ELK Studios are branding themselves as mobile game specialists, and their focus is on titles which you can play at online casinos. They have been founded back in 2012, and since they they have come up with several slot machines which look interesting. They’re based in Stockholm, Sweden. The company has only about a dozen slot machines out right now, so they seem to be clear believers in the “less is more” saying.
A big focus has been on mobile content, right from the start, so all their games have this focus on usability on a small screen. It’s the other way around, compared with many slot machines released in the past.
History of ELK Studios
Established in 2012, ELK Studios made the move to a new office in 2013, and then they started working on their games. They released their first couple of slot machines in 2014, the first one being The Lab, the second Electric Sam. It wasn’t until September 2015, that they got to 10 employees, so this shows that they’re a fairly small company. It took another year for them to get to 15 people. New games were released, 3-4 of them per year, with the second installment of a series coming in the form of Sam On The Beach in February 2017. Soon after, they tried their hand at their first classic slot, Ivanhoe, and they made sure that mobile came first once again, the slot being playable with one hand.
With 2018 coming, ELK exhibited at ICE for the first time, and then went to release several new games, including Birthday, Platooners and Joker Gems. Their next release is programmed for November 2018, and it’s going to be called Vegas Diamonds.
Games
Quality is generally quite high in their slot machines, especially if you look at the unique features which they’ve implemented, or the graphics and various characters that appear on the reels. The developer even won awards for their content, as was the case for Wild Toro, which got Game of the Year at the 2017 EGR Awards.
If you check out the themes which are implemented in their games, ELK tends to use certain characters, often adding them to several slots. That’s why you have games like Electric Sam and Sam on the Beach, or Taco Brothers in desert and Christmas related versions. They also have a movie related series, with Bloopers and Platooners in it, and others. Their most unique slot machine, theme wise, is probably Poltava, which is inspired by a battle between Polish and Russian troops, from a couple of centuries ago.
I like about their games that they’re not afraid to be unconventional with them. They don’t use the standard number of lines, but you still get this system in most slots. They also have some with ways to win though.
Feature wise, it’s an area where they tend to excel. I found that most games they offer have wilds and some kind of bonus game, or free spins. It’s also a multi-level affair in plenty of cases, so you get a chance to advance and get higher payouts. It’s the case with the Platooners bonus game and with the Poltava free spins.
What makes the ELK games lose some of their shine is the payout potential, which is on the low side in most of them. It’s almost never the type of game that will make you excited about the opportunities it gives you. Wins of 1,000 coins per line appear to be the norm in many of their slots.
Popular Titles
Among the titles which have proven quite popular in the past, though not necessarily now, you will discover games like Wild Toro (Game of the Year award), Route 777, Joker Gems or Sam on the Beach. I found that most games from ELK tend to have a similar feel, and so if you enjoyed their past releases, you might want to check out every new game from them, chances are that you’re going to find something you like.
Highest RTP Games
RTP wise, there is little variety in the numbers which the game sees. The majority of the ELK titles will be over 96%, so on that account they look pretty good. The highest ones, which are set at 96.40%, are Wild Toro, Poltava and Taco Brothers Saving Christmas.
