If we must name just a single thing that we love about Microgaming, that would be the assorted selection of game development studios it has been working with to supply its clients with casino content of high quality and standard.

And Pulse 8 Studios is one of the nearly dozen of developers to be producing exclusive titles for Microgaming and its ever-growing network of partners.

The studio was founded in 2019 and although it is a newbie in the world of iGaming and is offering a limited number of products, it has seen a more than promising debut with its pioneer slot, Relic Seeker.

The young games builder draws its inspiration from the vibrant culture of Asia to blend it artfully with thrilling features and mechanics and deliver unique gameplay with the finished products of its work. And while there are tons of Asian-themed content out there, Pulse 8 Studios seems to be on the right track when it comes to making your work stand out.

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Inspired by the Dragon’s Pulse

The studio doesn’t have much on display on its official website but contains enough information for visitors to realize that its approach to crafting iGaming solutions is pretty unique. Pulse 8 Studios says its inspiration comes from the Dragon’s Pulse, a crucial concept in Japanese manga series Fullmetal Alchemist.

And since the content maker bases its own philosophy on this concept, we believe that we should dwell on it in greater detail.

In Fullmetal Alchemist, people in the land of Xing believe that a flow of life energy, visually represented as a mystical dragon, exists within the earth and flows metaphorically from mountain tops down to the land to nourish everything that crosses its path just as blood rushes through the veins. This energy is called Dragon’s Pulse (or Lung Mei).

The energy is core to the ancient Xingese science of Alkahestry and is believed to prevail in all things on earth and to breathe in rhythm with life forms. According to one Alkahestry master, Mei Chang, the true source of the Dragon’s Pulse comes from “the movement of multitude of souls” which form the earth and the universe.

Alkahestry stands on three main pillars and Pulse 8 Studios has incorporated them into its growth strategy.

Fearless, ferocious, and enigmatic…

… is what the emerging studio strives to be in its approach to game creation. The company says that its team of development professionals are always scouting for new Asian-tinged concepts and not afraid to utilize brave features and powerful mechanics in each and every title they produce.

It also claims that, powered by the spirit of a soaring dragon, it is always ready to unleash its creative potential and show the online casino universe endless possibilities and world-class experience.

Joining Fellow Innovators

Shortly after its launch, Pulse 8 Studios joined the Microgaming ranks as an exclusive creator of content for the latter company’s bustling network of clients that includes some of the world’s largest Internet gambling providers and operators.

The partnership between the young studio and the gambling software giant was first made public in August 2019 after the Relic Seekers slot had just been released. Of their new partner, Micorgaming’s then Director of Global Operations (and now Head of Games), James Buchanan, said that they were delighted to be working with the developer on an exclusive basis.

He further noted that their partner’s debut slot offered “an immersive playing experience with captivating visuals and features” that set the bar high for any future releases.

Microgaming has a knack for selecting the industry’s finest talent and its group of exclusive gaming software makers is a perfect testament to that.

Aside from our Asia-inspired fledgling studio, the software powerhouse has also been working exclusively with the likes of:

Aurum Signature Studios
Alchemy Gaming
Neon Valley Studios
Gameburger Studios
All41 Studios
• Switch Studios
• Fortune Factory Studios
• Slingshot Studios
• Stormcraft Studios
• Triple Edge Studios

The company’s site says that more developers are set to join its network in the coming months and as announcements about new exclusive partnerships have previously been sent our way by its PR people on quite a regular basis, we do expect some more similar news sometime soon.

What’s on Offer?

In the online gaming industry, most young developers choose to quickly build sizable suites in hopes for a rapid growth and fast returns. However, despite its clear appetite to be a game-changer, Pulse 8 Studios’ strategy is on the completely opposite side of the spectrum.

The company offers a small number of slots at the time, but more will certainly come as it cements itself as a player in this competitive segment. The slower production and release of new titles could have to do with a networkwide scheduling managed by Microgaming itself.

As already pointed out above, the studio made its leap into the iGaming scene with the Relic Seekers slot, which came out in the summer of 2019. Aside from this one, the company has developed and released two more titles – Treasures of Lion City and Lucky Twins Jackpot.

