Gaming

modl.ai unveils Puzzle Maker – an AI-based development tool uniquely designed to support the demand for Match-3 puzzle levels

Published

5 years ago

June 9, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

modl.ai’s latest AI-based development tool gives match-3 level designers the ability to generate hundreds of ready to use game levels overnight, removing a major time and resource bottleneck

Danish AI company modl.ai has unveiled Puzzle Maker, a new game development tool that uses AI and Machine Learning to help the developers of match-3 puzzle games meet the ongoing challenge of creating enough new levels to keep players engaged. Whereas a specialist level designer might be able to design one or two levels in a day, Puzzle Maker can generate hundreds of levels in just a few days, hugely reducing the human time and cost of supporting these games.

Match-3 games are some of the world’s most popular games – particularly on mobile – with examples like Candy Crush Saga, Gardenscapes and Bejeweled Blitz downloaded hundreds of millions of times. According to game analytics company GameRefinery, match-3 games are so popular that they make up 16% of all mobile game revenues on the US Apple app store.

To give some idea of how important level creation is to these games, Candy Crush Saga currently has more than 9000 levels – with more added on a weekly basis. Any ability to automate the level design and creation process therefore has the potential to save developers considerable time and money.

Unlike other types of puzzle, match-3 games don’t have a single solution – meaning they are very hard to create using automated software. modl.ai’s approach was to create two AI-based tools: a content generator and a level tester that, when used together, solve many of the challenges of creating a constant flow of game levels.

Puzzle Maker’s content generator is based on procedural content generation via machine learning (PCGML), meaning that it learns from existing levels and also improves the more levels it creates, with as few as 100 levels needed to complete the training phase. Each level the tool creates can be customised through a dashboard where the level designer can set a variety of parameters, from the size of the playing canvas to the kinds of puzzle pieces and challenges in each level.

Once levels have been generated, Puzzle Maker tests each level with AI bots to understand how many moves it takes to complete a level, the time it takes to complete, the number of reshuffles required and even the predicted likelihood that players will win the level – a key part of keeping players engaged over time. This data provides developers with insights into each level’s difficulty and provides characterisations of the structural level features such as the ratios of piece types and their distribution. All of this information is displayed to the level designer, who can review each one and decide if they are good enough to be included in the actual game. If they are, the code for the level is generated ready to be added.

“Match-3 games are often seen as simple and only for casual gamers, but in reality they are very clever and complex. This means that developers have relied on skilled level designers to keep coming up with fresh designs, and the only way to make more levels is to hire more level designers. We saw an opportunity to bring a new approach,” said Christoffer Holmgård, CEO at modl.ai. “By giving level designers a tool like Puzzle Maker, they get to use their expertise to know what their audience will love, but without the hours of trial and error work that we’ve automated. By solving the quantity problem, developers can focus on the quality.”

modl.ai was founded by a talented and diverse team of game developers, engineers and AI experts who saw the opportunity to use AI to automate and improve aspects of the game development process. Between them, the company founders have been involved in the development and launch of more than 30 games. Despite being less than three years old, modl.ai ranks second in the world among private companies for the number of technical game publications its team has authored.

You can find out more at www.modl.ai.

Arena Racing Company

Arena Racing Company awarded United Arab Emirates Gaming-Related Vendor License

Published

3 weeks ago

December 20, 2025

Wladimir P.

arena-racing-company-awarded-united-arab-emirates-gaming-related-vendor-license

Arena Racing Company (ARC) has been granted a Gaming-Related Vendor license from the United Arab Emirates’ General Commercial Gaming Authority (GCGRA), an independent entity of the UAE Federal Government with exclusive jurisdiction to regulate, license, and supervise all commercial gaming activities.

The license, operational with immediate effect, affords ARC the opportunity to provide its products and services to licensed operators in the region. Notably, the Racing1 Markets service, an all-in-one horse and greyhound racing solution delivered in conjunction with Racing1 alliance media rights partners at 1/ST CONTENT, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), and Tabcorp, alongside technical partner Pythia Sports. ARC has been added to the list of licensed vendors as per the GCGRA website.

Jack Whitaker, Commercial Manager at ARC, said: “Obtaining this license is a great achievement for ARC and its Racing1 partners. The emerging regulated UAE market is incredibly exciting, and we look forward to showcasing our innovative products and services in the region.”

The post Arena Racing Company awarded United Arab Emirates Gaming-Related Vendor License appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

Battle of the Tribes

POLYTOPIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 BREAKS RECORD PARTICIPATION AS FINALS DRAW CLOSER

Published

1 month ago

December 3, 2025

Wladimir P.

polytopia-world-championship-2025-breaks-record-participation-as-finals-draw-closer

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Celebrated strategy game The Battle of Polytopia confirms its first ever World Championships has exceeded expectations with over 10,000 sign-ups in its qualifying rounds. While no stranger to tournaments, previously hosting smaller scale, local tournaments called ‘Polysseums’, developer Midjiwan’s first step into global esports has been met with extreme success. The inclusive esports event has a $10,000 prize pool and will conclude on 6 December 2025, 14:00-21:00.

