- Can you describe your role as a Game Producer? What does a typical day look like for you?
Hello, my name is Konstantin Yanev and I am part of the Amusnet team in Sofia. As a game producer, I’m the bridge between creativity and execution while making sure our team stays on track. I love collaborating with artists, designers, and developers, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard while keeping an eye on deadlines and budgets. It’s all about creating a great atmosphere where innovation thrives, and we can bring epic gaming experiences to life!
A typical day? After coffee, I’m usually in a series of brainstorms, check-ins, and progress reviews. I’ll review artwork, spin animations, payout mechanics, and new ideas for bonus rounds. When I’m not in meetings, I’m managing project timelines and making sure the game is balanced: not too generous, not too stingy, just perfectly satisfying for players.
- What’s something your past self would be surprised to learn about your current job?
My past self would be shocked to learn how much of my day is spent on numbers and spreadsheets. Sure, I’m creating games, but behind every successful slot, there’s a mountain of data and probabilities to keep things running smoothly. There’s a whole science behind the “fun” of a spin - something younger I would never have guessed.
- How do you come up with ideas for new slot games? What inspires you?
Inspiration is everywhere! It’s kind of like creative detective work. I keep an eye on trends in entertainment, holidays, and player feedback. Sometimes, it’s a classic theme to which we add a new twist, like Egyptian mythology… but with lasers! Other times, I’ll catch a glimpse of an idea in a song, a colour scheme, or even in a dream and think, “That could make a great slot.”
Of course, there is the obvious research - going to land-based casinos to observe player behaviour, regularly checking in with our business operations teams that know what our clients want, and keeping up to date with new releases in the industry. For the last one, I like to read different blog posts, specialized media sites, leaderboards, and forums with player reviews and discussions.
The fun part is connecting the theme to features, deciding if there’s a jackpot bonus, free spins, or a quirky side game that’ll hook players. I love blending inspiration with mechanics players love.
- Can you walk us through taking a slot game from concept to released product?
It’s a lot like building a movie set. It starts with an idea: maybe it’s pirates on a treasure hunt or mystical creatures in a fantasy world. We put together storyboards and rough sketches outlining each feature's look and feel.
Once we have the green light for the concept, the game is on. The math team creates payout formulas, the developers code the game’s logic, and the artists make sure everything from characters to animations pops.
Then it’s the preparation for release - giving all the necessary information to our Compliance department for certification, checking if everything is tip-top with Legal, brainstorming promotional campaigns with Commercial, and marketing strategy for the release.
My role here is to make sure everyone’s rowing in the same direction, especially on deadline day. After loads of testing, the game goes live - and fingers crossed, it’ll become a player favourite!
- What challenges do you face in balancing creativity with the technical and business aspects of the job?
Ah, the eternal battle. You want a game to be fun and innovative, but it must also meet technical requirements, budget constraints, and regulatory rules. Every slot has to balance gameplay with expected return percentages, and sometimes, the coolest ideas don’t fit within those boundaries. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where creativity and practicality meet without sacrificing either.
A specific challenge I can point out within the team is finding common ground. Everyone speaks a different language - you have mathematicians with their combinatorics, sound designers with their layering, artists and animators with their assets, and then there are the tech people - developers and QAs - an entirely different world. But at the end of the day, we are creating the game together - we all put in the care and effort needed for the concept to come to life.
- What led you to the iGaming industry?
Believe it or not, I started out as a Sales Agent for an online casino. At first, I was focused on talking to clients about different games, bonuses, and what made our casino stand out. But over time, I became more interested in how the games were made, why certain themes were popular, and what kept players coming back. I wanted to be on the other side, creating the games people would love.
That’s what led me to become a Game Producer at Amusnet; I went for it - and here I am. Now, I get to make those games and add all the twists and bonuses I know players love. It’s been a wild ride from sales calls to game concepts, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
- What’s one piece of advice you would give someone interested in becoming a Game Producer?
Play every game you can get your hands on! Study what makes them engaging and learn the basics of slot mechanics because a lot of the magic comes from those details. Also, learn to love data. No one wants to hear, “I think this will work”—they want proof that your hunch can deliver results. Combining your creative instincts with data-driven decisions will make you a hit in this role!
