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Why studios use similar themes and visuals
Game displays often look like "déjà vu": Ancient Egypt, dragons/fantasy, Vikings, fruit, Ireland, zodiac, "Asian lucky" setting. This is not the laziness of artists, but the result of market evolution: when dozens of studios simultaneously optimize the CTR of banners, engagement and output speed, the industry naturally converges to the sets of topics and techniques that work most stably.
1) Marketing and showcase: what they click is what they produce
Trained audience expectations. The player quickly recognizes familiar codes ("scarab" = wilds and pyramids; "clover" = light volatility/frequent bonuses). A familiar symbol increases the chance of clicking on a banner.
Little time to solve. The user has seconds in the lobby, so the "readability" of the topic is more important than originality.
Category shelves. It is easier for operators to arrange games on understandable topics ("Egypt," "Fruits," "Mega-multipliers") - this supports organic traffic inside the showcase.
Bottom line: topics that consistently give CTR and retention go through more iterations - there is a feeling of monotony.
2) The economics of production and the speed of withdrawal
Reuse of pipelines. The studio already has libraries of fonts, UI grids, drum animations, "particles," SFX - it is cheaper to "repaint" for a neighboring theme.
Predictability of mathematics. For familiar topics, there are "rolled back" volatility/TTV profiles, which speeds up pre-production and certification.
Risk management. New setting = risk of creative failure. A similar topic reduces KPI uncertainty.
3) Cognitive ease and "frame" of expectations
Cognitive economy. It is easier for the brain to enter familiar associations (fruits/jokers/classics) than to master new rules.
Semantic anchors. The theme sets the perception of mechanics: "Vikings →" multipliers/combat modifiers; "Egypt" → freespins/expanding symbols. This lowers the learning threshold.
4) A/B convergence and hourglass design
Mass testing. When dozens of studios test banners, icons and first screens in parallel with A/B, creatives "converge" to similar compositions (center - character/artifact, contour characters, warm contrasting palettes).
Survives fit. Similarity is a byproduct of selection by metrics, not copying for the sake of copying.
5) Platform and jurisdictional restrictions
Mobile-first. 9:16 vertical, large CTAs, readable characters, limiting the weight of assets - all this leads to a similar composition and contrasts.
Regulation. Requirements for round speed, rule visibility and responsibility, fonts/locales - reduce "experiments" with interfaces.
Localization. The trend towards "safe" universal references (fruits, jewelry), which are less in conflict with the cultural norms of the markets.
6) IP licenses and brands
Notable franchises. Musicians, TV shows, shows - dictate palettes/compositions/icons. As a result, brand slots often look "family" at different studios.
Rights holder rules. Guides in terms of visual, frequency of appearance of the hero, color codes are another vector to unification.
7) Requirements of operators and aggregators
Slots - "plugins." The game must "stand up" in general tournaments/missions/jackpots, which means that UI patterns and headers are unified.
Tags and categories. "Fruit/classic/book/Asian luck" - hot tags in the lobby. Studios deliberately aim for these "demand corridors."
8) Pros and cons of "similarity"
Pluses
Fast onboarding and high CTR from a mass audience.
Predictable KPIs (TTB, D1/D7, ARPPU) and easy certification.
Easy integration into the showcase and promotional events.
Minuses
Reduced recognition of the studio brand and "fatigue" among experienced players.
Price competition (fighting banners and bonuses instead of uniqueness).
Risk of topic "burning" during shelf oversaturation.
9) How to differentiate without breaking metrics (for studios)
1. Micro-innovation on top of a familiar theme.
Enter 1-2 unique features (dynamic progress, variable Feature Pick, smart retrievers) - change behavior, not the entire aesthetics.
2. Brand "anchors."
Repeat readable captions: characteristic UI font, win animation, sound leitmotif, character signature.
3. Differentiation in sound.
The sound is often underestimated. Adaptive loops, "breathing" music from the bet/TTV - a cheap way to remember.
4. Collections and meta.
Stickers/skins/collectible artifacts without affecting RTP - create "memory" between releases.
5. Regional "skins" without breaking mathematics.
Save mechanics by changing narrative surfaces for markets (fonts/icons/background).
6. Honest volatility communication.
Show where the EV sits (base/bonus/jackpot). Experienced players value transparency more than a "screaming banner."
10) What operators should do
Balance the shelf. 60-70% - "familiar" topics for onboarding, 30-40% - niches/novelty for retention and VIP.
Cluster collections. Make playlists "Same topic, new mechanics" - lower the barrier to experiment.
Missions for a novelty. "Open 2 scenes in a new title" - gently translates from the usual theme to fresh.
Personalization. If the player loves "Egypt," offer him 2-3 alternatives with other mechanics (cluster/mega-multipliers/sync).
11) Visual "honesty" checklist
The theme is read in 3 seconds on the icon.
Characters are readable on 5-6 ″ screens; the contrast is sufficient.
The first screen explains the core of the mechanics without overload.
Help/Paytable coincides with the topic (there is no dissonance between promise and mathematics).
Build weight and download speed in the "green zone" - beauty does not interfere with metrics.
12) When "dissimilarity" is better than similarity
You build a brand studio and can afford medium-term experiments for recognition.
Need re-activation of bored base: fresh setting + missions/tournaments.
You go to a niche audience (narrative/sur/art house), where LTV> mass CTR.
13) Short glossary
CTR (Click-through Rate) - clickability of the banner/icon.
TTB (Time-to-Bonus) - average time to first event/bonus.
Small-win ratio - the share of small wins that support the pace of the session.
A/B convergence - bringing creatives closer to the same solutions under pressure from tests.
Mobile-first is the priority of vertical, asset weight and readability on smartphones.
Standardization of themes and visuals is a market-based risk mitigation strategy: familiar codes are faster to convert, cheaper to produce and easier to certify. But in the long run, studios and operators win, who know how to do new things "inside the familiar": change mechanics, sound, meta and communication, while maintaining cognitive ease for the player. This achieves a balance between recognition and uniqueness, where metrics grow without shelf fatigue.