Slot Description
Pug Life unfolds in a 5 reels and 4 rows grid panel with 16 fixed paylines. Wagering in the game starts from 0.10 coins and moves up to 100 coins per spin. With these feasible betting margins, expect wins at frequent intervals since Pug Life has medium variance (rated 3 out of 5). And given Hacksaw's record with mid-volatility slots, Pug Life comes off as an improvement with its max prize offer: the game awards an impressive 7,500x the stake.
Pug Life RTP of 96.33% is another impressive stat to peer at. However, RTPs are theoretical and often do not hold to their value during short gaming sessions. But on average, having an RTP score above 96% is always better, and from this aspect, Pug Life looks to be doing pretty well. The statistics get further boosted by the slot's hit frequency of 29%, which suggests the likelihood of landing wins within every 4 spins or so.
In our first impression of the game, we found the production value of Pug Life to be of a superior quality than The Dog House. However, the results become far more interesting when it comes down to the business end of things. While the game doesn't deviate much from the statistics mentioned above, a few insights might help you decide whether to put real money into the game.
Theme, Sound, and Design
It takes little time to decide that Pug Life is a canine-themed slot. In fact, the theme becomes pretty evident from the game title itself. Centered around Pugly the Pug, the slot displays the domestic adorability of various critters: dogs, cats, and even mice. With two bonus features embedded in the game, the switch of locations also takes place as we move to the kitchen in Treat Yo'Self and the backyard during The Dawg's Den.
The lively and innocent vibe of the slot heightens further with the background score. We were pleased to find ample variations in the sound effects throughout the gaming session. And, of course, there's also the usual barking sound that comes with the Dawg's Den scatter symbol. Overall, the visuals and BGM of Pug Life blend seamlessly with the slot's theme and might sway most players with its cuteness.
Symbols and Payouts
The slot's paytable consists of 10 to A card royals offering 1-2x the stake for landing five matching ones. Next in line are the high-paying symbols of mice, pigeons, owls, and two kinds of dogs. These critters offer 4x to 10x the stake for hitting a five-of-a-kind winning combination.
You'll also find Treats symbols in Pug Life, which act as wilds and substitutes for any pay symbols in a line win. Moreover, hitting 5 Treat symbols across a payline awards 10x the stake. Apart from being wild symbols, Treats also come with varying multipliers. The multiplier size depends on the type of Treats you get. The slot has three categories of Treats:
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Biscuit: x2, x3, and x4
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Bone: x5, x10, x15 and x20
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Steak: x25, x50, x75, x100, x150, and x200
Treat multipliers are applicable when they are part of a winning combination.
There's also a scatter symbol named Dawg's Den, which triggers the bonus feature.
Features and Bonuses
Pug Life stresses a lot on multipliers in the form of Treats. Other than this, a couple of bonus features are also present to sink their teeth into your profits.
Treat Yo'Self
Getting 3 Treats of any kind in the same spin triggers the Treat Yo'Self bonus feature, starting with 5 free spins. The triggering Treat symbols are carried forward to the bonus round and remain sticky. The sticky Treats reveal a multiplier on each spin, depending on their type. Moreover, landing a new Treat symbol during the bonus feature awards an extra free spin.
The Dawg's Den
Hitting a minimum of 3 Dawg's Den scatter in the same spin triggers the Dawg's Den feature. The triggering scatters reveal a value of either 3 or 4. Values from each scatter get added up, and their total becomes equivalent to the number of free spins you get. No wins get awarded until the feature ends. Any wins generated or Treat multipliers awarded get collected and are displayed at the top of the reels. Once the feature ends, the total win amount gets multiplied by the accumulated multiplier.
Also, keep an eye on the Toaster symbol, which might land on reel 4 or 5 during the Dawg's Den feature. Toasters are sticky and remain in their position until the feature ends. The Toasters reveal either a multiplier or a win amount that gets added to the respective total. Multipliers from Toasters can go up to x100, while the cash amount is capped at 100. Moreover, hitting new Dawg's Den symbols awards additional free spins.
Buy Bonus
Hacksaw's proprietary buy bonus allows you to trigger the game's extras at a given cost. However, this option might not be available in some regions.
Features
Cost
Volatility
RTP
Bonus FeatureSpins (increases the chance to trigger any bonus feature by 5 times)
3x
High
96.30%
Treat FeatureSpins (guarantees at least 1 Treat symbol on each spin)
2x
High
96.25%
Treat Yo’Self
100x
Medium
96.27%
The Dawg’s Den
100x
Medium
96.29%
About the Game Provider
From creating Stick' Em to releasing Pug Life, Hacksaw has come a long way in game design, embedding exciting mechanics and offering generous payouts. With over 60 slot in the company's portfolio, it is commendable the leaps the game provider is making. This fact becomes even more interesting when we acknowledge that the company started its journey only in 2017. Although Hacksaw Gaming slots is what the game provider is primarily known for, the company also has an impressive collection of scratchcards. Recently, the game provider has also started adding Instant Win games to its collection.
At present, Hacksaw Gaming operates in over 20 regulated markets and has more than 300 operators around the globe. For a company still to complete its first decade in the igaming industry, the figures are impressive and show how much potential the game provider has. Hacksaw slots are also popular in several Bitcoin and crypto casinos.
