Nikoloz Kadjaev, Co-Founder and Partnership Manager at Pigaboom, joined us at SBC Summit Malta 2025 to share how his team is reinventing the crash game experience. Founded just a year ago by Nikoloz, their art director, and CTO, Pigaboom is laser-focused on doing one thing exceptionally well: creating a unique crash game with a bonus buy feature never seen before in this genre.
Unlike many studios that flood the market with dozens of reskinned titles, Pigaboom's philosophy is rooted in quality over quantity. As Nikoloz puts it:
“We don’t want to have 20 games that do the same thing but in different skins. We want to create one good game which is special.”
The result is a single, high-quality crash game that introduces a bonus buy mechanic, a disruptive twist in a category known for its simplicity. This bold decision is paying off. The first integration happened just weeks ago, and demand is already exceeding expectations, with more integrations in progress.
The studio’s growth strategy is straightforward: seize every opportunity and remain agile. Despite having the capacity to develop games quickly, the team remains committed to perfecting one standout title before moving on to the next.
“The idea was to create a crash game with bonus buy, something that has never been done before, and to make it work.”
For Nikoloz, the iGaming sector offers a perfect blend of creativity and fast-paced dynamics:
“The industry is very dynamic and fun. I enjoy doing it and I don’t see myself doing anything else.”
So what makes a game not just good but great? According to Nikoloz, it's not just the mechanics, but also the community that forms around the game. The team puts effort into nurturing a player base and encouraging engagement:
“There are games with the same mechanics, but one becomes more popular because of the community around it.”
He believes that innovation, combined with community-building, is the key to long-term success.
Looking ahead, Nikoloz sees gamification as a major trend shaping the industry. As new generations of players enter the space, the demand for more interactive and engaging experiences continues to rise:
“Everything that is gamified will have a better chance to work compared to old mechanics.”
To those who haven’t played the game yet, Nikoloz extends a confident invitation:
“You have to see it. It's very exciting, very cool. I guarantee it. Just give it a shot, you will like it.”
The first CasinoLove interview with Pigaboom happened when the game was still close to launch. At that point, Pigaboom was in its final development phase, and the team was still working from a theory about what players would like.
One year later, the situation is different. In this second interview at SBC Summit Malta 2026, Nikoloz Kadjaev described a company that has grown, integrated with strategic partners, and reached profitability.
Since last year we have expanded quite a bit. The company became profitable.
For a young game studio, profitability is an important milestone. It means that the idea did not only work as a concept, but also started to work as a business. Kadjaev also pointed to the importance of integrations. These integrations were described as strategic for the company, and the team is happy with the results so far.
The tone of the update was practical rather than promotional. Pigaboom is no longer only testing an idea in the market. The studio now has real results, real player data, and a stronger understanding of how its games are received.
During the first interview, Pigaboom had a clear idea of what it wanted to build. However, there was still no live market data to confirm whether the concept would work with real players. According to Kadjaev, that changed after launch.
Back then we just had a theory, right? And now we have data to back it up.
This is one of the key differences between a game in development and a game that is already live. The team can now see how players behave, what they enjoy, and where the game performs better. This feedback is not only useful for Pigaboom itself. It also helps the studio plan its next titles.
Kadjaev explained that future decisions will be more data driven. The company now has a better idea of what to expect when creating upcoming games. Instead of guessing, Pigaboom can use player behavior and market performance to guide design choices.
We know what players like and we're making decisions based on that.
This matters because crash games are often simple on the surface, but small design decisions can make a big difference. Game pace, risk perception, player control, multiplier behavior, and extra features can all affect retention. Pigaboom now has live experience to support these decisions.
One of the most important points from the first Pigaboom interview was the game's bonus buy feature. In slot games, bonus buy mechanics are common in many markets. In crash games, however, this is much less typical. Pigaboom built its identity around bringing this kind of feature into a crash game format.
Since we have a bonus buy feature and since we're the only ones doing that, it performed very well.
Kadjaev said that this unique feature helped the game perform well. More importantly, he connected it with stronger user retention compared with what is usually seen in crash games.
Retention is especially important in simple game formats. Many crash games are easy to understand, but the market is crowded. If players do not feel that something is different, they may move quickly to another game. Pigaboom's bonus buy feature gives the game a clearer identity.
