Why the studio matters
Studios have habits. Some favor frequent small features, others build games around rare, large ones. Knowing the studio gives you a rough idea of a slot's feel before you open it.
Studios at a glance
| Studio | Known for | Typical volatility, as studios describe it |
|---|---|---|
| Pragmatic Play | Tumble grids, big catalog, prize drops | Medium to high |
| Hacksaw Gaming | Bonus buys, sharp features | High |
| Nolimit City | xWays, xNudge, dark themes | Extreme |
| Push Gaming | Cluster grids, the Jammin series | High |
| Relax Gaming | Money Train series | High |
| Big Time Gaming | The Megaways mechanic | Medium to high |
About RTP ranges
Many studios ship each game in several RTP versions, and the operator picks one. That's why a figure you read elsewhere may not match the game on Stake. Always check the info panel.
How studios and casinos split the work
A studio designs the game: the art, the reels, the features and the math. It also gets the game tested and certified. The casino, here Stake, decides which games to list and, where the studio offers several, which RTP version to run. The casino doesn't change how a game plays beyond that setting. So if you like how a slot feels, the studio is the name to remember.
That split also explains why one game can look slightly different at two casinos. The rules are the same, but the RTP line in the info panel may not match a figure you read on another site.
The six studios we cover in depth
Pragmatic Play has one of the largest catalogs in the industry and a house style built on tumbling grids, random multipliers and fishing collectors. It also promotes network prize events. Read our Pragmatic Play guide.
Hacksaw Gaming makes compact slots with quiet base games and sharp features, usually with several bonus-buy options. Our Hacksaw guide explains those buy tiers.
Nolimit City builds some of the most volatile slots you'll find, with named mechanics like xWays and xNudge and themes that some players will find upsetting. The Nolimit City guide includes a content note.
Push Gaming puts one strong mechanic at the center of each game, such as moving jar wilds or mystery stacks. See the Push Gaming guide.
Relax Gaming is best known here for the Money Train series and its respin bonus board. The Relax Gaming guide covers how those rounds work.
Big Time Gaming is widely credited with creating Megaways, the changing-reel mechanic that many other studios now use under licence. Our Big Time Gaming guide explains it.
Other studios you'll meet in the lobby
Plenty of other studios supply Stake. Play'n GO, maker of Book of Dead, is one you'll see often. We haven't written full studio guides for them yet, so use the provider filter in the lobby to browse. The same rule applies to every studio: open the info panel before you play, because that's where the RTP Stake runs and any max-win cap are shown.
Some studios don't appear in every country, because studios set their own market rules. If a game you've read about doesn't show in your lobby, that's usually why. Don't try to get around it.
Live studios and Stake as a studio
Not every game on Stake comes from a slot studio. Live tables come from Evolution and Pragmatic Play, which you'll find in the live casino section. And Stake Originals are Stake's own house games, built in-house rather than licensed. Stake describes them as provably fair, which works differently from the lab testing that slot studios use.
What each kind of supplier controls
| Supplier | Makes | How fairness is shown |
|---|---|---|
| Slot studio | Slots and their math | Independent testing of the game's random number generator |
| Live studio | Dealer tables and game shows | Physical cards, wheels and dice on camera |
| Stake (Originals) | Plinko, Crash, Mines, Limbo and more | Provably fair seeds you can check yourself |
Picking a studio to match how you play
If you want long sessions on a small budget, lean toward studios and games rated medium volatility, and keep bets small. If you want a shot at a rare large feature and can accept losing the whole session budget, the high-volatility studios are built for that. Neither is better value. They spread the same house edge differently, which our RTP and volatility explainer covers in plain numbers.
Whatever studio you pick, set a deposit limit first. Gambling can be addictive, and our responsible gambling page lists the tools Stake offers. Stake.com is for adults only: 18+, or the higher legal age where you live. It isn't available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ontario, or the other places on Stake's prohibited list, so check the availability page before you sign up.
A simple checklist for any new studio
When you open a game from a studio you don't know, run the same four checks. First, read how wins form: lines, ways, clusters or scatter pays. Second, find the RTP line in the info panel and note the date. Third, find the max-win cap and any odds the panel gives for reaching it. Fourth, look for a bonus buy or an ante option, and read its price. Those four answers tell you more than the studio's reputation.
If a game hides any of that, or the panel is hard to find, that's a reason to pick a different game. Good studios make the rules easy to read.
Where studio reputations come from
Most of a studio's reputation comes from a few hit games. Nolimit City is "extreme" because of titles like Tombstone RIP. Pragmatic is "bright and fast" because of Gates of Olympus and Sweet Bonanza. That's a useful shortcut, but every studio makes exceptions, so check each game rather than the logo.
Studio guides
Big Time Gaming slots
The Megaways mechanic explained.
Hacksaw Gaming slots
High volatility and bonus-buy mechanics.
Nolimit City slots
xWays, xNudge and extreme volatility.
Pragmatic Play slots
Tumble grids, a big catalog and Drops and Wins.
Push Gaming slots
Jammin series, mystery stacks and high-variance math.
Relax Gaming slots
Money Train series and feature buys.
FAQ
Which studio has the most slots on Stake?
We don't have a count by studio. Pragmatic Play has one of the largest catalogs in the industry, and its tiles show up often.
Are some studios safer than others?
All licensed studios use tested RNGs. They differ in volatility, not fairness.
Where are the most extreme games?
Nolimit City and Hacksaw are known for them.
Why can't I find a studio's game in my lobby?
Studios choose which markets they supply, so some games don't show in every country. It isn't something to work around.
Do studios set the RTP or does Stake?
The studio builds the versions. Stake picks which version to run. The info panel shows the result.