Hounds of Hell

Hounds of Hell Review

Hounds of Hell is an upcoming online slot by the hot game developer Hacksaw Gaming scheduled for the last days of February. The machine is packed with classic elements, an advanced payout system, and plenty of twists and turns, ideally matching the provider's style. So, let's go down there, where the inferno rages!

Hacksaw Gaming is well-known for its affection for dark-themed slot machines, but the Hell and Devil topics were not part of its repertoire. Or, at least, they were not until recently! In July 2024, the studio unpacked this territory with the rather comedic SixSixSix, and now, a few months later, Hounds of Hell is about to get loose.

But this time, the provider has put the gameplay on the serious side, and this hellish masterpiece is deeper and more frightening. Moreover, Hounds of Hell is packed with Pay Anywhere mechanics, and players can unlock unlimited cascades after every winning combination. There are spreading special symbols with cumulative multipliers, a feature removing low symbols, and a couple of bonuses.

Hounds of Hell uses a 5x5 grid and is packed with all the usual technical stuff - Turbo, Super Turbo, Autoplay, etc. Players can enable 4 different Buy Bonus and bonus bet options via the respective panel and mix up the action. As usual, the game is playable on all devices and via all browsers due to advanced HTML5 optimization.

Hounds of Hell Slot - Game Screen

The Hounds of Hell symbols pay from any position if you have at least 6 in view. As usual, Hacksaw Gaming has been creative in its design, or at least of the high-valued ones. The Eye of Providence is the most generous one, paying from 2x to 50x the bet for 10+ in view.

The others present sinister symbols awarding between 0.30x and 1x for 6 of a kind and 7.50x to 25x for 10+ on the grid. The low-valued figures are A, K, Q, J, and 10, and each one carries payouts between 0.10x and 5x the bet. Overall, not bad at all, but the lack of a wild symbol is a bit of a disappointment.

The provider plans to release 4 versions with different payout rates to reach more country markets. The Hounds of Hell RTP ranges from 96.27%, through 94.16% and 92.26% to 88.14%. It's unnecessary to say that the highest RTP variant is the one I recommend. Thus, you'll certainly enjoy the Hit Frequency rate of 39% better!

Hounds of Hell is characterized by high levels of volatility and offers 22 stake levels from €0.10 to €100 per spin. The maximum win is juicy - 20,000x the bet and higher than most of the recent Hacksaw releases. It has been a while since the studio has been so generous, as the slot caps are usually between 7,500x (Marlin Masters) and 15,000x (Wings of Horus).

Hounds of Hell Features

Hounds of Hell stands out in several ways, and the feature set is definitely one of the title's strengths. Besides cascades and frequent wins, the base game is packed with spreading multipliers that can deliver awesome instant wins. The cherry on the cake is double, as the provider has added two Free Spins bonuses, as it normally does!

Hellhounds & Roaring Pack of Hell

Hellhounds can appear on any reel during the base game and will spread up to the top at the end of the spin. Each position will then reveal a multiplier, which can be additive or multiplicative, as shown below. Multipliers will be collected in the following directions: bottom to top and left to right. The sum of all multiplier values will be added to the regular payouts.

• Adding Multipliers - 1x to 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, and 50x;
• Multiplying Multipliers - x2, x3, x4, x5, and x10.

If Hellhound symbols land on adjacent reels and on the same row, they create a Roaring Pack and will get boosted multipliers. Even if their positions change after potential cascades, the pack remains active, and all spreading Hellhounds at the end of the spin become part of it.

• Adding Multipliers - 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50, and 100x;
• Multiplying Multipliers - x3, x4, x5, x10, and x20.

Hounds are Loose

Hounds are Loose is a Symbol Removal feature that can trigger randomly in the base game on any non-winning spin. All low-paying figures (A to 10) will be removed from the grid, and new ones will come from above for a new chance of forming winning combinations. Hounds are Loose can activate more than once during the same spin, and there is an increased chance of landing Hellhound symbols among the newly dropped ones.

