The typical online casino game library had the same setup for a decade before crash games emerged. The emergence of live dealer games in the early 2010s was one of the biggest developments in the industry, made possible by better internet connections and devices. People love the ability to play realistic gameplay with human dealers.
The latest wave of engagement came in the form of crash games, which were started by the Aviator game by Spribe in 2019. It was a trailblazer, creating the category of games where players watch the multiplier build in real time, with the player having to decide when to cash out before it’s too late. Crash games are now a core category at most online casinos, alongside slots and live casino games.
How a Crash Game Actually Works
The idea behind crash games started in a very simple manner. The idea was to place a bet before the round began and the multiplier started taking off from 1x. Then at a certain point it stops, which means that players need to cash out before that moment to secure the displayed multiplier. Cashing out too late means that the multiplier crashes and you get nothing.
That’s really the entire ruleset, so you don’t need to learn a paytable, bonus rounds, or tweak availability settings. A new player can understand the gameplay within a few seconds, which is a big reason for its adoption.
The mathematics behind the gameplay is also very straightforward. A typical RTP for the Aviator game is 97% and you can calculate the probability of a multiplier reaching a particular point by dividing 0.97 by the multiplier. For example, cashing out on a 2x multiplier will happen about 48.5% of the time.
Some studies have taken a deep dive into the math behind these crash games, including one notable one from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, titled ‘Cash or Crash: Return to Player Percentages and Expected Value of Crash Games.’
Provably Fair Explained
Another big part of the appeal of crash games is the verification element. As Aviator is a provably fair game, players can verify that the results of the game are truly random and not rigged by the operator or developer.
The server commits to the outcome before a round begins by publishing a cryptographic hash of the inputs that it will generate. The inputs are only revealed after the round and any player can re-hash them to confirm that they match the commitment made pre-round and derive the crash point independently.
Provably fair games differ from standard casino games like slots, where a player needs to just trust that the displayed RTP is legitimate. A crash player has the luxury of checking every round themselves to ensure that everything is above board.
Why Players Keep Coming Back
Operators quickly saw the interest in crash games and started adding titles like Aviator. The abundance of streamers on platforms like Twitch playing the game meant that many people were exposed to this game type quickly. Here are a few reasons why adoption took off:
Short Rounds
A round will typically last between 5 and 30 seconds. You don’t need to sit through any spin animations, bonus sequences, or wait for a dealer. You can follow up a loss with the next round almost straight away. Players are happy to jump in for a few rounds due to the pacing.
Decision Making
One of the biggest reasons for their popularity is that crash players get to watch the multiplier climb and choose the exact moment to stop. This is unlike slots players, who press a button and have to wait for the outcome without having any input.
While the results of a crash game round are determined before the action begins and the player’s choice doesn’t improve the expected return, the excitement of choosing when to cash out is a big part of the gameplay.
Exciting Moments
Every round can feel like a miss, which keeps players on the edge of their seats. Cashing out at 2.1x and seeing the plane climb to 40x can be tough, as you think about the one that got away. Crash games generate a lot more of these moments in a short space of time than other casino games.
Social Element
The live bet feed shows what other players staked and where they cashed out, which brings in a social element. The room is full of players who lost the same round as you, as well as some who rode the wave to get impressive multipliers.
Telegram and WhatsApp groups are often formed by fans of certain streamers, so they can talk about the latest wins and losses with one another.
Low Entry Price
The minimum bet sizes are quite low, which means that most players can play no matter their balance. This allows people to enjoy their session and cycle through many rounds during the course of their session.
Where Next for the Genre?
Crash games have continually evolved and started influencing other subcategories of games. Every major studio now has its own version of a crash game, and the mechanics are seen in other formats, such as with multiplier-based instant game and hybrid crash-slot titles. This all means that players have more variety than ever and don’t just have to stick to playing slots the whole time