Introduction to The Big Dog House
The Big Dog House is a casino slot from Pragmatic Play and another visit from our favorite puppies. We first met them in The Dog House, released in 2019, but since then they’ve become royalty in The Dog House – Royal Hunt and sailing the seven seas as pirates in The Dog House – Muttley Crew. The series has become known for constantly changing mechanics and for following industry trends. This time, we are presented with a version of the “3 Pot” mechanic, where Bonus Features can boost the win potential during the Free Spins. Here, we get sticky Wild Multipliers that can appear in sizes 1x1, 1x3, or 3x3. As always, we are presented with good RTP by default and an impressive max win of 15,000X the bet, but the gameplay isn’t as innovative and ambitious as previous releases, earning a decent rating. Let’s find out what the dogs can dig up in The Big Dog House demo.
Theme, Gameplay, & Payouts
The Big Dog House is a video slot by Pragmatic Play that features 5 reels, 3 rows, and 20 paylines. You can select bet sizes ranging from 0.2 to 240, with a default RTP of 96.53%, which is considered above industry average. However, operators can choose to use one of the lower ones, such as 95.45% or 94.48%. This game has medium volatility and a hit frequency of 26.66%, offering potential wins of up to an average 15,000X your bet. On average, it takes 188.44 spins to activate the bonus game and 17,953,321 spins to land the maximum win. Lastly, getting wins over 5,000X and 1,000X the bet averages 1 in 9,871,668 and 33,082 spins, respectively.
The game’s design is based on a cute dog theme, where you can play outside in the sun with clear blue skies. The 5x3 game grid is placed inside a dog house, and if you want to boost the gaming experience for a cost, activate the Feature Buy, Super Bets, and Ante Bets buttons on the left side. All other buttons, including the Spin and Bet Size, can be found below the reels. You can play The Big Dog House on all mobile devices, desktops, and notepads. You create a winning combination by landing 3 or more of the same symbol types on adjacent reels starting at the leftmost reel.
The lower-paying symbols are 10, J, Q, K, and A. Landing 5 of the same symbol type pays between 1.25X and 2.5X. The higher-paying symbols are a dog bone, a collar, a green dog, a pug, a pink dog, and a rottweiler. Landing 5 of the same symbol type pays between 5X and 37.5X.
The game’s Wild Symbol has the design of a dog house and can land on reels 2, 3, and 4, carrying a multiplier value of 2X or 3X. It can appear in sizes of 1x1, 1x3, or 3x3, boosting the win potential. Due to the familiar “3 Pots” mechanic, we get 3 Bonus Symbols, each with the power to trigger the corresponding Bonus Game. Let’s find out what kind of features this game has to offer.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot of The Big Dog House?
The max win is 15,000X the bet.
What features are available in the slot of The Big Dog House?
The features of this slot game are Wild Symbol, Bonus Games, Super Bets, Ante Bets, and Feature Buy.
Wild Symbol
The Wild Symbol substitutes all symbols except the Bonus Symbols and helps you create winning combinations. It can land on reels 2, 3, and 4, with multiplier values of 2X or 3X, which is applied to all wins it’s part of. If several Wild Multipliers are part of the same win, they are added together before being applied.
The Wild Symbol can land with sizes of 1x1 (Normal), 1x3 (Expanded), or 3x3 (Colossal).
Bonus Games
This feature can be triggered by any combination of 3 Bonus Symbols: Bonus, Biggie Bonus, and Ghost Out Bonus. The Bonus Games can be triggered simultaneously. The features cannot be retrigged.
Free Spins
This feature can be triggered by landing 3 Bonus Symbols (red) on reels 1, 3, and 5 during the Base Game. Before the feature starts, you are presented with a game grid of 3x3, and one spin that will determine the number of Free Spins. Each cell shows a random number of 1, 2, or 3, which means you can be granted between 9 and 27 Free Spins.
