Retro Gaming Trends in the Online Casino Space

Over the past five or so years, I have noticed on many of the websites I have joined to play online fruit machines, scratchies, blackjack, video poker, and roulette that a lot of content I can play is directly influenced by the retro genre.

For example, I have seen countless retro-themed online fruit machines based on specific retro themes from pop culture, such as The Goonies, Knight Rider, Robocop, the original Jumanji, Ghostbusters, Bill & Ted, Beetlejuice, and many others.

The other form of retro I’ve noticed is how the companies that develop computer-generated online fruity create ones that look like the retro mechanical fruit machines you could play at a land-based establishment.

Most of these fruits come with retro-inspired features, such as nudging reels, trail features, cash boost/collect features, and hold features, which I believe are designed to add a sense of nostalgia and appeal to players of certain ages, like me.

Even some of the younger people I’ve spoken to who have given them a few spins have enjoyed playing them. Let’s dive straight in and take a closer look at some of the latest retro gaming trends that are currently huge in the online casino space.

Which is the Most Popular Retro-Inspired Online Fruity to Play in 2024?

The more I look, the more retro-fruity I find.

If you are specifically looking for a computer-generated online fruit machine that resembles a retro/mechanical fruit machine (aka one-armed bandit), then I can recommend checking out some of these popular titles first.

These first suggestions are there to play in the real money mode and free-play demo mode on over half of the secure sites currently featured on the official AskGamblers review website. If you’re interested in tying them out, then the site regularly updates their site to reflect the latest bonuses that became recently available for players.

But, for now, let’s talk about the titles. They are all part of the ‘Pub Fruit’ series from Blueprint:

  • Luck O’ The Leprechaun Pub Fruit
  • Ted Pub Fruit
  • Cop the Lot: Safe Grabber Pub Fruit
  • Genie Jackpots Cave of Wonders Pub Fruit
  • Deal or No Deal: Go All The Way Pub Fruit
  • Deal or No Deal: The Perfect Play Pub Fruit
  • Deal or No Deal: Double Action Pub Fruit

If you’re looking for a sense of nostalgia, or perhaps you are a younger person who wants to see what kind of games the older generation used to play, these Pub Fruit examples are a great starting point.

These ones have up to 20 different iconic in-play features and bonus rounds to look forward to and are easy to play.

If you want something more modern, with even more immersive bonus rounds, complex game engines, and innovative new features, but still play something with a retro theme, you might like to try some of my other favorites.

These hit titles are brought to you by market-leading software providers, such as Playtech, GamesGlobal, Play’n GO, BTG, Light & Wonder, NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, and IGT.

Some of the most notable retro-inspired online fruit machines worth keeping an eye out for today are Starburst, Gremlins, Book of Dead, Double Diamond, Triple Diamond, Jackpot Jester 60,000, Triple 7 Deluxe, Hotline (1 and 2), Narcos, Narcos Mexico, The Naked Gun, Top Cat, Top Cat: Most Wanted, and Arcader.

Others include Knockout Diamonds, 777 Strike, Retro Reels – Diamond Glitz, Da Vinci Diamonds, Grand Wheel, Red Diamond, Wheel of Fortune Gold Spin – Triple Red Hot 7s, Reel Desire, Diamond Strike, Rainbow Riches, Big Bass Bonanza, Fishin’ Frenzy, Eye of Horus, Cleopatra, and Mega Moolah, to name a few.

The list goes on.

Some of these retro-inspired titles are less than a year or two old, and others are more than 15 years old.

After speaking to many like-minded retro enthusiasts, I’ve discovered that even the hit titles that are over 10 or 15 years old are just as popular today as they were when they were first released all those years ago.

As well as retro-themed fruits, you can also find many other retro classics, such as roulette, poker, blackjack, baccarat, craps, bingo, keno, and one or two iconic arcade favorites.

Most are playable from as little as $/€/£0.10 to $/€/£0.50 per spin, hand, or round, and I’ve found that many of these computer-generated titles are also available to play in the free-play demo mode.

Final thoughts

Before signing up to a website to play any of the hit retro titles mentioned above, I would always advise that you read the expert reviews first. They will tell you if the site is safe or not and whether it’s worth joining.

To ensure you always remain within your budget when playing these popular retro-themed classics, perhaps start by setting a reasonable budget and spending limit.

The safer gambling tools that most sites have today allow you to set your own [daily, weekly, monthly] deposit limits, session time reminders, and win/loss limits. I’ve found that they work for me, and I strongly advise you to consider using them, too.