Why Mini-Steppers Should Have Progressions
In DoubleDown’s Smash the Piggy, players spin on a mini-stepper to upgrade and break open piggy banks above the reels. During spins, landing coin symbols adds currency to the bank and can upgrade its rarity. On the other hand, landing hammer symbols strikes and visibly cracks the bank—building anticipation for its prize. Because hammers can break the bank on any hit, the machine instills a sense of urgency to improve the bank’s prizes before it breaks.
By integrating this progression directly into base game spins, the machine creates a streamlined gameplay loop that adds a sense of progression while maintaining the simplicity of mini-steppers. It also supports the key motivators for one of slots’ primary player types—easy tasks and steady progression—by having banks break relatively quickly and using clear visual cues to signal progress.
Read our full analysis of Smash the Piggy.
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