Fishing-shooting games are invading Europe! Sean Liu, Head of Product Management, TaDa Gaming explains what fishing-shooting games are and how they compare to slots. Let’s deep-dive into this new immersive game type, that mixes luck and skill and that supports multiplayer capability.

Part One: Introduction to Fishing-Shooting Games

1. Thank you Sean for doing this interview. First, could you explain what exactly is a fishing-shooting game?

Thank you for the opportunity. TaDa’s fishing-shooting games are ground-breaking entertainment for players looking for a more challenging experience in iGaming. They are based on original arcade machines but designed for mobile play.

Often, they use an underwater/aquatic theme and players catch or shoot the fish or characters to score points. Each character has a unique value or triggers a specific bonus so players can be strategic in how they approach the gameplay. Points are accumulated with each hit and then are exchanged for rewards at the end of the game.

2. Fishing games, shooting games or fishing-shooting games…This seems to be a pretty new type of online game since there is so many terms for it? Could you tell us a bit about the history and your role in making fishing-shooting games big.

TaDa Gaming currently uses the term ‘fishing-shooting’ to describe a section of its arcade games as they are (mostly) fish-led action games that involve shooting or catching creatures to win the points.

We are part of International Games Systems Co.; a long-term leader in gaming technology in Taiwan and our parent company originally built its reputation on arcade gaming in the 1990s. They saw the potential to take this style of play to online iGaming platforms and give players the opportunity to access the games on the go – and the player response was instantaneous: from this very positive beginning, we quickly became known as the go-to provider for fishing-shooting games across Asia.

TaDa Gaming was created as a separate company to deliver this Asian innovation and excitement but tailored and localised for the established European and evolving LatAm iGaming markets. our fishing-shooting games were to casino platform operators in these markets and, again, how positively the new concept was received, especially by those digital native players moving from video gaming to iGaming.

We promote fishing-shooting games through campaigns on our app and social platforms: plus we give on screen advice in the games and go into detail in the paytable and rules section to familiarise players with this new concept. This helps them to understand that they can successfully approach gameplay from many different angles.

Simultaneously, we also demonstrated the games to global operators across multiple industry trade shows like ICE London 2024, SBC Miami, G2E Vegas, SiGMA Europe and many more. Promoting the offer both to players and operators has significantly contributed to its popularity and reinforced our position as the No.1 Provider.

Plus, our fishing-shooting games are visually stunning, highly immersive and engaging whatever level players are at or experience they are looking to enjoy. Once players discover games like Happy Fishing, Mega Fishing, Bombing Fishing and Jackpot Fishing, we can see from increasing rounds played, size of wager, repeat plays and other KPIs just how quickly these games have resonated with multiple audiences across Europe and LatAm.

Part Two: Fish-Shooting Games in Europe

3. Having learned your craft in the demanding Asian markets, what has the response to your fishing-shooting games been in Europe, especially as you are MGA licenced?

We are still in the early stages but the initial reaction has been very positive. We signed an exclusive with Pixelo in Italy in November 2024 and already we are exceeding all KPIs.

Fishing-shooting games deliver a new way to play as they offer social gaming through multiplayer capability with up to four players in one game at any time. This is still a novelty in Europe and at MGA casinos. Plus, all wins are still distributed individually so players benefit from community gaming while keeping their winnings separate. Again, this is something that players have reported on favourably alongside the real gaming challenge that these games can provide.

TaDa Gaming is a multi-lingual, highly experienced and international team of passionate gamers. One of the reasons we are able to maintain the ‘No 1 Provider’ for fishing-shooting games’ title is the standard of our translation and localisation. We make sure that we are culturally attuned and sensitive to our markets and we understand the importance of accuracy and authenticity. Players respond to this.

4. As you mentioned, you recently went live in Italy with fishing-shooting games. Do you have any further expansion plans in Europe, such as Sweden or other Nordic markets? Have you noticed any differences in player tastes in different countries?

We are looking to go global! We are licenced by the Swedish and Hellenic Gaming Authorities alongside our Malta Gaming licence and currently have applications going through Romania’s RNJN and the UK’s Gambling Commission. We are successfully building our brand in Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands and are negotiating with a number of partners across Eastern Europe.

There are some very definite player preferences – such as Joker themed releases in the Nordic countries – which is why we have designed and delivered a diverse portfolio and emphasised the importance of quality translation and localisation.

Part Three: Deep-Dive into Fishing Games

5. From your fishing-shooting games, which one is the most popular, which one is your personal favorite and which one would you recommend to someone who has never tried this game type before?

Our top five fishing-shooting games are Jackpot Fishing, Mega Fishing, Dragon Fortune, Bombing Fishing and Happy Fishing. Jackpot Fishing is visually stunning with crisp graphics and 3D cinematic animation. The interplay between the features, the special effects and their impact on the win potential makes it one of our most engaging releases.

With both solo and multiplayer capability and a choice between the Regal Hall and Joy Hall – which gives players different volatilities and challenges – the game has been a big hit since release. Three jackpots also give a level of anticipation which further adds to the excitement.

My personal favourite is Ocean King Jackpot as the mix of explosive features that interact, the rock ‘n’ roll vampire skeleton character and 3000x max win all add up to a make this game a showstopper.

