Hot Dog Heist Slot Review

Technically, Hot Dog Heist has only one bonus feature, which is triggered in the traditional way (3 or more scatters landed in a single spin). However, when this happens, instead of the typical free spins round starting, a bonus wheel appears. Here, players can receive one of 7 modifiers, which will apply during free spins. 

Free Spins and Modifiers

Players are awarded 7 free spins when three or more scatter symbols appear on the reels in any position within a single spin.  Before the bonus round begins, the feature wheel will randomly choose a free spin modifier using the bonus wheel. There are 7 possible modifiers, which are as follows:

• The Pack: Awards 3 free spins during which 4x4 Mega symbols appear on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5
• Golden Retriever: Awards 3 free spins during which up to two reels may be filled with wild symbols.
• Rough Collie: Awards one free spin with Rough Collie symbols stacked on reels 2, 3 and 4. When these symbols create a full 3x3 or 3x4 block on said reels, players receive one respin with the blocks of symbols remaining in place.
• Labrador: Awards one free spin and applies a prize multiplier ranging from 5 to 30x.
• Border Collie: Awards one free spin during which a 2x2 wild Border Collie symbol block emerges. If more Border Collie symbols occur, one respin is rewarded. (Border Collie symbols are both wild and sticky in this feature).
• Bulldog: One free spin is provided, and two 2x2 Bulldog symbols emerge. One or more respins may be provided with sticky Bulldog symbols until you land at least one winning combination.
• Who's a Good Dog?: This activates a Pick & Click bonus feature with a grid of 20 tiles appearing on the screen. Players simply have to click or tap on tiles to reveal their prize. Rewards range from 0.25x to 25x the stake or triggering any of the 6 modifiers listed above. Clicking continues until an X appears, at which point the player is returned to the reels to play their free spins. The round will also end if ‘The Pack’ or ‘Golden Retriever’ modifiers are awarded. If the other modifiers are discovered, the free spins mode plays out, after which you return to the Pick & Click for additional picking.

Slots do not have to be super serious with clashes of epic gods and stakes over heaven or hell to be exceptional, as the Hot Dog Heist slot proves. The theme is simple but tells an entertaining story which enhances the cartoon style of the game and brings a twist on the animal slot genre, where it is usually all about prize pooches and regal kitties. 

Play’n Go have been knocking it out of the (dog) park recently by masterfully applying small twists to traditional and popular slot elements. For example, the trend currently is for high-volatility slots, and while Play’n Go provides for this need, the medium volatility rating of Hot Dog Heist is a breath of fresh air that keeps gameplay accessible to a broader range of players. The rest of the game's math model, a 96.55% RTP and top prize of 2,500x the total stake, are more than fair for a slot of this type.

Where Hot Dog Heist stands out is whenever the free spins bonus activates. The modifiers on offer such as win multipliers and Mega symbols will be familiar to players, and work seamlessly with one another to add up to a very unique playing experience. 

If I were to give one criticism, it would be that a few of the modifiers seen in the bonus round could be used during the base game in a reduced form (such as the Labrador modifier awarding lower base game multipliers of 1- 5x). This would keep the base game engaging when the bonus feature has not been activated by the player for some time. Overall, though, the Hot Dog Heist slot machine is 100% Purebred and gets a rating of 8.5/10 from me.

Rating: 8.5