Desperate Dawgs

Overview Desperate Dawgs

Reflex Gaming has gone for what can only be described as a classic slot feel with one of their newest online slot games, Desperate Dawgs. This slot has been created in the hopes of stirring some positive nostalgia in players, with a simple but classic format parcelled up in an old-school western theme. This colourful slot is reminiscent of the old pokies that you might find in physical casinos all over the nation in pubs and bars.

In terms of extras and gameplay, Desperate Dawgs comes with a decent range of bonuses. These include The Wagon Trail bonus, which is a pick ‘em style feature with cash prizes attached. In addition, the game offers players a Bank Buster Bonus, which again follows the pick ‘em style dynamic, however, this time you are looking for a code to a bank safe. Lastly, there is the Crime Spree bonus, which is Desperate Dawg’s free spins round. This is probably the best bonus, as it has an attractive progressive multiplier attached to it.

Theme and Symbols

As the title probably suggests, this is a western theme slot but with a twist. All the characters for this slot game are dogs dressed in various old western clothing. If you are a fan of old western movies and a keen dog lover, then this hybrid slot is the perfect game for you. The theme starts with the background, which has been decorated to look like the expansive western plains of North America, complete with rocky outcrops, cacti and an unending azure sky occupied by swirling vultures. The game board has been brought into this theme by constructing it out of wood and hanging oil lanterns from its eves.

In terms of symbols, there are quite a few to be on the lookout for, each of which is detailed in the pay table. The lower paying symbols are a collection of playing card suits, the red suits payout better than the black for this game. When it comes to image symbols, there is a range of western iconography on display. These symbols include a revolver that sits on top of some playing cards. If you land 5 of these on a pay line, they pay out 10x your total bet. There is also a sheriff’s badge, which pays out even more and finally the most valuable symbol in the game, the game’s logo.

Landing 5 of these on a pay line will pay out 25x your stake.
There are also four special symbols, each of which pertains to a separate bonus game. These are illustrated as the various dog characters dressed in cowboy clothing. The wild icon is a barrel with the word ‘wild’ written on it.

Game Play

Desperate Dawgs is played on a 5-reel 3-row board with 20 pay lines. Landing the various bonus game symbols however will take you to new settings, where you will get added features to the reels such as a multiplier indicator. To land wins in Desperate Dawgs, players must land 3 or more matching symbols in paying formations across the board starting from the left-most reel.
The betting range for Desperate Dawgs is 20p to £100 per spin. To adjust their bet levels, players can use the tools located at the bottom of the screen. The auto-spins setting can also be found here. Desperate Dawg’s return to player percentage is set to 96%, about average for online slot machines.

Volatility for this game is described by the creators as in the medium to low range. The maximum payout that players can achieve with one spin is 3902x their stake.

Features

Most of the action for Desperate Dawgs is in the four bonus games triggered by the various scatters. However, Desperate Dawgs also has a wild in action across both the bonuses and the base game. As is typical for the wild, it will step in for any symbol bar the scatter to help players to form more wins. The four bonus games are triggered and played out as explained below:

The Wagon Trail bonus game is activated when players land 3 or more of the special Wagon Train dawg scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. The game will then take you through to a new setting, where you will be given the option of 3 wagons to choose from. Each wagon contains a different sized cash prize which is instantly added to your game total. The wagons have higher cash totals if you trigger the bonus with more scatters on the board.

Next is the Bank Buster bonus. To activate this game, players must land the Bank Buster dawg scatters on reels 1, 3 and 5 on the same spin. Again, players will be taken to a new screen where there will be 3 bank safes. You then must pick which one you will attempt to open. The success of your attempt will be decided by a number that you pick on a keypad. Opening the safe will reward you with a gold, silver or bronze prize which relate different random cash bonuses.

The final feature is the Crime Spree bonus game. Players can activate this game by landing a minimum of 3 Crime Spree dawg scatters on the board simultaneously. This will give you access to a free spins round, starting with 10 free spins. For every spin that you play in this bonus game, a progressive multiplier will grow. You can retrigger the bonus when within the game by landing more scatters. However, the progressive multiplier tops out at 30x. Applying this large multiplayer to your win is how players can achieve the top payout.

Conclusion

This classic slot takes players back to the simplicity and easy gaming experiences of the 90s, which for some will trigger very happy memories. This being said, the aesthetics might not be for everyone, but the game mechanics are at least quite promising. With a selection of useful and potentially lucrative bonus games, plus an attractively low volatility rating, Desperate Dawgs could prove to be a good game to have a few spins on.