For anyone who has not played fishing-shooting games, all of the TaDa releases will impress and entertain; but new players should start in demo mode and read the paytable so they can see how to use strategy to get the wins.

We give many on screen tips, advice and warnings of Awakening Events, Boss characters approaching and opportunities to acquire extra ammo so it’s worth practising first. We always say these games are easy to grasp but then, as you understand them, they get more challenging. That’s what makes them so immersive.

Ocean King Jackpot is Sean Liu’s favourite fishing-shooting game

6. Let’s talk about jackpots and volatility next, since these are also important topics for casino players. Tada Gaming’s fishing-shooting games offer up to 4 different jackpot levels. How can you win these?

We offer a choice of up to three different volatilities to suit players who want either small, regular wins or to go all out for the big win potential. These ‘rooms’ also offer single or multiplayer capacity, again putting the strategic choices in players’ hands.

The jackpots add another layer of excitement, especially as some are progressive. In Fortune King Jackpot – which is a multi, multi-feature arcade – the Jackpot Multiplier will continue to increase throughout to 300x max, even after the player has reeled in the Fortune King character which triggers multiplier bonuses.

With the Progressive Jackpot, 0.3% of paid bets are the contribution to the pot and the fixed Mega, Major and Mini will pay 2,500x, 600x and 200x the wager respectively. To trigger the jackpots, you just have to take a lucky shot!

Fortune King Jackpot offers a jackpot multiplier up to 300x

7. Your fishing games also have different halls or rooms. What are these about? How does the player experience change by switching rooms?

TaDa fishing-shooting games offer up to four player capability and variety in rooms to give different volatility and risk exposure. The game design on the screen will also change and this is another method to give players new experiences in the same game. In this way, players are fully engaged, can develop their skills at their own pace and are completely in control of their gaming.

Players can swap between the rooms to change the volatility, the levels of tasks and missions to complete and so personalise their experience with each play.

Mega Fishing offer three rooms with different bet sizes, volatility and risk levels

Part Four: Fishing-Shooting Games vs Slots

8. On Slotsoo we love slots, which we know you also do. So let’s compare these two game types with each other! What are the similarities between slots and fishing games? Do you see any differences in average play session length for example?

We have a hugely diverse portfolio of slots, table games, crash and bingo as well as our fishing-shooting games and we release four new titles each month. Overall, slots are accepted as the key driver of both casino operator success and player engagement but, according to our data, our fishing-shooting games are played as well as our slots rather than instead of. Players who can access the full TaDa portfolio play both styles of games at the same casino, extending their screen time and giving greater player lifetime value for our clients.

Plus Leaderboard events generate on average 20% + further uplift in bet value. Some of our operators’ data show players split their gaming exposure time nearly equally between our slots and fishing-shooting products as they offer different experiences and appeal to different demographics whilst still being recognisable casino content.

The similarities between slots and fishing-shooting games could include the bonus features and mechanics, such as multipliers and jackpots to enhance the win potential; the cinematic graphics and sound effects and the relative ease of learning how to play the games. The major difference is that there are no reels or paylines in fishing-shooting games. Like with video gaming, the whole screen is the playing area so you need to have eyes everywhere.

Casino operators interested in offering fishing-shooting games can contact TaDa at business@tadgaming.com or visit the company’s booth 2B42 during ICE Barcelona (20^th– 22^nd January 2025).

9. Slots are purely luck-based and programmed to give out a certain return to player. Could you explain how winning chances work in shooting games? Every shot you take in the game is a bet. Does clicking at a faster speed leads to more wins or is there some other type of skill element?

Fishing-shooting games are a mix of luck and skill. Players can adopt a strategy to focus on high paying targets or keep wager levels low to maximise the length of rounds played whilst learning where the target points are on each character.

There are opportunities to play with different weapons such as in Ocean Hunter, a net is used to capture the creatures and fish; or to use ‘energy bars’ which charge up with every shot or click, giving players bonus ammo.

Shooting smaller value fish targets that are easier to catch is similar to betting on the 1-12 range in a roulette game where the odds of winning are higher but the payout is lower. Shooting at a Big Boss is comparable to betting on a single number where the chances of winning are lower but the payout is higher.

Aim is more important than click speed as each fish or creature has a target area. When you hit the target, you trigger the feature, bonus or win.

Choose which sea creatures in Ocean Hunter you want to target with the Auto shooting function

10. Last question! Since Christmas is around the corner, do you have any plans to launch a Christmas-themed fishing-shooting game? We think a game taking place in Santa’s workshop for example would go down well for European players. 😀

We might not be very popular if we put Santa’s workshop underwater for Christmas! We currently don’t have any Christmas themed games – slots or fishing-shooting -yet; but we dress our top performing games with Christmas designs so that players can enjoy their favourites and get into the Holiday mood simultaneously.

This Christmas, players can work their way through the festively decorated Boom Legend, Mega Fishing and Crazy Hunter for electrifying shooting, terrifying creatures and Bosses, and a cute pixie who wants to take on the Vikings to blow open the treasure box, all with a sprinkle of TaDa magic. However, ask us again next year, as we will definitely be delivering a Christmas surprise!