Pug Thugs of Nitropolis (ELK Studios) – Review & Demo Play

Pug Thugs of Nitropolis: Slot Overview

Pug Thugs of Nitropolis parks the action on a floating workshop above the skyline, and the grid is a quirky 6-reel layout with active rows in a 4-5-5-5-4 pattern. It’s technically a 6x6 board, with Feature Screens in each corner that may fire at random. Wins use connecting paylines that can start from all four sides, paying through straight or diagonal links. The mix of gadget-heavy visuals and that four-way pay system gives the base game a lively, teasing flow.

Pug Thugs of Nitropolis: Game Overview

Stakes run from 0.20 to 100, and the studio’s standard 94% RTP applies in every mode. Volatility is high, and you need at least three matching symbols connected to an edge to score. After a payout, all winning symbols and any Nitro Reels respin, which can chain more outcomes. The grid also hosts special corners that can light up together, so you get those modifier pops during otherwise dry spells. It’s a lean engine that feels familiar yet distinctly Nitropolis.

Symbols and Payouts in Pug Thugs of Nitropolis

The lower pays are J, Q, K, A, with six-of-a-kind lines paying 0.5 to 0.7x the bet. The higher pays are the blue cannon, pink computer, golden jetpack, and green pug, paying 1 to 2x for six. Wilds sub for all pays, and a full wild line matches the top symbol value. Bonus scatters trigger free spins, while a Super Scatter can start the super bonus. Coin symbols can appear anywhere and are collected through the Collect feature during its sequence.

Pug Thugs of Nitropolis Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	6	x2
	5	x1.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.75
	6	x1.5
	5	x1
	4	x0.7
	3	x0.5
	6	x1.2
	5	x0.9
	4	x0.6
	3	x0.4
	6	x1
	5	x0.8
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.3
	6	x0.7
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.3
	3	x0.2
	6	x0.7
	5	x0.6
	4	x0.3
	3	x0.2
	6	x0.5
	5	x0.4
	4	x0.2
	3	x0.1
	6	x0.5
	5	x0.4
	4	x0.2
	3	x0.1
	Scatter
	Wild

Pug Thugs of Nitropolis Slot Features

Nitro Reels are special symbols that cover one position but hold a stack, shown by a size indicator. They appear only within the central 4x4 area. When connecting paylines intersect, a Nitro Reel is created at the crossing point after payout; if one already sits there, it upgrades up to size 8. Nitro Reels respin in sync and land the same symbol. If they carry a scatter, the size indicator is disabled and counts as a single instance for that spin.

The four Feature Screens can randomly trigger: Make Big expands a random symbol to 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4; Collect gathers all visible coins before evaluation and can trigger Coin Rain at the start; Nitro Wild converts one or more Nitro Reels into stacks of wilds; Nitro Match selects a symbol and matches all Nitro Reels in view to it. More than one modifier can be active, and they tend to layer nicely with connected pays.

Nitro Insane may trigger at the start of any spin and drops a random number of Nitro Reels into the central 4x4 area before the rest of the grid settles. It’s a neat accelerator in the base game, and when it collides with a timely corner modifier, the screen can fill with aligned stacks. The rhythm here is all about widening connections from an edge while using Nitro Reels to bridge gaps across the centre.

Bonus Buy Feature

Bonus Hunt
Feature Cost:	x3 Bet
RTP:	-
Volatility:	-
Nitro Insane
Feature Cost:	x10 Bet
RTP:	-
Volatility:	-
Nitro Insane Plus
Feature Cost:	x25 Bet
RTP:	-
Volatility:	-
Bonus Game
Feature Cost:	x100 Bet
RTP:	-
Volatility:	-
Super Bonus Game
Feature Cost:	x500 Bet
RTP:	-
Volatility:	-

Free Spins in Pug Thugs of Nitropolis

Land at least three scatters to trigger the bonus game, with extra scatters adding more spins from the start. During free spins, Nitro Insane triggers at the beginning of every spin, giving consistent access to stacked positions in the middle. You can retrigger by landing three or more scatters, and the respin flow remains intact. Corner screens are cleared between spins, so each attempt can bring fresh modifiers when they spark.

If one of the triggering scatters is a Super Scatter, the super bonus activates and all Nitro Reels become sticky for the duration of the round. That stickiness changes the feel completely, building a central scaffold you can then connect to from any side. Free spins begin only after any pending respins and activated features finish; anything not yet triggered gets removed, keeping the flow tidy and focused.

X-iter in Pug Thugs of Nitropolis

Feature buys come in five flavours. Bonus Hunt costs 3x for a spin with triple the chance to reach the bonus. Nitro Insane costs 10x for a spin that guarantees Nitro Insane. Nitro Insane Plus costs 25x for Nitro Insane with one random Feature Screen. The Bonus Game costs 100x, and the Super Bonus Game costs 500x. It’s a flexible panel if you want immediate access to the good stuff without the base game grind.

RTP, Volatility and Max Win in Pug Thugs of Nitropolis

The maths sticks to the series DNA: 94% RTP, high volatility, and a hit rate noted at 24.80%. Stakes range from 0.20 to 100, and the max win reaches 25,000x the bet. Connected pays from all four sides shape the hit profile, with diagonal links often bridging the last step. The central 4x4 Nitro Reels zone is where momentum builds, and when those stacks line up with edges, you get the kind of ladders that can climb fast.

Pug Thugs of Nitropolis: Slot Verdict

I rate this one as a proper Nitropolis entry that mixes connected ways and Nitro Reels into a tight package. It isn’t a cluster pays slot, so the trick is connecting stacks to an edge rather than flooding the board. The corner features add spark, with Nitro Match and Nitro Wild being standouts for me. The ride can be capricious, but when it clicks, the four-way pays and sticky stacks in the super bonus make that 25,000x feel within reach.