The Dog House – Dog or Alive is the fifth slot machine in the legendary line of “dog” slots of the Pragmatic Play provider. By mechanics, it is as close as possible to the original release of 2019. The basic betting mode in these apparatuses does not differ. They have the same symbols, lines and even payout odds. The difference between the classic “Dogs” and the new release is in the increased to x10,000 maximum payout and freespins. The chips of the latter are still sticky wilds. However, unlike its predecessor The Dog House – Dog or Alive allows you to extend the series of spins and increase the base multipliers of wild symbols.
- Expert Review
- Test progress
- Statistics
- Features of the machine
- Editorial opinion
Play demo version
Expert Review
In the basic betting mode, the difference between the regular The Dog House and the Dog or Alive version is only visual. The game is played on a field of the same format. In the cells appear the same symbols with identical payout ratios. The RTP of the novelty is slightly increased – it is 96.52% for regular spins and 96.54% for freespins. In the original “Dogs” payout is fixed – 96.51%.
In The Dog House – Dog or Alive there is an option to buy freespins. They can be instantly activated for 100 bets
In The Dog House – Dog or Alive there is an option to buy freespins. They can be instantly activated for 100 bets.
The volatility of the slot is high. To a greater extent, it is felt in free spins. The results in individual cases vary greatly. Volatility is also manifested in the basic betting mode. Series of “empty” spins can reach 30 pieces in a row. If you can not activate freespins for a long time, the balance in most cases goes into the minus.
| Event | Value |
|---|---|
| Freespins occurrence | 80, 227, 255, 333, 354, 902nd spin |
| Best results in the bonus round | х408 |
| Largest multiplier in base betting mode | х37,5 |
Main Game
The machine has a field format 5 x 3. It has 20 paylines. Combinations are formed from 3 or more of the same symbols. For 5 low-paying images give x1.25, for a full line of the most expensive signs – x37.5. But the maximum combinations are not often collected. In practice, in most cases, payments occur for 3-4 symbols, and the coefficients on them are much lower. For example, if 5 dice give a win x5, then 4 and 3 – x1 and x0.4 respectively.
The wilds brighten up the situation a bit. Each wild symbol participating in the combination increases the payout by 2-3 times. In the basic betting mode multipliers are limited to these values. But in freespins they can be higher.
Wild symbols fall out only on the 3 middle reels. If several wilds fall on the same line, their multipliers are summed up
Wild symbols appear only on the 3 middle reels. If there are several wilds on one line, their multipliers are summed up.
In addition to the wild symbols in the slot machine The Dog House – Dog or Alive has one more special symbol. This is a scatter in the form of a safe. It appears only on the 1st, 3rd and 5th reels and is necessary to activate freespins. Three scatters give an instant payout of 5 bets.
Freespins
Free spins in Dog or Alive are different from the original slot The Dog House. The basic options in it are the same, but due to several additional mechanics, this feature feels different. How freespins work:
- After 3 or more scatters fall out, the number of scrolls is determined randomly.In turn, 9 counters are rotated, which can have from 1 to 3 freespins. Then their values are summarized.
- During the freespins on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th reels can fall out wilds with multipliers x2 and x3.They become sticky and are fixed in the cells until the end of the bonus function.
- Each wild symbol fills the progress meter.If 3 wilds appear on the field, the user will get 3 additional spins. Also in 2 times increase the multipliers on wild symbols. Fill the progress bar will not get more than 3 times.
The total value of multipliers on the wilds can be from x16 to x24. But in practice, this does not happen often. During the test to advance to the second level was possible in 50% of cases, and the third – never.
In order not to wait for the fall of 3 scatter, the bonus function can be purchased. The cost of its activation is equivalent to 100 bets. When buying freespins RTP slot machine increases to 96.54%.