User retention is way better than usually it is in the crash games.
The feature also seems to be received positively by users. Kadjaev described the user numbers as good and said the overall performance has been strong. In simple terms, the feature was not only a marketing idea. It appears to be one of the reasons why the game found its audience.
The interview also covered the markets where Pigaboom is currently performing well. Kadjaev highlighted two main regions: Asia and Africa.
Our main market right now is the Asian market and African market.
According to Kadjaev, these markets are where Pigaboom is performing quite well and where most of the company's profit is currently generated. This gives a clearer picture of the game's commercial direction.
Crash games and fast mini games can be attractive in markets where players enjoy quick rounds, direct mechanics, and simple decisions. Pigaboom seems to have found strong early traction in regions where this kind of game format works well.
The Asian and African market focus also shows that the studio is not only building for one narrow audience. Pigaboom is trying to create games that can work internationally, especially in regions where crash and instant-style games already have strong player interest.
When asked why players like the game, Kadjaev focused on control and strategic choice. This is an important part of how Pigaboom wants to position itself. It is not just a game where players wait for a multiplier. It is designed to give players more room to make decisions.
It gives more control and opportunity to make strategic decisions.
Not every player wants this. Kadjaev was direct about that. Some players like the added decision-making, and some players do not. Pigaboom is not trying to appeal to everyone in exactly the same way. Instead, the studio focuses on the players who enjoy having more control inside a crash game.
This is a useful distinction. A very simple crash game can be attractive because it is fast and easy. But for some players, the format can become repetitive. Pigaboom tries to add more depth without turning the game into something too complex.
Some players like it, some players don't, but we go after players who actually like it.
That focus appears to be paying off. The game does not need to satisfy every type of player. It needs to satisfy the group that wants a crash game with more control, a stronger feature set, and a different kind of decision moment.
The second major topic of the interview was Pigaboom's new game, Pingwin. The name follows the same playful direction as Pigaboom. The first game had a pig character. The second game introduces a penguin.
Since the first one was Pigaboom and it was Pig, the second game is Pingwin, and it's a Penguin.
Pingwin is also a crash game, but it does not simply copy the Pigaboom formula. The core idea is that players can see where the next potential crash point may be. Kadjaev described this as something that has not been done before in the same way.
The game was newly launched at the time of the interview. Kadjaev said that it had launched literally that day, and that Pigaboom would now launch it with operators and watch how it performs.
It's a crash game and you can see where your next potential crash point is.
This gives Pingwin a different type of tension. In a normal crash game, the uncertainty is usually hidden. In Pingwin, part of the risk is visible because players can see obstacles. The question becomes whether the player wants to cash out before the obstacle or continue.
During the interview, Kadjaev showed the Pingwin game and explained the mechanics. The game uses a pixel art style. He described it as simple, cute, and cool. This visual direction fits the mini game format because it keeps the game clear and easy to read.
We decided to go with pixel art style, which is quite simple, quite cute and quite cool.
The main mechanic is built around obstacles. The penguin can only crash on obstacles, not between them. This means that when there is no obstacle, the multiplier can continue to increase while the player knows that a crash cannot happen at that exact moment.
This creates a different decision structure compared with standard crash games. The player can see danger ahead and choose whether to cash out before the obstacle. The multiplier still goes up, but the visible obstacle gives the player more information.
The Penguin can only crash on the obstacles, not in between.
In practice, this means that the game adds a visible risk layer. The player is not only reacting to a hidden crash point. The player is watching the screen, reading the obstacle path, and deciding when to leave the round.
When there is no obstacle, the Penguin will not crash and the multiplier still increases.
Kadjaev described this as giving the player an additional edge. It does not remove risk from the game, but it changes the way the risk is presented. The player still needs to decide whether to cash out before an obstacle or continue toward a higher multiplier.
Although Pigaboom became known for its bonus buy feature, Pingwin does not use the same mechanic. Kadjaev explained that the team did not want to make the new game more complex than it needed to be.
This game does not have a bonus buy feature, because we don't want to make it more complex than it has to be.
This is an important design choice. Pigaboom is not applying the same feature to every game only because it worked once. Instead, the studio is looking at what each game already offers. In Pingwin, the visible potential crash point is already the main feature.
