While there are a seemingly endless number of studios creating games for the online gambling industry these days, the situation isn’t nearly as chaotic as it may look at first glance. There have been several waves of consolidation over the years, leading to a situation where many developers are subsidiaries of other, larger companies. In some cases, a single firm will simply have a number of different development studios working on different kinds of products, making it seem like there are more distinct providers out there than is really the case.

That’s the situation with QPS Interactive, a fruit machine provider that is one of the two design houses that make up the Bell-Fruit Group. In fact, looking at where this company fits in the framework of the overall industry might feel a bit like working through a Russian nesting doll: QPS is part of Bell-Fruit, which in turn was acquired by Astra Games, which is a part of the Novomatic Group – which may well be the only name on this whole list that you’re familiar with.

But what players really care about are games and software. And while QPS isn’t one of the biggest publishers out there, they have delivered some memorable slot machines for operators throughout the UK, even if they have yet to make their mark on the Internet just yet.

If you are looking to play any of the QPS games, you’ll have to take a look in your local pub, or perhaps an arcade that has some real money games. As far as we can tell, none of these titles have yet to be translated for online play, though we’re not sure this situation will last forever: given that the developer is associated with Novomatic and the Bell-Fruit Group, it wouldn’t shock us to see their titles show up alongside some of their associated brands in the future.

If that does happen, players will be in for a treat. QPS has an excellent collection of machines that are popular at many venues across the UK, most of which are regarded as rather entertaining and fun to play. The most uniting feature of these titles is the fact that they all use bright, bold colours: it’s an attractive choice, but also one that makes the games feel light, casual, and approachable.

Here’s a quick look at some of their most popular games:

Monopoly Full House: We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: doesn’t it seem like everyone has at least one Monopoly game these days? In Full House, you’ll be able to enjoy many of the most popular fruit machine spots in a three-reel, five-payline format. There are special features galore around this very busy machine: along with one track game that features the familiar Monopoly board layout, there are other track games, holds, pick’em games, and much more. You’ll rarely see a machine with more ways to win than this one (and barely a single inch to spare in terms of space to fit more features), making this one game that truly lives up to its name.

Monopoly High Roller: This machine takes a slightly different approach to the Monopoly concept. It’s still rather busy and features plenty of special bonus trails and other features, but it condenses the action down to a single win line. With holds and nudges, this is a little bit more akin to a traditional fruit machine – though there is still a lot going on here, all leading up to the special Mega Money mode that is activated if you collect 1,000 points in other features.

Karate Quid: An obvious parody of a film with a very similar name, Karate Quid allows you to play for up to £1 per spin, which – along with the martial arts theme – helps explain the game’s title. A prize trail gives you the chance to earn up to £70 in bonus money, while an inner board provides a mix of rewards. You can also earn some extra funds in the Cobra Cash feature, which is activated any time you light up four or more snakes.

Jailbreak: In this game of cops and robbers, you’ll have the chance to escape from jail and pick up some rather tantalizing prizes along the way. One of the interesting aspects of this machine is the way that the spins are integrated into your movements around the board game: your spins contain dice that control your movements. Players have the option to spend £1 on every spin to ensure they’re always enjoying the bonus board, though lower denominations (which make this play like a more traditional fruit machine) are also offered.

Quids in America: You might expect this machine to have an American theme – and let’s face it, you’d be right – but surprisingly, this game, which comes with five win lines, is just as much about fruit as anything else. Collecting cherries, grapes, oranges and more will allow you to continue to try to work your way down a win trail with prizes as high as £70. Of course, the Stars and Stripes of the USA play an important role as well; the more you get, the bigger the potential prizes in the Stars and Stripes feature.

As we said earlier, all of these games have found great popularity in a lot of British venues. It’s easy to see why: they take the classic fruit machine format and play with it in interesting ways, putting plenty of emphasis on special features that are designed to engage players as much as possible. In many cases, you can force your way into these bonuses if you’re willing to pay for them, allowing you to up the action at a modest cost.

The only disappointment so far is that these QPS games can’t be found at online casinos, even in the UK, where they would likely be rather popular. If they do show up any time soon, we feel confident that they’ll find plenty of fans who love playing them from the comfort of their homes just as much as they do over a pint at the local tavern.