And while it is a bit of a pity that it only has three slots in its portfolio for the time being, there is a positive side to this – we will be able to look more thoroughly into each one of these.

Relic Seekers is a fantasy adventure-themed online title that sees the brave Free Man, clever Professor Morgan, and lively Nora help players uncover the mysteries of the Dragon’s Vein ancient tomb. This thrilling adventure that sets a rivulet of cold sweat down the spine comes in the form of a five-by-three slot with 25 lines, a nice selection of features, and stunning visuals and accompanying sound.

Treasures of Lion City was the studio’s second release. This title was inspired by events around the real-life Lion City that was located in Eastern China and was one of the region’s main economic centers a very long time ago. To make room for an artificial lake for a power station, the Chinese government submerged the city and the surrounding area under water in the late 1950s.

The slot inspired by these real-life events features a 5×3 grid and 25 fixed paylines. Action takes place against the backdrop of Lion City itself and its treasures deep under the calm waters of the lake it was sunk into.

It should be noted that a beautifully crafted game was somewhat ruined by the low RTP of just 94.20%, which alone could be a major put-off for many experienced players.

Lucky Twins Jackpot was released in early 2020 to further expand the studio’s offering. The slot features a classic 3×3 grid layout and nine paylines. Pretty much everything, from the game’s symbols, background, characters, and sounds evoke Asian tradition and authenticity. This high volatility title again offers a less generous RTP of 94.20%.

As it can be seen, Pulse 8 Studios seems to be planning to fill its suite with stories of different nature that are only similar in their Asian feel and atmosphere.

A Nice Variety of Features

The developer’s content comes with a promising slew of special features that all aim to boost the overall player experience. Two of the slots are accompanied by Microgaming’s Rolling Reels mechanic that enhances the immersive adventures they engulf those pressing the spin button into.

But let’s look into each individual game’s special offers.

In Relic Seekers, the base game includes the Rolling Reels and Symbol Turn Wild features. The former is activated on any winning combination and causes winning symbols to explode and make room for new ones to drop into the reels.

The latter feature is triggered after consecutive Rolling Reels. It sees more high symbols turn wild for greater win potential.

If three or more scatter symbols land on the reels, the Free Spins mode is unlocked and players are awarded a bonus round of 10 free spins. Throughout the bonus game, players collect secret keys which can award additional free spins to extend the round as well as a 2x multiplier.

Treasures of Lion City has too been equipped with Rolling Reels and as it lacks a bonus game, it is namely this feature that is the main source of adrenaline. The mechanic is triggered on each win and winning symbols disappear to make way for new potentially winning symbols.

This can lead to several consecutive Rolling Reels and wins within the same spin. As players land consecutive wins, the win meter conveniently positioned above the reels lights up to life for a potential multiplier of up to 27x.

With each new winning combination within a spin, the win meter marks corresponding changes as follows:

• 1st winning combo turns all immortality elixir symbols into wilds
• 3rd winning combo turns warrior’s helmet symbols wild
• 5th winning combo turns gold chest symbols wild
• 7th winning combo triggers a 3x multiplier
• 9th winning combo increases the multiplier to 9x
• 11th winning combo maxes out the multiplier at 27x

Lastly, Lucky Twins Jackpot offers a nice Jackpots Bonus Feature that is activated when players land three bonus symbols anywhere on the reels. When this bonus game is activated, players will be presented with nine Fortune Cats and will have to match three Ingots out of the nine cards for a win.

The special feature is equipped with three jackpots – Minor, Major, and Grand. The Grand jackpot offers players the chance to win 10,000 times the stake value, which is not bad at all. However, since the game is a very high volatility one, it takes quite a few spins of the reels before its special feature gets unlocked.

What the Future Holds

With just three products in its entire line-up, the future for this young developer is still untold. However, despite its minimalist production philosophy, it has shown that it has the potential to deliver high-quality content and its partnership with Microgaming will certainly give its titles the power-packed punch they need to stand out.

Not gonna lie, we are not particularly excited by the relatively low RTP of all three slots, but higher RTP releases will hopefully be unveiled in future. Anyways, we will definitely be following closely the company’s journey in the iGaming space and we hope it will one day become one of the major creators of Asian-themed casino offering.


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