Aviator was the title that launched the popular crash gaming genre. For those playing for the first time, it is extremely easy to get started.
A casino traditionalist may expect cards, spinning roulette wheels, and clanking slot game reels. Yet, noticing the increasing overlap between casual mobile gaming and gambling, one company turned the idea upside down with a simple red aircraft. That company was Spribe, and with their seminal game Aviator, they pioneered what has now been termed the ‘crash’ gaming genre. Blending elements of gamification with simple gameplay, it has taken the world by storm.
How Does Aviator Work?
It seems hard to find a casino operator these days that does not have crash games, often referenced as arcade titles, alongside their table and slot offerings. Many of them like to provide the leading title in the genre, Aviator, and it can be found at top providers like Betway. While crash gaming has evolved, the fundamentals embedded within it remain.
The game is devilishly simple. A small graphic of a plane takes off over a sky. As it travels, it passes through boundaries which provide a multiplier. This tops up the player’s stake. At some point in the game, the aircraft will zip off into the stratosphere (originally it crashed, thus the name of the genre). If players have not cashed out by this point, then they lose all of their stake.
As the game has advanced, further features have been added, often modelled after stock market trading devices. These include auto cash out options, which will take a player out of the game once a given multiplier is reached.
What Has Made It So Popular?
By no means was Aviator the first crash game. In fact, the origins of the genre can be traced back to 2014’s MoneyPot. What it did was add a few extra elements, which, when combined, caused immense popularity.
Firstly, it introduced social features. Many people had used these in casual games for some time. They included leaderboards and open ledgers in which you could see people cashing out or winning in real time.
All of this created a shared experience, much like watching a sports game with others. This made it unique in the pantheon of casino games. Players were now betting against a communal event, which made it different from poker, where they bet against each other, or blackjack, where they individually bet against the house. Players can even chat to each other, and newer games allow pooled betting.
This also fosters the fear of missing out. People want to be in with the crowd when a big win does come along. Cashing out and seeing multipliers go up and up can be a great incentive to stay in the game on subsequent rounds.
Lastly, despite the games being determined by random number generators, there is an illusion of control. Players feel like their decision to cash out or stay in impacts the game. This makes people feel like they are using skill, when it is purely chance.
In fact, Aviator’s random number generators are some of the best in the business. The game uses ‘Provably Fair‘ technology based on the blockchain, which can be verified by multiple third parties. This means neither the multipliers nor the game’s outcome is created on the operator’s servers. Instead, it is done using a cryptographic hash that anyone can check, ensuring the outcome is fair, transparent, and not manipulated.
Popular Strategies in Aviator
While we know that the game is down to chance, believing strategy and skill are involved is what makes this great entertainment. Just like watching a movie requires a suspension of disbelief, so does gambling, and using strategies can be a fun way to approach the game.
Many players like a grind. They will cash out consistently at early stages, adding small multipliers to their totals. By taking up x1.2 or 1.5 multipliers, they gradually build their pot.
Others will use a two-bet setup. One wager will be placed on a cash out that comes early. Usually, it will stay in play until it covers the cost of both bets. A second bet then rides out and is only removed with the players judgement when it enters high multiplier territory. As the first bet covers this, it technically does it risk-free.
In fact, crash gaming has now gone beyond Aviator. There are games that embody its core concepts that have you making chickens cross the road. Others have ventured into live gaming, combining bingo-style events with multipliers and cash out systems. There are even famous slot franchises that have diversified into crash gaming.
Trying Aviator out is easy. Unlike other casino games like poker, it does not require high levels of skill. Nor does it need you to know symbols and paylines like slots. Instead, it has been designed to be easy to pick up and play right away, meaning you don’t need any big time or financial commitment to get started.