Return to basics 

The potential maths involved in casino game design goes deep, but most people are familiar with one of the key top line numbers in the form of return to player (RTP) rates. 

Different kinds of games demand different RTP rates, as do different markets. In Germany, for example, high tax rates have forced operators to run slots with return rates as low as 88 percent. Meanwhile in the UK, a typical game might have an RTP of 96 percent. 

Those different outcomes don’t happen by magic, and when game designers want to introduce sub-games and complex win patterns, the maths behind tweaking those numbers gets exponentially more difficult. 

Quality game mathematician hires have to be competent not just to tweak a game’s performance so that it delivers one single RTP value, but understand how to quickly adjust the background maths so the same game can be offered for different markets. 

Design limitations 

Game design is far from a rigid space, when it comes to regulations. Gone are the times when all that would be required of a game design team is to publish the RTP number and game instructions. 

Now, as the world’s understanding of safer gambling deepens, a number of countries are introducing rules about the way in which games can be designed. 

This includes the UK, where there are now limits placed on the time between spins and any design elements that give the appearance of winning, but while actually depleting a player’s bank. Other elements of game design that present the illusion of control are also banned. 

All of this is initially a designer’s problem to solve, but at some point the numbers have to add up. A game still has to function in a way that’s fun for the player and profitable for the operator. Understanding that balance is a key skill of a high performing game mathematician. 

No ivory towers here 

Collaboration is a huge component of a successful game design team, not least because the practice brings together different types of people that might otherwise not normally mix in a work environment. 

At one end of the spectrum you have artists who are responsible for making a game attractive to look at, while mathematicians arguably sit at the other end in a world of pure numbers. 

When considering a candidate’s profile during hiring, the traditional vision of a studious maths expert tucked away in a dusty university office is not the kind of ideal to have in mind. 

As well as a mind for numbers, a good game mathematician needs to be able to understand the other members of their team, even if they work in very different worlds.  

Game creation is an iterative process by nature, so there’s no possibility of siloing yourself off from the rest of a design team. Clear two-way communication is essential to efficiently producing games that operators will want to buy or that aggregators will be clamouring to licence. 

Technically correct 

Technical compliance is a huge part of the industry, especially for game suppliers and game mathematicians play a massive role in meeting those requirements. 

The best candidates for these jobs will take pride in their work and not be eager to cut corners. Discovering problems with their work will be difficult from within an organisation, because of their specific skills. 

It may not be until independent testing labs take a forensic look at a game that mistakes are discovered. 

Having a game pushed back because it has failed testing is a huge cost to suppliers and could potentially jeopardize existing deals and make it harder for commercial teams to sign up clients in the future. 

Getting your hiring right can be a complex enough equation in itself, so why not lean on the expertise of an organisation that’s been there and done it many times before.  

Pentasia has a rich history of finding the right talent with the perfect cocktail of qualities to fill any role and seeking out the perfect maths whiz to meet your game design needs is no exception.