Funky Time, Extra Chilli Epic Spins and Other New Evolution Live Games Coming in 2023

At the annual ICE casino conference in London last month, Evolution premiered its new games for the year. The group as a whole, which also includes big-name studios such as NetEnt, Red Tiger, Ezugi, Big Time Gaming and Nolimit City, will be releasing over 100 new titles across 2023. Among them are highly promoted live casino game shows like Funky Time, which promises to be as big of a deal as Crazy Time, as well as some hybrid creations like Extra Chilli Epic Spins, that’s based on Big Time Gaming’s iconic slot.

Todd Haushalter, Evolution’s Chief Product Officer, gave an introduction as follows: “2022 was a very successful year for Evolution Group in terms of new games, and 2023 is going to be even stronger! We are launching our biggest game show since Crazy Time, and continuing to combine slots with live in various formats as we pursue exciting hybrid opportunities across our brands. We will continue to expand our library of great games from our fantastic and distinctive brands, and create numerous games to entertain and excite players globally and in specific regions around the world.”

Haushalter added: “Collectively, we ensure that we have something for everyone, and that pledge is reflected in the new games on show at ICE. But this is really just the tip of the iceberg! Our games portfolios are carefully curated to meet the needs of all player types — and during 2023 we are creating an incredible 100-plus new games across Evolution Group. This is a massively exciting year for Evolution, and ICE is the perfect preview opportunity!”

Evolution’s Funky Time is a 70’s disco-themed, bonus and multiplier-laden extravaganza and judging by the few materials we’ve seen, it really shows. Similarly to Crazy Time, the new game features a state-of-the-art DigiWheel, but with a different layout and stacked sectors. Players must choose between 17 bets, including numbers, letters and bonus games, most of which pay 25:1. The host will then spin the wheel that generates numerous random multipliers on top of that, with the potential to cover most of the bet sections.

And that is just the base game in Funky Time. It also has 4 side bonuses with multipliers of up to 10,000x, including two Disco bonuses where the host will enter a DJ room to give away potentially even bigger wins. The disco-filled Funky Time will be out across Evolution casinos in May.

There is another Evolution live casino game scheduled to launch a few weeks earlier, called Extra Chilli Epic Spins. While it’s not the first time they’ve created a slot-themed live game, think Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt and Dead or Alive: Saloon, it’s the first that’s based on a Big Time Gaming slot, a company that the group acquired in 2021.

As slot players may tell, Extra Chilli Epic Spins takes its inspiration from one of BTG’s earlier hit Mexican slots with MegaWays. The game has a live host and promises to be a social experience best described as “real-time slots with friends”. Unlike the NetEnt fusions mentioned earlier, this game is akin to the original experience – players buy 5 spins at a time, hoping to win big and enter a Free Spins bonus. Along the way, players will see Crates with bonuses, and hosts hit Piñatas that hide more prizes.

In addition to the aforementioned live games, Evolution Group will launch many more exciting titles throughout the year, including Ezugi’s first live game show, Ultimate Roulette, and Video Blackjack with innovative in-game player-to-player video. We’ll make sure to cover those along the way, so watch this space!

P.S. Amid good news, Evolution will unfortunately also be closing down one of their newer games, Gold Bar Roulette, on the 19th of April.