Dorks of the Deep Slot Review

Dorks of the Deep - Slot Overview

When I first loaded Dorks of the Deep I was hit by bright cartoon water and goofy faces rather than a serious deep sea epic. The slot runs on a 5x4 grid with 14 fixed paylines so it keeps things simple, yet Hacksaw has packed in enough extras to keep regulars like me interested. The entire game revolves around Treasure Chests that can turn reels wild with chunky multipliers.

Stakes run from 10p up to £100 a spin, though some UK sites cap things lower for safer play. The default RTP sits at 96.2% with medium volatility and around a 35% hit rate, which fits how it felt during my sessions. Dorks of the Deep is built in HTML5 so it plays smoothly on mobile, tablet or desktop without strange layout issues.

Theme, Audio + Symbols in Dorks of the Deep

Colourful and fun, Dorks of the Deep takes place on the ocean floor with Greek style ruins and coral in the background. The art leans heavily into cartoon humour, with a googly eyed Octopus, a cheery Mermaid and a slightly daft Ocean King flanking the reels. The soundtrack has that bouncy undersea vibe that instantly puts me in mind of animated films rather than gritty gambling.

Low pay symbols are the bubble wrapped 10 to A royals, paying roughly 0.8x to 1.5x your bet for five in a line. High pay symbols include pufferfish, sharks, turtles, the Mermaid and the Ocean King, with the king worth 10x for five. The golden Trident Wild substitutes for everything standard and also pays 10x for a full line, which matters once multipliers enter the picture.

Key to the whole slot is the Treasure Chest symbol. When it behaves, it expands into a full Wild Reel and reveals one of the three characters with a multiplier. There is also an FS Scatter seashell that triggers free spin modes. On paper that sounds straightforward but the way these pieces interact gives the game far more punch than the cute graphics suggest.

Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	5	x10
	4	x5
	3	x2
	5	x5
	4	x3
	3	x1
	5	x4
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.7
	5	x3
	4	x1.2
	3	x0.6
	5	x2
	4	x1
	3	x0.5
	5	x1.5
	4	x0.7
	3	x0.4
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.3
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.3
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.3
	5	x0.8
	4	x0.4
	3	x0.2
	Wild
	5	x10

Base Game & Expanding Wild Reels in Dorks of the Deep

In the base game of Dorks of the Deep, wins land when three or more matching symbols run left to right across any of the fourteen lines. Treasure Chests can land on every reel and, if expanding them would create a win, they stretch to cover the full column as a Wild Reel. Each reel then shows either the Octopus, Mermaid or Ocean King with multipliers from x2 up to a hefty x200. That multiplier applies to every line that crosses the wild column and, when more than one Wild Reel joins the same win, their values add together before hitting the payout.

Bonus Features in Dorks of the Deep

Hacksaw has loaded Dorks of the Deep with several bonus features that all build around those expanding Wild Reels. Three FS Scatters launch the Deep Blue bonus with ten free spins where every Treasure Chest always expands, even if no win is ready. Wild Reels can carry up to three lives, holding in place for several spins while gaining a fresh multiplier each time, which is where the game really wakes up.

Four Scatters start the Down Under bonus, again with ten spins, but here a Wild Reel never drops below its original character tier, so an Ocean King reel always stays at that level. Five Scatters unlock Hidden Treasures with two Wild Reels guaranteed on every spin. Extra Scatters add more spins and the Last Chance mechanic keeps the round going while any wild still has lives. Outside the UK, FeatureSpins and bonus buys give direct access. BonusHunt spins cost 3x the bet, Bubbly spins 60x, while direct entry to Deep Blue or Down Under is priced at 100x and 200x respectively.

Bonus Buy Feature

BonusHunt FeatureSpins Each spin increases your chance of triggering the bonus game by 5 times.
Feature Cost:	x3 Bet
RTP:	96.25%
Volatility:	High
Bubbly FeatureSpins Each spin guarantees at least 2 Treasure Chest symbols.
Feature Cost:	x60 Bet
RTP:	96.34%
Volatility:	High
Deep Blue 10 spins with improved game difficulty mechanisms and increased chance of getting treasure chests.
Feature Cost:	x100 Bet
RTP:	96.35%
Volatility:	High
Down Under 10 spins with increased chance of getting Treasure Chest symbols and progressive levels of Wild Reel multipliers.
Feature Cost:	x200 Bet
RTP:	96.28%
Volatility:	High

RTP, Volatility & Max Win in Dorks of the Deep

From a numbers angle, Dorks of the Deep sits in that comfort zone many regulars favour. The main RTP setting is 96.2%, though lower versions such as 94.22% and 92.21% exist, so I always check the paytable before grinding. Volatility is rated medium with a hit frequency around 35%, and every mode can technically land the same 10,000x max win, which keeps even modest stakes interesting.

Expert Verdict on Dorks of the Deep

For me, Dorks of the Deep hits that sweet spot between light hearted fun and serious potential. The surface looks very friendly, almost like a kids cartoon, yet the expanding Wild Reels with stacked multipliers mean it can swing hard when several chests line up. I liked how even the standard Deep Blue bonus felt capable of big outcomes once a few high tier wilds picked up extra lives.

It is not the most complex Hacksaw slot and the game leans heavily on one main mechanic, so if you crave layers of side features you might move on quickly. On the other hand, if you enjoy clear maths, sticky wild reels and progressive multipliers, Dorks of the Deep is well worth a session. I treat it as a upbeat underwater grinder that can still throw out huge surprises.

Screenshots