In an effort to be unique and stand out, developers will try all sorts of things for slot themes. Some of the most successful games tried this scattershot approach and hit gold with it. At other times, we get something incredibly silly, and we find ourselves unsure how to react to the whole thing. Fortune Dogs threads the thin line just between these two sections. The Habanero product is a Chinese-themed title with dogs as protagonists, chasing after fame and fortune in an idyllic, modern town. While the graphics are not the best we have seen, they are clean and easy to view, and let players focus on what is really important – the special features and the potential to win a massive 10,000x jackpot.

Fortune Dogs is a 5-reel, 3-row slot with 243 ways to win, forgoing traditional paylines. Players can set their wagers between $0.18 up to $900 per spin. Pressing the spin button will move the reels, and reveal a brand new set of icons on the playing field. Using Autoplay, gamblers can skip having to tap away at one single button. Be careful using it, as it will keep spinning until you lose all your cash if you do not turn it off.

The symbols are a mixed bag, in our eyes. Some are amazing, like the various dogs you can find: one in a Chinese hat, a police officer bloodhound, one with a pretty pink bowtie, a particularly nervous Chihuahua with a light blue bowtie, and a snarling bulldog with a cool hat and a chain around his neck. Then, you have less relevant icons, like Takeout Wilds, Golden Paw Scatters and a golden coin in a bowl Bonus. Finally, there are symbols that simply fail to fit in, and those are the diamond, club, spades and heart icons.

Collect three or more Scatters and you win 8 free spins. To win additional free spins while the special feature is still active, you need to collect three Bonus icons, which is guaranteed success if it happens.

The reason for that is the fact three Bonus symbols also triggers one of four jackpots to be won. This will create fifteen red coins on a separate screen. When selected, a coin can become gold, silver, bronze or copper, each corresponding to a certain jackpot. The first three-of-a-kind you collect grants its jackpot prize. The jackpot prizes start at a fixed pace, but every time a Bonus icon appears, it increases the value of one jackpot randomly.

Finally, when one of the dog symbols appears on the first reel, any additional dog icons will appear as doubled in their position, counting for two symbols. If a dog symbol appears on both first and fifth reel, then dog symbols will appear tripled.

Fortune Dogs is a high volatility game with a 98% RTP, which is above average for this developer. The special features were ultimately what won us over, but the graphics have their own charm, even if they are not the very best Habanero ever made.