to slots to crash and now to other non-traditional formats. Why have you opted for this strategy?

Our mission is to become a 360 provider for operators, giving them access to thrilling content across all major verticals, including live casino, slots and non-traditional formats. We take the same approach across all verticals, and that’s to combine new technologies with data and the real-world experience of our team, along with player and operator feedback, to produce premium games that immerse players and deliver experiences that not only meet but exceed expectations. Operators are always looking to add more content to their casino lobbies, but the process can be difficult when it comes to onboarding new studios and undertaking integrations. But when the studio offers content across a range of formats, or is already integrated for, say, slots, the business case for integrating them or taking additional content (if already integrated) becomes much stronger.

In recent months, we’ve cemented our position as an in-demand content provider while continuing to add to our portfolio of slots, which are in high demand among operators in global markets. Then, with the launch of Knock Knock, we have revealed our intentions to set the standard for others to follow in the non-traditional space. It’s a comprehensive and complex strategy led by the quality and variety of our products, but one that will establish ICONIC21 as a top-tier provider in the months and years to come.