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Interview with Jyri Pääkkönen from Snowborn Games
This week in the interview chair we have Jyri Pääkkönen, Founder and Chief Product Officer at Snowborn Games. He is here to tell us all about their brand-new slot Lucky Lemons 2 – Juiced Up™. And after that he will share to Slotsoo readers what else the Swedish/Finnish studio has in store for 2026.
- Interviewer: Markus Björk – Head Writer for Slotsoo
- Interviewee: Jyri Pääkkönen – Founder and Chief Product Officer at Snowborn Games
Part I: Introduction to Snowborn Games
Thanks for joining us for this interview, Jyri Pääkkönen. Can you start by introducing yourself to our readers and explain what your day-to-day role is at Snowborn.
Glad to join you! I am one of the founders at Snowborn Games, and my day-to-day work spans product strategy, game design, and game mathematics, alongside overseeing the development and delivery of new titles across the studio. I’m involved from early concept discussions through to final release, ensuring that each game aligns with our creative vision and design principles.
For those who aren’t familiar with Snowborn’s games, which titles would you highlight as representative of the studio’s identity, and why?
Over the last seven years, we have built a diverse portfolio of games, but I think our biggest success has been the “1UP” Multiplier Cash Collect mechanic. It features in our well-known series, Pile ‘Em Up™ and Massive Gold™, as well as their follow-ups, and reflects the kind of mechanic-led design philosophy that defines Snowborn Games.
Snowborn describes its games as artistically unique. Can you talk us through that ethos and the design decisions that make your content stand out?
We are fortunate to have extremely talented artists with extensive experience in the industry, which gives us the flexibility to work across a wide range of visual styles. You can see that in the modern retro look of Pile ‘Em Up™, the more expressive, cartoon-inspired style of Cat Clans™ and our more classic slot art direction.
What’s important for us is approaching each project from a distinct creative angle, ensuring that the visual identity supports the mechanics and overall structure of the game.
Part II: Lucky Lemons 2 – Juiced Up™
The latest release you’re keen to shout about is Lucky Lemons 2 – Juiced Up™. What was it about the original Lucky Lemons™ game that made the team opt for a sequel?
Lucky Lemons™ proved to be a strong release for us, and it felt like a natural step to revisit the concept. We really enjoyed working with the original art style, which combines a classic slot theme with a more playful presentation.
With Lucky Lemons 2 – Juiced Up™, we wanted to build on that foundation by refining the visual identity, particularly through the sticker-style symbols and the bright, citrus-inspired setting. This approach gave us more flexibility to explore new visual details and mechanical ideas, while still staying true to the recognisable look of the original.
What have you added or refined in Lucky Lemons 2 – Juiced Up™ to enhance the overall experience?
There are several new features, but what really brings everything together is Juiced Up Spins, which takes the game into a faster bonus format where a juicer applies higher multipliers to the lemon cash values landing on the reels.
All visible cash values during the feature are included in the calculation once collected, making the outcome of each spin clear and easy to follow.
Slotsoo’s Tips: Here you Can Play Lucky Lemons 2 – Juiced Up™
Snowborn Games has offices in Stockholm and Helsinki, so it is only natural you will find the studio on many Nordic casinos. Slotsoo offers safe options for players living in Finland, and we also have a language version dedicated to sites with Swedish license. MGA Casinos and Estonia Casinos are great options for the rest of us! Thanks to Snowborn being a part of the Games Global network, you can find the new Lucky Lemons 2 – Juiced Up at leading casinos worldwide.
Part III: Building on Success
Looking through your portfolio of games, we can see that this isn’t your first sequel over the last few years. For Snowborn, what makes a good follow-up game in your eyes?
Creating a good sequel comes down to having brands and mechanics that are strong enough to return to, and then doing it at the right time. At the same time, you do not want to dilute what made the original work, so we try to be especially careful from both a mechanical and visual point of view. We have been fortunate to have several titles that felt natural to expand on, and the aim is always the same: keep the essence of the original while bringing something genuinely new to the table.
What’s next from Snowborn after Lucky Lemons 2 – Juiced Up™?
You can expect a mix of follow-ups to some of our established titles alongside completely new concepts, with a continued focus on mechanic-driven design and varied visual styles.
We’re also exploring new gameplay ideas that expand on what we’ve developed so far, while maintaining the approach that defines Snowborn Games. Overall, 2026 looks very strong for us, so keep an eye out for Snowborn Games!