Adding bonus buy on top of that could make the game harder to understand. Kadjaev's explanation suggests that Pigaboom wants its games to stay simple, even when they include unique mechanics.
It's simple, it's good, it's effective and we'll see how it works.
That balance is important for mini games. If the mechanic is too basic, the game may not stand out. If it becomes too complicated, players may not instantly understand it. Pingwin tries to stay between those two points by using one clear twist instead of many stacked features.
The interview also covered several practical details about Pingwin. Kadjaev confirmed that the game has an RTP of 97 percent.
RTP is 97%. So it's the same and it's good.
The maximum win is not fixed in the same way for every integration. According to Kadjaev, it can be adjusted depending on the operator or aggregator. This gives partners flexibility during the integration process.
Maximum win is adjustable based on operator, aggregator.
Pingwin was available from the day of the interview. Kadjaev said the game had just launched and that operators could take it from that point onward.
This game is available from today. We just launched it.
For operators and aggregators, this means Pingwin was not only a future concept shown at SBC Summit Malta 2026. It was presented as a live product ready for commercial use.
Pigaboom's slogan became an important part of the interview. Kadjaev explained that the slogan is Finally, something new! and that it was born in Malta.
As you can see, our slogan is "Finally, something new!"
The story came from a casino manager who visited the Pigaboom booth. After seeing the game, the reaction was that it finally felt like something new. That reaction became the slogan for the company.
This slogan also explains the direction of the studio. Pigaboom is not trying to build a large number of similar games with small changes. The company wants players and operators to feel that each game has a fresh idea.
Every player that will see the game, that will be the reaction that it's "Finally, something new!"
For existing Pigaboom players, the message is that the studio wants to keep building unusual games. Pigaboom was the first example. Pingwin is the next one. The company wants its portfolio to be linked with new mechanics rather than generic mini game releases.
The interview also included a more personal question about how the project changed Kadjaev's life. His answer was simple: much more travel.
He mentioned many places, many conferences, and many people. SBC has been important for Pigaboom since the beginning, and the Malta event appears to be closely connected with the company's story. The slogan was born in Malta, and the second interview also happened there one year later.
For a startup founder in iGaming, this is part of the reality. Conferences are not only places to show a game. They are also where studios meet operators, aggregators, suppliers, investors, and other partners.
I met so many people that it's almost unbelievable.
Kadjaev described the change as positive. More travel and more business meetings can be demanding, but his reaction was clear. He said it was good and that he could not ask for more.
When asked about competitors, Kadjaev gave a measured answer. He said Pigaboom is still quite small for the biggest competitors to notice in a major way. At the same time, he has seen some companies start using bonus buy in similar game formats.
There are some companies that I noticed that started doing bonus buy.
He did not claim that those companies copied Pigaboom directly. Instead, he said it could be because of Pigaboom, or it could simply be a natural direction for the market.
The company's attitude toward competition is open. Kadjaev said they welcome competition and do not mind it. In his view, competition is good for business because it challenges everyone involved.
We always welcome competition. We don't mind it. It's good for business.
This is a practical way to look at a new product category. If more studios experiment with similar mechanics, the category itself may become more familiar to operators and players. That can also help Pigaboom, as long as the studio keeps creating distinctive games.
The interview also clarified whether the original Pigaboom game will keep changing. Kadjaev said that Pigaboom will stay as it is. The studio is not currently focused on adding more features into that specific game.
Pigaboom stays as it is. We're developing additional games and they will be improved.
This suggests that Pigaboom sees the original game as a finished product with a clear identity. Instead of continuously adding features to it, the company is using what it learned to build new titles.
This approach can help keep the first game simple and recognizable. It also gives the studio space to test new mechanics in new games, rather than forcing every idea into the original Pigaboom format.
Pigaboom has a clear roadmap for 2026. Kadjaev said the company plans to have up to 10 games in its portfolio. The focus is not only on quantity. He also said the portfolio will become more unique.
For 2026, we will have up to 10 games, and our portfolio will be more unique.
The studio is not planning to make only reskinned versions of the same product. Kadjaev said that every game will be unique. He also clarified that the roadmap is not only about crash games. Pigaboom will also create mini games.
Every game will be unique, that's what we're going to do.
Pigaboom wants to build a broader portfolio, but it wants that portfolio to keep the same creative direction. The games should feel different from each other, while still fitting the company's identity.