Theme and Storyline
This slot has an urban dog theme.
On the gritty streets of LA, players will meet a variety of tough, yet musically inclined canines. These personified dogs have a lot of style and Hip Hop attitude, though they seem to be fresh out of the 2000s era.
Animal lovers will enjoy the pups’ cute faces and those in the mood for some Y2K nostalgia will get into this game’s vibe easily. A few stereotypes of urban culture may be at play, but the dogs keep things light and fun.
Graphics, Sounds and Animations
The soundtrack is ideal for those who want to dance like it’s 2003 again. The tune brings to mind R&B tunes of years gone by, though it’s unclear if the aesthetic is meant to be retro, or is accidentally dated.
The setting of this game is a poorly kept street lined with palm trees. The aesthetic brings to mind the tougher neighbourhoods of America’s warmer cities such as LA. Overhead, a blue sky is full of drifting pink clouds, suggesting the sun is about to set. This adds romance and immediacy to the game world.
The dogs themselves have serious expressions, even though they are dressed in human outfits. A bulldog sports a crown, suggesting he is the top dog in town, while a chihuahua peers out from the reel in dark shades. The ensembles of the dogs seem to reference popular R&B and rap artists, though indirectly.
Also on the reels is an array of letters that reference graffiti aesthetics. This is consistent with the game’s theme, though it leans on stereotypes somewhat.
Gameplay
Top Dawg$ is a five reel, three row slot with 15 win lines.
Wilds, Bonuses and Free Spins
The Wild symbol substitutes for all symbols except the Bonus symbol.
The Free Spins feature is triggered when players land 3 or more Bonus symbols. The number of free spins awarded depends on how many Bonus symbols have landed as follows:
While in the Free Spins feature, all Wild symbols are sticky and may have associated multipliers. Should the Wilds land on the same win line, their multipliers will multiply each other. The highest multiplier that may be on each Wild symbol is x7.
Should players land additional Bonus symbols during the Free Spins feature, they will be awarded an additional free spin and increase the multipliers on any Wilds by +1.
Players have the option to buy directly into the Free Spins feature when they wish.
The Mystery Respins feature is triggered when players land a Mystery symbol on reel 5. After the feature begins, players may be granted more respins as new Mystery symbols land. Once no more Mystery symbols land, all the landed Mystery symbols will reveal a matching symbol.
Bet Sizes, RTP and Variance
The return to player of this game is 96.1%, about our yardstick for average of roughly 96%.
The range of bets on the site we tested ran from a minimum bet per spin of $/£/€0.10 up to a maximum of $/£/€40.00 per spin.
The volatility of this game is high, which makes it a good match for our preferred slot machine strategies. Our slot strategies target the highest possible volatility.
Conclusion
We recommend this average RTP, high volatility urban dog-themed slot.
Though the degree to which the theme is meant to be ironically retro is unclear, this game does have a decent strategy profile. With its high volatility and respectable RTP, this game is a solid choice for players looking to maximise their winnings.