Northern Lights Gaming
Northern Lights Gaming — provider review
Northern Lights Gaming started in 2017 in a two-person office in the UK, and today it is a team of almost 30 people in four European cities with more than 40 games. The studio was founded by Barcrest alumni with a background in pub slots and video gaming machines.
The studio's main series is Unusual Suspects, and the second largest is Bison Moon. Northern Lights Gaming games are distributed exclusively through Games Global.
💡 Northern Lights Gaming by the numbers
- Founded: 2017
- Offices: Manchester, Stockholm, Kraków, Timișoara
- Team: almost 30 people
- Games: more than 40
- Partners: 100
- Combined team experience: more than 50 years
All figures except the year are according to the company.
History
The studio has gone from the partner programmes of Yggdrasil and Relax Gaming to exclusive distribution through Games Global. This is our observation, not a claim made by the studio.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Ed Pattman and Andy Goodale opened the studio in a small office in the UK. |
| April 2018 | Northern Lights became the first independent studio in Yggdrasil's YGS Masters programme. |
| July 2019 | Joined the Relax Gaming Silver Bullet programme. |
| 2021 | The studio's games started coming out through Microgaming, for example Divine Diamonds. |
| September 2023 | Release of Unusual Suspects. |
| June 2025 | Release of More Unusual Catch and Unusual Suspects: Legend of Olympus. |
| October 2025 | Chris Loftus became CEO, and Ed Pattman became Head of Studio. |
The studio lists Bingoal, SekaBet, Yggdrasil, Rootz, betlive.com, Scientific Games, Relax Gaming, 777 and Unibet among its partners.
Team
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Chris Loftus | CEO |
| Edward Pattman | Head of Studio |
| Paweł Marcinec | Head of Software Development |
| Phina Anyalechi | Head of Games Delivery |
Chris Loftus joined the studio in April 2025 as Commercial Director and became CEO in October; before that, he spent more than 17 years in the industry, including at Inspired Entertainment, 1X2 Network and Playnetic. Ed Pattman is a co-founder of the studio who started out in 2004 as an artist at Barcrest. Paweł Marcinec joined the studio in March 2021 as a JavaScript developer and has been in charge of software development since November 2023. Phina Anyalechi has been with the studio since August 2018: she started as a tester and has led the testing team since 2020.
Northern Lights Gaming slots
All three slots below are built on a classic 5×3 grid, but their maths differs: from 20 lines to 243 ways to win, and from 5,000x to 12,500x. All three come in several RTP versions.
| Slot | RTP | Max win | Grid and lines | Stakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bison Moon Thunder Charge | 96.05% (also 94.00% and 92.09%) | 12,500x | 5×3, 25 lines | 0.10–20 |
| Unusual Suspects | 96.15% (also 94%, 92% and 86%) | more than 11,000x | 5×3, 20 lines | 0.10–20 |
| Totally Headless | 96.07% (also 94.08% and 92.06%) | 5,000x | 5×3, 243 ways | 0.20–40 |
Bison Moon Thunder Charge is the latest chapter of the Bison Moon series, a Western with bison, eagles and electrified moons. Five Moon symbols trigger the Stellar Moon Bonus, where lightning boosts collected values with multipliers of up to 100x. The Eagle meter leads to a dual-wheel Jackpot Bonus, while the new Thunder Charge Bonus offers escalating multipliers of up to x4,096. The Bison Stampede bonus returns too, and there is a Charged Bet and a bonus buy. The max win is 12,500x.
Unusual Suspects is the detective slot that gave the studio's main series its name. It was released in September 2023. The game features sticky wild frames and exploding wilds, while free spins come with an upgrade trail: the player solves clues to put the Big Boss behind bars. Free spins can be bought or gambled into, and two scatters trigger a respin. The RTP is 96.15%, but the game also has a version with an RTP of 86%, noticeably below the usual 95–97%. The max win is more than 11,000x.
Totally Headless is a medieval slot with kings, queens, knights and jesters on a 5×3 grid with 243 ways to win. Guillotines on the grid track progress, and the Guillotine Bonus leads to the Link&Win feature. The game features a Revolution Bonus, a Super Revolution Bonus, jackpot prizes and a bonus buy. The max win is 5,000x.
Other games from the studio include More Unusual Suspects, More Unusual Catch, Bison Moon, Max Spinwell: Time Chronicles, Totally Reckless, 5 Star Knockout and Aztec Falls.
Who Northern Lights Gaming suits
Why players love it
- The recognisable Unusual Suspects and Bison Moon series
- Multi-layered bonuses: jackpots, upgrade trails, multipliers up to x4,096
- Big max wins, up to 12,500x in Bison Moon Thunder Charge
- A bonus buy in all three games in this review
What to keep in mind
- No information on the studio's current licences
⚡ Verdict
Northern Lights Gaming suits players who like slots on a familiar 5×3 grid but with rich bonuses: upgrade trails, jackpots and big multipliers. Each of the three games comes in several RTP versions, and Unusual Suspects has an 86% option, so it is worth checking the version at your casino before playing.
Where to play Northern Lights Gaming slots
You can explore the provider's games and choose a casino to play at in the slots and casino sections on GamblingShot.
FAQ
1
When was Northern Lights Gaming founded?
The studio was founded in 2017. It now has offices in Manchester, Stockholm, Kraków and Timișoara.
2
Does Northern Lights Gaming have a licence?
There is no information on the studio's current licences. Its games are distributed exclusively through Games Global.
3
How many games does Northern Lights Gaming have?
According to the company, more than 40, and new games keep coming out.
4
What is the Unusual Suspects series?
It is the studio's main series, which already includes several games, among them Unusual Suspects, More Unusual Suspects and Unusual Suspects: Legend of Olympus. Unusual Suspects itself is a detective slot where the player solves clues in free spins to catch the Big Boss.
5
Which Northern Lights Gaming slot offers the biggest win?
Among the games in this review, Bison Moon Thunder Charge leads with a max win of 12,500x.
Where to play Northern Lights Gaming slots
Casinos from our catalogue that carry this provider’s games. Always check terms and bonuses on the casino page.