The course of the test
To test the slot machine was taken its demo version on the official website of the provider Pragmatic Play. The total distance amounted to 1000 spins, and this allowed us to draw some conclusions about the slot. The high volatility stated by the developer was confirmed. It is felt quite strongly. It can be traced even in comparison with other high-volatility devices of the provider. Of the 10 segments of 100 spins plusovymi turned out to be only 3. But they were so successful that they allowed to complete the test with a result of +744 bets. Freespins fell out 6 times, and 4 of them – on a stretch of 200 spins. The overall results are summarized in the table.
| Spins | Totals in bets (total) | The three biggest payout ratios | Bonus game results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-100 | +150 (+150) | x11.75, x8.25, x2.5 | х202 |
| 101-200 | -79 (+71) | x5.5, x5.25, x2.5 | – |
| 201-300 | +692 (+763) | x11.75, x7.5, x7 | x408, x334 |
| 301-400 | +199 (+962) | x37.5, x11.75, x7.25 | x25, x173 |
| 401-500 | -36 (+926) | x31, x9, x7.5 | – |
| 501-600 | -49 (+877) | x14.75, x9.75, x6.5 | – |
| 601-700 | -46 (+831) | x9.75, x5.5, x5 | – |
| 701-800 | -54 (+777) | x7.5, x5.55, x3 | – |
| 801-900 | -32 (+745) | x15, x10, x5 | – |
| 901-1000 | -1 (+744) | x5, x3.5, x3 | х21 |
Buying bonus
Separately, the editorial team tested the purchase of freespins. The cost of this option is 100 bets. In total, freespins were bought 10 times, which is equivalent to 1000 spins.
| Purchase number | Result | Total (total) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | х6 | -94 (-94) |
| 2 | х16 | -84 (-178) |
| 3 | х7 | -93 (-271) |
| 4 | х140 | +40 (-231) |
| 5 | х176 | +76 (-155) |
| 6 | х56 | -44 (-199) |
| 7 | х36 | -64 (-263) |
| 8 | х251 | +151 (-112) |
| 9 | х6 | -94 (-216) |
| 10 | х101 | +1 (-215) |
The overall result was much worse than the baseline test. Freespins paid for themselves only 4 times out of 10, and in 3 cases the plus was insignificant. As a result, the starting bankroll decreased by 215 bets.
Statistics
In the course of testing, the editorial staff collected statistics. The main points that we managed to note are prepared in the table.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Volatility by feelings | Very high |
| Regularity of freespins activation | On average once every 166 spins |
| Frequency of combinations | On average once every 5-10 spins |
| Probable period of “empty” spins | Up to 30 spins |
| Advancement to the second level of freespins | In 50% of cases |
Features of the machine
The Dog House – Dog or Alive has become a kind of reinterpretation of the classic “Dogs”. Although the latter has not lost its popularity, this slot machine has refined its gameplay shortcomings. Among the features of the slot stand out:
- The possibility of getting extra spins in freespins.
- The function of increasing multipliers on the wilds in the bonus round.
- Maximum winnings – x10,000 bets.
- The possibility of buying freespins.
- The range of bets – from 0.2 to 240 conventional units.
The mobile version of the slot is adaptive. The interface stretches over the display area, which makes it possible to play on any smartphone or tablet. Its only difference from the desktop format is the changed size and location of buttons.
From the additional functional options everything is usual for the slots of Pragmatic Play studio. There are customizable automatic spins and several modes of speed spins.
Features of the machine
View the technical parameters of the slot machine can be found in the information section inside the slot. Also, some characteristics are duplicated on the official website of the developer. The main parameters are listed in the table.
| Characteristics | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Pragmatic Play |
| Release date | March 2024 |
| Genre | Animals |
| RTP | 96,52% |
| RTP when buying freespins | 96,54% |
| Volatility | High |
| Number of lines | 20 |
| Game board layout | 5 х 3 |
| Method of combinations formation | From the left reel |
| Buy bonus game | For 100 bets |
| Re-spins | No |
| Risk Game | No |
| Jackpot | No |
| Largest base odds | х37,5 |
| Winning Potential | х10 000 |
Editor’s Opinion
The Dog House – Dog or Alive slot machine will appeal to fans of high-volatility slots, especially Pragmatic Play’s “dog” series. Although it is very reminiscent of the original 2019 release and copies it in many ways, gameplay-wise the machine feels different. This is evident in the freespins, where you can now get extra spins and increase the base multipliers up to x24 on each wild.
Play the demoThe high volatility of the game must be taken into account. In the slot often happen as large wins, and a protracted series of “empty” spins. The latter can last up to 30 bets.