Free Spins & Bonus Gamble

Scatters are the key to the bonus minigames in the Hounds of Hell slot, and before the start, you can choose to either accept the bonus or gamble it. If you choose the risk, 5 Hellfire Orbs will appear, and you'll have to choose three of them. Each one carries from 2 to 10 free spins or an Upgrade if you have neutered the bonus with 3 scatters.

What the Hell!

Three scatters grant you an entry to the What the Hell! bonus minigame. It starts with 10 free spins by default and can add more if you land 2 or 3 scatters during the minigame - +2 or +4 rounds, respectively. All features and modifiers from the base game are retained and remain active.

However, the Hellhound multipliers will be kept on top of each reel and can progressively increase. They will be awarded in total at the end of the bonus feature. During What the Hell!, the Hounds are Loose modifier is guaranteed to trigger after every sequence of 3 non-winning spins.

Who Let the Hounds Out?!?

Four scatters or an Upgrade during the Gamble feature award the Who Let the Hounds Out?!?. It also starts with 10 free spins, and extra ones can be won in the same way. The improved Hounds are Loose feature is also active, just like the features from the base game. This bonus level is played with persistent Hell Reels.

But, you need to activate each reel by landing a Hellhound symbol for the first time. It'll remain active until the end of the bonus minigame, and a Hellhound symbol is guaranteed to land on every free spin. The Hellhound multipliers are paid out on every round and not at the end, like in the What the Hell! bonus.

Buy Bonus Panel

Hacksaw Gaming usually adds a Buy Bonus panel to its slots, which is active in the countries where these features are not restricted. You can find 4 features in this game with fair prices, as displayed below:

• BonusHunt FeatureSpins - 3x the bet - 5x chance of triggering the bonus minigame (RTP 96.24% - 96.27%);
• Howling FeatureSpins - 60x the bet - 3 to 5 Hellhound symbols guaranteed. No Free Spins scatters (RTP 96.24%);
• What the Hell! - 100x the bet - 3 scatters guaranteed (RTP 96.18% - 96.25%);
• Who Let the Hounds Out?!? - 250x the bet - 4 scatters guaranteed (RTP 96.26% - 96.29%).

Theme & Graphics

Hounds of Hell is an interesting Scatter Pay slot because of the Hellish theme selected by the provider. As I already mentioned, dark and wicked games are perfectly within the style of Hacksaw, but those based on Hell are rare. Moreover, unlike SixSixSix, we see a deeper thought in the game's script.

Obviously, the action takes place in one of Hell's circles, and I put my money on the last one. If we use Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy as a guide, this should be the 9th, lowest circle where only the greatest sinners are sent. According to him, this place is where Satan uses his wings to bring cold, and there are wolves as additional punishment.

Hounds of Hell are exactly wolves, and they stay on the grid's left side in a seemingly "normal" dungeon. However, the place freezes during the bonus, which depicts exactly Dante’s writings. Other than the script, the slot stands well with quality graphics, animations, and audio effects. It's pretty much everything a modern slot enthusiast could ask for.

Pros And Cons Of Hounds of Hell Slot

Our Verdict

Hounds of Hell is definitely one of the best dark slots crafted by Hacksaw Gaming recently. It will certainly rank well next to approved masterpieces like Rise of Ymir and Le Bandit. Players will appreciate the dynamic gameplay, all the twists, and the well-thought-out script of the slot.

Hounds are Loose mixes perfectly with Hellhound multipliers and the Roaring Pack, although they are not connected at first glance. We have seen a similar spreading mechanic in Evil Eyes already, which is another spooky slot worth the spin. We can add Chaos Crew 2 to the list because of the progressive reel multipliers during the bonus.

In short, Hounds of Hell delivers a high-quality gambling experience by mixing classic and innovative tools. The Bonus Gamble is a refreshing feature because it doesn't follow a win-or-lose scenario. Even if luck fails you, the bonus is still ahead. Last but not least, I must underline the winning potential of the slot - 20,000x, a generous challenge by a top-tiered studio!