We are delighted today here at CasinoTrackpot to be joined by spokesperson Theo Kachrimanidis, Head of Games at Wishbone Games
1. Thanks for joining us, Theo. Can you start by introducing yourself and talking us through the concept of Kingfisher on Wheels™? What’s it all about?
I’m Theo Kachrimanidis, the Greek from Thessaloniki. I’m based in Malta now, my third home after Greece and the US. I’m currently the Head of Games at Wishbone Games and a big slot enthusiast. Before joining the studio, I spent over seven years on the operator side.
Wishbone is still a fairly new studio. We were founded in 2023 by a team of experienced developers with backgrounds across the online slots industry. Based in Cardiff, Wales, we bring together decades of experience across maths, game design, development, sound design, and more. Our long-term goal is simple: to create games that players trust, enjoy, and instantly recognise. We want every Wishbone slot to have its own identity. The last couple of months we’ve sort of turned a new page: sharpening our visuals, building new mechanics and maths models, and putting our own spin on popular concepts.
As for Kingfisher on Wheels™, I have to mention that we’re rebooting the brand from every angle, both visually and mechanically. The game looks fantastic, and our Kingfisher is one of a kind! We’ve kept the five eggs that have become central to the franchise, but the big addition here is the double-wheel system. The wheel may reveal different features, including wild drops, wild reels, instant cash prizes, and upgrades to the Super Wheel.
That’s where things get really interesting. The Super Wheel may award combinations of egg modifiers, jackpot prizes, the Golden Egg, and even a slice of the game’s maximum win. We built this game to reboot the brand and showcase the next evolution of the franchise but also to show that Wishbone has progressed. Strong maths models have always been part of our DNA, but now we’re pairing them with great visuals.
2. Kingfisher™ eggs are at the core of the gameplay; there are five in total that all do different things. How do they work, and which egg is your favourite?
Ha, I love them all! They remind me of Easter back in Greece. Okay, let me get serious again.
There are five eggs in total, and each one is tied to a different enhancement. The Red Egg is the Multiplier Egg. It starts at x2 and increases whenever special multiplier symbols land, boosting the value of every collected Value or Upgraded symbol. It can grow up to x5.
The Green Egg is the Adder Egg. It starts by adding 1x the stake to collected values and increases whenever special plus symbols land, reaching up to 5x the stake. The Blue Egg is the Upgrade Egg, and this gradually upgrades lower-paying symbols into higher-value symbols throughout the feature. Those upgrades stay active for the entire bonus, creating more opportunities every time a Collect symbol lands.
Then there’s the Purple Egg, which is the Respin Egg. This one introduces a Link & Win style mechanic where Hearts act as lives. Value, Upgraded and Collect symbols can stick to the reels while new symbols continue landing, creating the potential for some really exciting outcomes before the Hearts run out.
Finally, there’s the Golden Egg, which is my favourite, obviously. The Golden Egg activates all four enhancements at the same time and can even boost their starting values before the feature begins. That’s when things get interesting. You’ve got every modifier working together, the potential ramps up, and the game becomes a lot of fun to watch unfold.
3. As the game name suggests, the wheel feature is integral to gameplay. What does the wheel have to offer players?
Compared to the previous Kingfisher™ titles, Kingfisher on Wheels™ is the first game in the series that brings this much action into the base game, and that’s down to the wheels. They add an extra layer of engagement, entertainment and reward potential.
It’s built around a double-wheel system. On the first wheel, players can land features like wild drops, wild reels, instant cash prizes, and upgrades to the Super Wheel. That’s where things step up. Players can land combinations of egg modifiers, jackpot prizes, the Golden Egg, and, on top of everything, a slice of the game’s maximum win. The wheels are really what make the base game come alive and give players something exciting on every spin. It creates moments that can completely change the direction of a session and gives the base game far more variety than you’d normally expect.
4. This is the ninth game in the Kingfisher™ franchise. What would you put its success down to, and how many more Kingfisher™ games can you see coming in the future?
If I go back to the original Kingfisher™, I’d say the success came down to two things: a really strong maths model and a fairly unique mechanic built around combining different modifiers.
Kingfisher™ stood out with four modifier pots plus the Golden Egg, which could activate all modifiers at once. That gave the game a level of variety that felt distinctive.
The series has evolved a lot over the years. We’ve continued to improve the presentation, visuals, and overall experience with each release. Kingfisher on Wheels™ is probably the best example of that progression so far.
Then there’s the Kingfisher™ character itself. It’s a unique bird and a surprisingly smart one too. Watch a few documentaries about them and you’ll see what I mean. The character has become a big part of the franchise’s identity over the years.
As for the future, I’d say the Kingfisher™ story is still being written. What I can say is that the series has a lot more to give, and we’re not done exploring what it can be: better visuals, clever new mechanics, and fresh experiences with every release.
5. Keeping on the theme of the wider franchise, do you have a personal favourite Kingfisher™ slot, and why is it your favourite?
My favourite is the original Kingfisher™, with Kingfisher Rising™ right behind it.
The original will always be special because it’s where everything started. It was the birth of the franchise, and it holds a special place in all our hearts at the studio.
Kingfisher Rising™ is a close second because it took that original concept and elevated it. It ended up becoming a standout title in the series, and a lot of that came down to the additions we made to the feature.
Players could retrigger during the Free Spins, start the feature with an egg already active, and even unlock additional eggs as they progressed. The egg modifiers also started at enhanced values rather than having to be built up from scratch, and that alone made the game feel more exciting.
It kept everything that worked so well in the original Kingfisher™ but added more depth, more excitement, and more opportunities for big moments. That’s why it stands out for me.
6. For those that aren’t too familiar with Wishbone and its portfolio, how would you introduce the studio to newcomers, and which games should they try?
I’d point people towards the Kingfisher™ series, the Ammit™ series, and Gates of Colossus™.
The Kingfisher™ series really represents us. It’s the heart of who we are as a studio, combining familiar mechanics with our own identity and ideas. Ammit™ takes that same philosophy and drops it into a completely different world, and it’s grown into one of our strongest franchises. Gates of Colossus™ shows where we’re heading, taking popular mechanics and pushing them in new directions.
That said, I’d love to sneak in a fourth: Phoenix Reign™.
Special mention for that one because it proved itself as one of our strongest titles with a completely new maths model and engine. And yeah… It has seven eggs! Maybe that sounds a bit crazy, but trust me, it works! It’s also got a pretty unique base game mechanic where scatters transform into collectors.
Between those four games, you get a pretty good picture of what Wishbone is all about: strong maths, memorable mechanics, and constantly looking for new ways to keep familiar concepts feeling fresh.
7. Finally, are there any future games planned that you’d like to plug?
I’d say keep an eye on what’s coming: Ammit Treasure 2™, EverWheel™, Dragon PrimeX™, and plenty more already in the pipeline.
And yes, there are more Kingfisher™ games on the way. They’re going to be so unique and cool that I’m not allowed to talk about them yet!
What I can promise is that every new Kingfisher™ will bring something different. Think of it like pasta. We all love pasta, but not always with the same sauce. One day it’s marinara, the next day it’s carbonara, then amatriciana… If you know, you know. The base is familiar, but every version brings its own flavour.
That’s how we look at the franchise. We want players to recognise it instantly but still be surprised by what’s new each time.
About Wishbone Games
Wishbone Games is a Cardiff-based slot studio building distinctive HTML5 games for the global iGaming market. Combining land-based heritage with modern feature design, the team focuses on memorable mechanics, scalable performance, and titles built to resonate with players across regulated markets.