Sometimes in life, people fall into two broad categories: dog people or cat people. For those in the former group who can’t resist a bit of drool or picking up warm business on a walk, developer Pragmatic Play has your back. Originally released in May 2019, the classic slot "The Dog House" turned out to be a hit for the studio and resonated well with the casino community. With feel-good cartoon hounds warming players to its charm, the game’s success led to a revamped version that barks louder and bites harder—welcome to "The Dog House Megaways."
If you’re a player who enjoys sequels but fears drastic changes, the visuals in "The Dog House Megaways" should provide great comfort. The playful pooches are back, hanging out in the same white picket fence suburban yard, as wide-eyed and innocent as ever. The main difference is the enlarged game area to accommodate the 6-reel Megaways setup. On each spin, 2 to 7 symbols appear on each reel, providing win ways ranging from 64 to a whopping 117,649.
"The Dog House Megaways" stays true to its roots with some familiar elements and a few new twists. The game lacks a bonus reel and cascade or reaction features, making it a straightforward slot experience. Playable from $.20 to $100 a spin, the game has a theoretical RTP of 96.55%. Wins come in and the next spin occurs without any cascading feature, making the gameplay rather straightforward.
The symbols are carryovers from the original "Dog House" game, including chunky 10 to A tiles, bones, collars, and various dog breeds like dachshunds, pugs, Shih Tzus, and Rottweilers. Despite the increased number of win ways, values have decreased, with premium dog symbols now worth 1.5 to 7.5 times the stake. The dog house symbol is wild and appears on reels 2, 3, 4, or 5, potentially carrying random multipliers of x2 or x3. These multipliers can combine for even larger payouts.
| Symbol | Prize for 3 | Prize for 4 | Prize for 5 | Prize for 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scattered Pawprint | 7/15 free spins | 12/18 free spins | 15/25 free spins | 20/30 free spins |
| Rottweiler | 75 | 200 | 300 | 750 |
| Miniature Yorkie | 50 | 100 | 150 | 300 |
| Pug | 35 | 75 | 100 | 200 |
| Sausage Dog | 20 | 50 | 75 | 150 |
| Collar | 15 | 40 | 50 | 150 |
| Bone | 15 | 40 | 50 | 150 |
| A, K, Q | 10 | 20 | 30 | 100 |
| J, 10 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 50 |
The Dog House Megaways offers two primary bonus features: Sticky Wilds Free Spins and Raining Wilds Free Spins. Landing 3 or more scatter symbols triggers the bonus game, where players choose between these two options.
Players can also opt to buy the bonus feature for 100 times their stake, immediately triggering a random number of 3 to 6 scatters.
Which option should you select?
Select the Sticky Wilds as it enables the wilds to stay on the board.
If you land 4 scatters, it is an absolute no-brainer to take the Sticky Wilds. There's only a 3 spin upgrade for Raining Wilds, but for Sticky Wilds it is a 5 spin upgrade, which makes this potentially more potent.
The game features an RTP of approximately 96.55%, slightly above average for online slots, paired with slightly higher volatility. To call it high volatility would be a massive lie considering that there are far higher volatility games offered by Pragmatic Play and the volatility offered by other providers is much higher.
Our Thoughts
"The Dog House Megaways" is a dependable, visually appealing slot with the potential for significant wins. While it may not introduce groundbreaking new features, it offers a solid gameplay experience, particularly for fans of the original. Whether you’re enamored by its canine charm or in it for the highest RTP in the franchise, "The Dog House Megaways" has something to offer.
If you're going to play a game from this franchise, this is the choice. The bonus buy ability, sticky wilds, and RTP make it the most attractive option. It's prettier than the Shih-Tzu.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | The Dog House Megaways |
| Provider | Pragmatic Play |
| Game Type | Slots |
| Reels | 6 |
| Rows | 3 |
| Paylines | Maximum of 117,649 |
| RTP | 96.55% |
| House Edge | 3.45% |
| Max Win | 12,305x |
| Volatility | 7.5/10 |
| Min Bet | 0.20 |
| Max Bet | 100 |
| Release Date | 09/07/2020 |
| Theme | Dogs |
| Feature Buy Available? | No |