The finals will take place in front of a live-studio audience, with expert commentary and a chance to peek behind the scenes at Midjiwan itself. First place will receive $4,000, the runner-up will take away $2,000, the third and fourth place finishers will get $1,500, and the fifth and sixth place $500.

The Polytopia World Championship 2025 is being hosted by eSports platform, Challengermode, who Midjiwan has relied on for its monthly local tournaments since 2022. Midjiwan also partnered with Black Molly Entertainment to help organise and manage the event. Black Molly Entertainment have years of experience managing eSports tournaments, with notable events including the Geoguesser World Cup and CS:GO Pinnacle Cup Championship.

Midjiwan has worked closely with its community to ensure engagement is high with each round, building a bespoke ‘Spectator Mode’ into the game so fans can watch each game live through the game itself. In the spectator mode the viewer has visibility of all players simultaneously, with stats on how many cities, technologies, kills and more available for quick access.

Christian Lovstedt, CEO of Midjiwan commented:
“Polytopia has always been about welcoming all kinds of players into the world of 4X strategy. That’s why our championship is open to everyone – not just pros with sponsors. We’ve been thrilled at the amount of interest this tournament received from our community, reaching participation numbers way beyond our expectations. We’re excited to bring the finalists to Stockholm and can’t wait to see the strategies that emerge.”

The Polytopia World Championship 2025 kicked off in September, with its ‘Battle of the Tribes’ qualifying round – weekly battles where players competed to be the best in each of the game’s 12 tribes. After an exciting six weeks, the top player from each tribe faced-off, reducing the qualifiers to six finalists. These six winners are listed down below.

Tribe	Qualifying Player
IMPERIUS	ArthurL248
BARDUR	slimmingboy
OUMAJI	Dreamlander3000
HOODRICK	Theetat
XIN-Xi	LeLiberateur
LUXIDOOR	Meisterlampe

Recaps of each round of the tournament prior to the finals can be watched on the official Battle of Polytopia YouTube channel.

Part 1: Polytopia World Championship 1st Qualifiers Wrap-Up – BARDUR, IMPERIUS, KICKOO, ZEBASI
Part 2: Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Oumaji Hoodrick Yadakk & Quetzali – World Champoinship 2025
Part 3: Final Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Xin-Xi, Luxidoor, Ai-Mo & Vengir – World Championship 2025
Face-off stream: https://youtube.com/live/GnU6mWPoJiY?feature=share

To watch the finals live on December 6,visit here: https://polytopia.io/stream/

To stay up to date on the Polytopia World Championship 2025, or purchase one of the limited tickets for the live event, visit the official website or join the Official Polytopia Discord.

The post POLYTOPIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 BREAKS RECORD PARTICIPATION AS FINALS DRAW CLOSER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Betiator

Delasport Unveils a Crash Game for Sports Betting

Published

1 month ago

December 3, 2025

George Miller

delasport-unveils-a-crash-game-for-sports-betting

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading iGaming supplier Delasport teases a one-of-a-kind sports betting crash game called Betiator – a new in-play experience that merges live sports with the tension and excitement of crash games.

Inspired by the groundbreaking casino genre, the company once again pushes the whole industry to a new phase in evolution by allowing sports bettors to play in the same easy and fun way as fellow casino players. Crash games are booming in the casino world, showing that players crave more emotional, fast, and visually engaging formats – and Betiator brings that same adrenaline-charged energy to the sportsbook.

It changes the scene by introducing a truly innovative way to bet on sports, keeping players at the edge of their seats during the game. Designed to excite both sports bettors and casino players, it marks a defining moment for innovation.

This product comes as a logical next step in the evolution of live betting and the company’s goal to disrupt the iGaming industry. It demonstrates Delasport’s successful commitment to unique innovation: a strategy they call “Going Beyond Content” –building on the success of products and features like SuperPot, My Sportsbook, My Combo, Double My Winnings, and many more.

“Sports bettors deserve the same level of innovation and excitement that casino players get all the time,” Delasport’s CEO Oren Cohen Shwartz says. “At Delasport we’re taking the whole game to a new playing field with Betiator. Live betting won’t feel outdated anymore as we’re bringing in the thrill of the casino to sports betting.”

While details about Betiator remain under wraps for now, Delasport promises a completely new way to experience live sports. Operators and partners eager to see it in action can schedule exclusive demos and discover more at ICE Barcelona 2026, taking place January 19–21, where Betiator will make its official debut.

The post Delasport Unveils a Crash Game for Sports Betting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.