How Fantasy Games Have Reached into Casinos and Other Genres

Fantasy games and RPGs have been popular since the 1970s, when Dungeons and Dragons was released and met with great success. The introduction of pen and paper RPGs soon gave way to computer-based versions. Although it has taken longer for the genre to reach into casino games, movies, and other forms of entertainment, we can now see the fantasy aspect in many places.

Source: Pixabay

The Casino Games That Include a Fantasy Setting

A newcomer to online casinos may be surprised at the variety of games that they see there, particularly in the slots selection. These sites still have table and card games like roulette and blackjack, and are usually joined by numerous slots. Some of which have a fantasy feel to them, while others are based on ancient cultures, superheroes, and cute animals.

At the Royal Panda casino online, for example, we can see titles such as Phantasmic Fortunes by iSoftBet, where orbs and potions lead the player into a world of dark magic. The gameplay is simple on most slots, but the addition of expanding reels on this game helps to add to the atmosphere and the fantasy feel.

Equally intriguing is Aurum Codex by Red Tiger Gaming, which takes place in a scientist’s chamber filled with scrolls, instruments, and magic keys. As the graphics in these games continue to improve and the number of complex features grows, we can expect more of them to take place in this sort of imaginative setting.

The Increase in Popularity and Quality of Fantasy Movies

1982’s Mazes and Monsters, featuring a young Tom Hanks, was arguably the first movie to be based on RPGs and showed the main character become immersed in a fantasy world. It was based on a true story but received a lukewarm reception.

The release of Dungeons & Dragons in 2000 promised much but even the presence of big-name actors like Jeremy Irons and Richard O’Brien failed to make it into a success. In fact, Irons said that he only took a part in it to pay for renovations to his castle in Ireland. A follow-up film five years later was more faithful to the original game - but that wasn’t a great success either.

While not based on a role-playing game, the Lord of the Rings series took fantasy movies to a new level and even inspired its own RPG. The films are in the top ten highest-grossing movie series of all time, with close to $6 billion in earnings, and also earned 17 Academy Awards. It is no wonder that it has led to a huge upsurge of interest in this genre, while the Harry Potter universe has helped too.

Source: Pixabay

Mobile Games Make the Genre More Accessible

When the first mobile games such as Snake and Tetris appeared in the late-1990s, we didn't imagine that a couple of decades later we would have rich, immersive fantasy games on our mobile devices.

This list of the best mobile RPGs includes Another Eden from Wright Flyer Studios and the classic Chrono Trigger by Square. The fact that these fantasy games are so easily accessible now has led to many people giving them a try for the first time.

This has also helped bring the MMORPG genre to an even wider audience. The MMORPG titles aimed at mobile users include Black Desert Mobile and Mobile Royale, with new games being added all the time.

There is no doubt that fantasy games have gone mainstream, and the quality of current movies, casino games, and mobile games means that we can expect them to become even more popular in the future. Purists can still play in the traditional way, but anyone else who is interested in this genre can get started very easily now.