Dorks of the Deep (Hacksaw Gaming) – Review & Demo Play

Dorks of the Deep - Slot Overview

As a medium volatile 5x4 slot with 14 paylines, Dorks of the Deep felt brisk yet measured for me. I played between 10p and £100 a spin, with the 96.2% RTP version my pick, though lower settings exist, so I always check the paytable first. Wins land from left to right with three or more matching symbols, and a listed hit rate around 35% keeps the base game ticking over. The headline is a 10,000x top prize available in the base and all bonus modes.

Theme, Audio + Symbols in Dorks of the Deep

Colourful and tongue-in-cheek, this undersea jaunt mixes Greek myth nods with cartoon charm. The Ocean King and his chums frame a smart white-trimmed grid, while the soundtrack bubbles along with jaunty cues. It looks like the wootsy side of the studio at work, and it works well on mobile too. I liked how the presentation stays lively without drowning the reels, keeping focus on the core mechanic that drives the game. It is light, bright, and easy to read during longer sessions.

Symbols come wrapped in bubbles for 10 to A lows paying about 0.8 to 1.5 times for five. High pays feature three fish, the Mermaid, and the Ocean King, worth around 2 to 10 times for a five-of-a-kind. The trident Wild substitutes and pays 10x on a full line. Treasure Chests are the key set-up, expanding into Wild Reels when they can complete a win, and FS Scatters trigger the bonus rounds. It is a clean paytable that suits the feature.

Dorks of the Deep 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

Expanding Wild Reels in Dorks of the Deep

When a Treasure Chest lands and would create a win once expanded, it turns into a full Wild Reel. That reel displays one of three characters with a multiplier range where Octopus can show x2 to x9, Mermaid x10, x15 or x20, and Ocean King x25, x50, x100 or x200. Any wins through that reel take the boost, and if more than one Wild Reel connects, the values add before applying. This expand, substitute, and multiply loop is the engine of the slot.

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

Free Spins Bonuses in Dorks of the Deep

Three FS Scatters trigger Deep Blue with 10 spins. Here every Treasure Chest expands regardless of a formed win. Expanded reels can arrive with 0 to 3 lives, staying sticky between spins while lives remain. At the start of each free spin, every sticky Wild Reel receives a fresh multiplier from any tier. If you still have a Wild Reel alive on the last spin, Last Chance kicks in and respins continue until no lives remain. Retriggers add +2 or +4 spins.

Four FS Scatters unlock Down Under for 10 spins and it mirrors Deep Blue with one tweak. A sticky Wild Reel will not drop to a lower character tier than the one first shown. If you opened with an Ocean King, subsequent rolls on that reel stick to that tier or above. It is a subtle safeguard that keeps the round trending upward when you land early high-tier chests. Retriggers remain the same as in Deep Blue.

Five Scatters start Hidden Treasures with 10 spins. It follows the Down Under rules and guarantees two expanded Wild Reels are active on the grid for the whole feature. This feels like the apex mode where additive multipliers can pile up across those lanes. New Treasure Chests can still land and join the party, and the Last Chance behaviour applies when lives remain. As expected, landing 2 or 3 FS adds +2 or +4 spins to stretch the sequence.

Feature Buys for Dorks of the Deep

Outside the UK, FeatureSpins and buys are on offer. BonusHunt FeatureSpins cost 3x and make a bonus five times more likely. Bubbly FeatureSpins cost 60x and drop at least two Treasure Chests, though FS cannot land in that mode. You can buy Deep Blue for 100x or Down Under for 200x, while Hidden Treasures remains organic only. RTP tweaks vary slightly by option on the 96.2% model, so I stick with the entry that fits my bankroll plan.

RTP, Volatility and Max Win in Dorks of the Deep

The 96.2% RTP version is the one I look for, but there are lower variants in the wild, including settings around 94.22% and 92.21%. The hit rate sits near 35 to 35.63%, giving a steady rhythm for a medium volatile title. Stakes run from 10p up to £100 where available, with UK limits varying by operator policy. That flexibility makes it easy to shape a session length around the free spins pace.

Max potential is 10,000x and it is reachable in the base and across the features. In practice the heavy lifting comes from stacked Wild Reels with added multipliers, especially when more than one lands in view. The lives system in free spins keeps reels on screen long enough to roll new values, and the Last Chance bursts can stretch the round. It is not the spikiest build from this studio, yet it still has teeth when tiers line up.

Expert Verdict on Dorks of the Deep

Dorks of the Deep looks harmless, yet the Wild Reel system means business. I enjoyed the bubbly vibe, but I stayed for the expand, substitute, and multiply cycle that can reshape the grid. Deep Blue is a solid entry point, Down Under adds welcome stickiness on tiering, and Hidden Treasures feels like the place to be with two lanes always live. You cannot buy that top round, which adds to the chase for a fifth Scatter. The 10,000x ceiling keeps me coming back.