During the feature, all Wilds land as 1x1, and whenever they appear on reels 2, 3, or 4, they become sticky until no more Free Spins remain. All sticky Wilds have a random multiplier value of 2X or 3X, and are applied to all wins they are part of.
Biggie Free Spins
This feature can be triggered if the Biggie Bonus Symbols (green) are part of a triggering combination with any other Bonus Symbols during the Base Game. Activating the Free Spins with the Biggie Modifier.
During the feature, all Wild Symbols on reels 2, 3, and 4 land with a colossal size of 1x3
Ghost Out Free Spins
This feature can be triggered if the Ghost Out Bonus Symbols (blue) are part of a triggering combination with any other Bonus Symbols during the Base Game. Activating the Free Spins with the Ghost Out Modifier.
During the feature, the Ghost Wild Symbol can land on reel 5. It works as a normal Wild Symbol and carries a multiplier value of 2X or 3X. Whenever it hits the reels, during the round, a random sticky Wild of any size currently in view is selected, and it unsticks, removed from the reels at the start of the next spin.
Biggie and Ghost Out Free Spins can be triggered simultaneously.
Super Bets
Activated the Super Bets if you want to boost the gaming experience for a cost.
5X (Super Spin 1) = Guaranteed Expanded Wild. RTP of 96.55%.
50X (Super Spin 2) = Guaranteed Random Wilds. RTP of 96.54%.
100X (Super Spin 3) = 50% chance of Colossal Wild. RTP of 96.47%.
200X (Super Spin 4) = Guaranteed Colossal Wild. RTP of 96.54%.
Ante Bets
Activate the Ante Bet to boost the gaming experience for a cost.
2X (Ante Bet 1) = 24X chance to win Biggie Free Spins. RTP of 96.51%.
2X (Ante Bet 2) = 24X chance to win Ghost Out Free Spins. RTP of 96.55%.
4X (Ante Bet 3) = 6X chance to win all Free Spins. RTP of 96.53%.
6X (Ante Bet 4) = 170X chance to win Biggie Ghost Out Free Spins. RTP of 96.54%.
Feature Buy
If you want to advance directly to the Bonus Game for a cost, use the Feature Buy options:
100X = Trigger the normal Free Spins. RTP of 96.54%.
200X = Triggers the Biggie Free Spins. RTP of 96.50%.
200X = Trigger the Ghost Out Free Spins, but with no Ghost Wilds. RTP of 96.43%.
500X = Triggers all Free Spins options, with only expanded and colossal Wilds. No Ghost Wilds. RTP of 96.56%.
Final Thoughts on The Big Dog House
Pragmatic Play returns with another Dog House edition, keeping the core intact while offering an eye-catching max win of 15,000X the bet. It’s been almost 7 years since we first met the puppies in the original, and in terms of design, things are about the same, offering vibrant colors and familiar visuals. The soundtrack creates a pleasant tone, but the constant dog barking isn’t for us, as we quickly reached for the mute button.
So what makes this game stand out from previous editions? Although the design is familiar, the provider has introduced a version of the trending “3 Pot” mechanic, recently seen in Mummy’s Jewels 100. Here, you can trigger the Free Spins with the Biggie and Ghost Out modifiers, depending on which Bonus Symbols activate the Bonus Game. The game’s highlight is the Wild Symbols, which can appear with a multiplier value of up to 3X and sizes of 1x1, 1x3, or 3x3, offering some good win potential, especially when they become sticky during the Bonus Games. However, the studio has also included a Ghost Wild, which will make other Wild Symbols “unsticky” and remove them from the reels. Even if it creates a video-game element, we couldn’t really see the point of the Ghost Wild, besides making it harder for us to create winning combinations.
Overall, The Big House creates a familiar gaming experience with only minor design changes compared to the original. In terms of gameplay, it offers decent win potential with Sticky Wild Multiplier at Colossal size, but it still feels like a lighter version compared to its predecessors.
The Big Dog House is a slot with a familiar vibe, offering giant Sticky Wild Multipliers, but it lacks the depth we’re used to seeing from this series.
