What was the best Microgaming game of 2019?

We are just over halfway through 2020 now and we have already seen a massive number of releases from Microgaming and the company's partner studios over the course of the year.

We may already have our favourite games of 2020 from the wide selection that have been released, but with more new games to come, including at least two new Wowpot Progressive Jackpot slots, plus a whole host of other games from partners and content providers, it is still too early to say which will be the top Microgaming game of 2020.

However, what we can do is take a look back at the entire catalogue of releases for the games released in 2019 and give you our opinion on which of those games was the most memorable and which ones we still go back to play time and time again to this very day.

Of course, 2019 was also the year that Microgaming's output of slots began to really increase in volume as their partnership deals with a host of studios across the world saw a large number of new games released. Let's take a look back now at the full release schedule for 2019 and bring you the list of games that were released over the course of the 12 months. You can read more about these games in our game reviews.

Microgaming 2019 game releases

• January 2019 - The Great Albini, Lucky Firecracker.
• February 2019 - Arctic Valor, Shogun of Time.
• March 2019 - Zombie Hoard, Bookie of Odds, Roulette, Agent Jane Blonde Returns.
• April 2019 - Rockabilly Wolves, Zeus Ancient Fortunes.
• May 2019 - Lara Croft Temples and Tombs, Reel Splitter, European Blackjack, Love Island, Dragon Shard.
• June 2019 - Le Kaffee Bar, Ruby Casino Queen, Our Days, Village People Macho Moves.
• July 2019 - Sherlock of London, Magic of Sahara, Breakaway Deluxe, Queen of the Crystal Rays.
• August 2019 - Tiki Vikings, Relic Seekers, Break Da Bank Again Respin feat. Hyperspins, Immortal Romance Scratchcard, Lucky Leprechaun Scratchcard, Rabbit in the Hat (re-release), Sapphire Roulette.
• September 2019 - Banana Odyssey, Aurora Wilds, Tweet Hearts, Book of Oz Lock N Spin Hyperspins.
• October 2019 - Boom Pirates, Deco Diamonds Deluxe, 9 Masks of Fire, A Dark Matter.
• November 2019 - Long Mu Fortunes, Jungle Jim and the Lost Sphinx, Lock A Luck, Rising Royals, Tiki Mania, Playboy Gold Jackpots, Festive Indulgence.
• December 2019 - Ivory Citadel, Vegas Single Deck Blackjack, North Storm, Treasure of Lion City, Baccarat, Happy Holidays Scratchcard, Stumpy McDoodles, Arctic Magic.

As you can see, a relatively slow start to the year with just a couple of new releases across the first four months of the year gave way to a much busier schedule in the later spring and summer months and that hectic pace of releases has been continued ever since, including into 2020.

Of course, in reviewing all of these games, I have been in the privileged position to try all these games out and in the course of doing that, I have preferred some games more than others, as is only natural.

So what were the standout games for me? Well it is hard to pick my favourite of all of them easily. There are a number of games that I felt were excellent, but given the range of different games released by Microgaming over this time, including card games, scratchcard games and a number of different slot games, it is probably best if I give you my favourites in a number of different categories before I bring you my personal selection of the top three slots from Microgaming released in 2019.

So let's begin with two categories of game which are fewer in number than slots and that is Scratchcard and Card Game releases.

Microgaming's best Scratchcard 2019 - Immortal Romance

Happy Holidays and Lucky Leprechaun are two decent Scratchcard options that were also released this year but for me, the winner in this category is the excellent Immortal Romance scratchcard. Linking back to the original Immortal Romance slot was a great move by Microgaming as it is one of their most popular slots ever made and it remains hugely popular to this present day.

Add to that the sequel Immortal Creatures, being available at Casino Rewards casinos, then you have all the right ingredients for a cracking scratchcard. And it delivers too, simple, fast gameplay and a nice win ration compared to bets made means it is a game that fans of scratchcards and the original slot will enjoy.

Microgaming's best casino game 2019 - Roulette

Available now with a Premium Desktop version, Switch Studios reproduction of the classic Roulette game is as close to playing the real thing as you can get. Now, one version of online roulette is essentially the same as all the others in terms of the basic game, the bets you can make and such like. What differs though is the quality of the presentation and it is here where Switch Studios game really shines.

Rather than in-your-face green, the studio opted for more muted tones on the game layout and it works well, with all bets easy to see and place. There's also an option for a Racetrack layout if you prefer, plus a healthy stats package to help inform your bet.

However, it is the animations in the game, particularly on the spinning reel which are so impressive. The roulette wheel is the most realistic animation of any I have seen on any roulette game, with the marble centre of the reel reflective as it is being streamed from a live casino.You half expect a human dealer to walk into shot to set the ball rolling.

It is fair to say that Switch Studios other games are equally as polished, but as the first game of the year, Roulette set a very high standard for the others to aspire to.

Microgaming's top 3 slots of 2019

It is impossible for me to pick just one slot as the best of 2019, so instead I am going to give you the three games that I felt delivered the most in what was an outstanding year for slots. I do stress that any games not in this top three are still well worth a look to see if they float your boat in terms of slot gaming, but these were the slots that made the biggest impression on me during the year.

• Rockabilly Wolves

Just For The Win have produced some really varied slots for Microgaming over the years, but Rockabilly Wolves really caught my eye with its simple cartoon design and its fantastic soundtrack, which really appeals to any rock and roll fans. With three different types of Wild in the game, all three of which are available in the Free Spins bonus round, plus a Re-Spin bonus when you land two of the Free Spin Scatter symbols the slot is very nicely designed.

It does have a touch of the Disney about the design of the slot, but it is a simple, but hugely enjoyable slot and a perfect example of how there is still plenty of life left in the 5x3 slot gaming industry yet.

• Sherlock of London

Rabcat gaming have produced some of the most eye-catching Microgaming releases over the years and their excellent Sherlock of London is not hard to hunt down for all Holmes fans. Another 5x3 slot that is beautifully produced and which captures the look and sounds of Victorian London perfectly, there are so many nice touches in this slot including a slight fog (peasouper on the horizon, perhaps) as well as lights in the houses flicking on and off.

The game itself is a 25 pay line slot which offers wins of up to 40x your stake in the base game and it also boasts a Connecting Wilds feature which sees all Wilds on a reel connected if you land more than one on a reel. Land two Wilds on the reels in two adjacent columns and that triggers the Double Win feature, doubling the value of your win. Packed with bonuses and great features and all rolled up in a beautifully presented slot, Sherlock of London is one game that it is elementary to play.

• Jungle Jim and the Lost Sphinx

Developed by Stormcraft Studios, the latest Jungle Jim installment was well worth the wait. A 5x4 reel set up that has a Win Booster option that will help you trigger the 9 Free Spins more frequently, you could win up to a massive 500,000 coins on this hugely enjoyable Rolling Reels and Multiplier Trail slot game.

Base game wins can be increased from 2x up to 10x the standard amount, but in Free Spins, the range increases from 2x up to 20x the standard amount. There are 50 pay lines on the slot which makes things all the more exciting.

Add to this a very enjoyable Free Spins bonus round and a Second Chance Respin bonus on your third roll of the Multiplier Reels and you can see why many players flocked to this latest installment for Microgaming's intrepid adventurer.

So, they are the three slots that stuck in my memory from 2019, others included the quirky Our Days and Le Kaffee Bar slots, the hugely fun Village People Macho Moves slot and a new Deluxe version of the classic ice hockey themed Break Away slot.

2019 was a great year for Microgaming as these games prove and 2020 is already heading in the same direction. We will bring you our choice for the top 2020 games in an article some time in 2021.