Horror films have been around from the very beginning of filmmaking. Cinema pioneer Georges Méliès shot the first known horror flick way back in 1896. Le Manoir du diable (aka The Devil’s Castle/The Haunted Castle) was only about 2 minutes in length and set the stage for future horrors. It featured plenty of common horror tropes and clichés that have been found within the genre ever since including a creepy medieval castle, phantoms, the Devil, transformations (Mephistopheles himself appears in bat form, transforming into the Devil, Then a skeleton appears, which also later turns into a bat) and more.
In the following decades, some of the most iconic monsters of the horror genre were born – Mr. Hyde (1908), Dr. Frankenstein’s monster (1910), and the vampire (Nosferatu, 1922), followed by countless phantasms, monsters, animated statues, and disfigured and deranged individuals on the silver screen. Unfortunately, many imitators attempted to repeat these successful horror efforts by using similar tricks to shock their audiences, and they soon formed into the common clichés that cinema goers are now well aware of, many of which are still commonly used in more low budgeted affairs. Even casual games, like slot games, have been able to poke a little fun at some of these very recognisable clichés. For example, Red Flush is home to over 700 casino games and it has several games that fully explore these extremely familiar formulas giving players the opportunity to laugh along with them.
Haunted House
A “Haunted House” is not only a well-known horror cliché (see the above-mentioned “Le Manoir du diable”) but also the title of a Red Flush slot machine. Built in the style of a classic fruit machine that might still encounter in some pubs and petrol stations around the world (especially in the UK). While its link to a haunted house is only skin-deep, it features all the cliché elements you might expect to see in such a movie: a deserted building, a bunch of bats, ominous clouds, lightning, and – of course – a Full Moon.
Immortal Romance
The idea of an immortal being (in this case, a vampire) with feelings for a human (and vice versa) has been a great topic for the horror genre – even though we’re not entirely sure whether the Twilight Saga truly counts as horror or not. The very same topic, only this time with two couples (both vampire + human) are adapted for gaming fans in Red Flush’s “Immortal Romance” slot machine. We meet 34-year-old pharmacist Amber mixed up with both Troy, a 200-year-old Hungarian vampire, and genetics professor Michael (who also happens to be an 800-year-old undead). And of course there’s also Sarah, who has the perfect job for the story: she is a pathologist studying cellular regeneration. Will these immortal males find true love on the side of their very mortal partners? Will there be babies? Will an almost obligatory werewolf character make an appearance? You may just have to play to find out.
Potion Factory
Magic isn’t just a topic covered by the fantasy genre alone – it plays an important part in horror too. Witches and warlocks have summoned demons and cast curses on the silver screen for ages, becoming themselves rich clichés in the process. This world of potions and spells is the subject of Red Flush’s slot machine, Potion Factory. In it, players take on the role of a (good) witch, tasked with mixing all kinds of colourful liquids on the reels. The result? Well, nobody knows – but surely there should be an explosion and some genetic mutations hidden in there somewhere…
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