A slot is a position or time in a group, series or sequence. A slot on a calendar is an open time that can be used to schedule meetings or other events. In sports, a slot is the area in front of and between two face-off circles on an ice hockey rink. Speed players use the slot to beat back defenders and go inside and outside, unlike boundary cornerbacks who only cover the arc of the wide receiver.
A video game developer needs to understand the basics of slot development. Like any game, it can be designed to be infinitely replayed and often has a storyline that emerges from dialogue with the player or encouragement. Developing slots is usually easier than multilevel plot-rich games, but it still requires some knowledge of programming and how to write a game script for Unity or Unreal Engine.
The first step in designing a slot is to come up with a concept for the game. This can be inspired by other artworks, slot machines, popular culture, themes of technology or other genres. From here, the next step is to develop a rough draft of the game design. This can be done in a variety of ways, including sketching and using 3D modeling software to produce a mockup. Depending on the complexity and innovativeness of the game mechanics, it may take a few months up to a year to complete a slot from scratch for one or more platforms.