Dorks of the Deep (Hacksaw Gaming) Slot Review

Dorks of the Deep: Slot Overview

The deep blue ocean remains one of the most mysterious and least explored places on Earth. Teeming with incredible life forms, it’s hardly the spot where one would expect to find… a dork. But hey, this is a slot game, not a nature documentary, which means Hacksaw Gaming is free to let its wild imagination roam. Enter Dorks of the Deep, an underwater adventure where quirky characters and a powerful full-reel wild multiplier feature await daring explorers.

As players descend into the ocean, things don’t turn dark and ominous like they would in reality. Instead, Dorks of the Deep is a vibrant and colorful aquatic world, filled with playful, cartoon-like sea creatures. It’s not quite as wacky as Dork Unit (2022), but it’s got its own brand of charm and quirkiness. Players will meet a delightfully odd cast of characters, including an Octopus, a Mermaid, and the Ocean King, all set against a majestic undersea temple backdrop. First impressions? Bright, bubbly, and lighthearted, as if Dorks of the Deep was crafted by Hacksaw Gaming’s “fun and wacky” division.

Set within a sleek white frame, Dorks of the Deep features a 5×4 grid with 14 paylines, where winning combinations form with three or more matching symbols. Designed as a medium volatility game, it comes with four different RTP configurations, with the highest set at 96.2%. While the top-tier bonus round isn’t available for direct purchase, players can choose from four alternative bonus buy modes. Base bets range from 10 cents to $/€100 per spin.

The low-paying symbols in the game are bubble-wrapped 10-A card ranks, awarding 0.8x to 1.5x the stake for a five-of-a-kind win. The high-paying symbols include three quirky fish, the Mermaid, and the Ocean King, offering 2x to 10x the stake for five matching symbols. Wilds can land anywhere on the reels, substituting for all paying symbols or awarding 10x the bet when forming their own five-symbol winning line.

Dorks of the Deep: Slot Features

Drifting through the ocean depths, Dorks of the Deep brings Expanding Wild Reels with multipliers, alongside three unique bonus roundsDeep Blue Bonus, Down Under Bonus, and Hidden Treasure Bonus—plus a range of feature buys.

Expanding Wild Reels

The Treasure Chest symbol is the key to expanding wilds. If it lands and forms part of a win, it expands into a fully stacked wild reel, with each position counting as wild. Expanded Wild Reels display one of three characters, each carrying different multiplier ranges:

  • Octopus: Multipliers range from x2 to x9.
  • Mermaid: Multipliers range from x10 to x20.
  • Ocean King: The most powerful, with multipliers from x25 to x200.

The assigned multiplier applies to all wins passing through the expanded wild reel, substituting for all regular paying symbols.

Deep Blue Bonus Game

Trigger this bonus round by landing three FS scatters, awarding 10 free spins.

  • During free spins, Treasure Chest symbols always expand into Wild Reels, regardless of whether they form a win.
  • Expanded Wild Reels can reveal 0-3 lives, allowing them to stay sticky for multiple spins until their lives run out.
  • Before each free spin, sticky Wild Reels receive a new multiplier, randomly chosen from the same character tier they originally landed with.
  • If there are Wild Reels with lives remaining on the final free spin, the Last Chance feature triggers, granting extra respins until all Wild Reels expire.

Players can retrigger the feature by landing 2 or 3 FS scatters, which award +2 or +4 additional spins, respectively.

Down Under Bonus Game

Triggered by four FS scatters, the Down Under Bonus awards 10 free spins, following the same rules as the Deep Blue Bonus, but with a major difference:

  • Sticky Expanded Wild Reels never receive a multiplier from a lower-tier character than the one that originally spawned them.

Hidden Treasure Bonus Game

Activated by five FS scatters, Hidden Treasure Bonus also grants 10 free spins but comes with an added perk:

  • Two expanded Wild Reels remain active for the entire feature, boosting win potential.

Feature Buys

For players eager to dive straight into the action, Dorks of the Deep offers a range of bonus buy options:

  • BonusHunt FeatureSpins (3x the bet) – Increases the chance of triggering any bonus round by 5x.
  • Bubbly FeatureSpins (60x the bet) – Guarantees 2 Treasure Chests land per spin, but FS scatters cannot appear.
  • Deep Blue Bonus Buy (100x the bet) – Directly triggers the Deep Blue Bonus Game.
  • Down Under Bonus Buy (200x the bet) – Instantly activates the Down Under Bonus Game.

With stacking wild reels, high-powered multipliers, and multiple bonus modes, Dorks of the Deep provides plenty of underwater thrills, whether through standard play or by buying into the action.

Dorks of the Deep: Slot Verdict

At first glance, Dorks of the Deep might seem like a lighthearted adventure—a playful, whimsical dive into a colorful underwater world. However, beneath the surface, it quickly reveals itself as another Hacksaw Gaming heavyweight, packed with bold mechanics and serious winning potential.

While the title suggests a goofy, carefree atmosphere, the actual gameplay tells a different story. The expanding wild multipliers are no joke, acting as game-changing elements that can completely transform the reels. They may not be the most intricate feature Hacksaw Gaming has ever produced, but their simplicity is their strength—expand, substitute, multiply, and repeat. The added twist of different multiplier tiers assigned to the Octopus, Mermaid, and Ocean King adds a layer of depth, while the sticky lives system keeps things engaging.

One notable detail is that the Hidden Treasure bonus round—which guarantees two expanded Wild Reels at all timescannot be bought. This makes it the most desirable feature in the game, encouraging players to chase that elusive fifth scatter in the base game.

As always, Hacksaw Gaming hasn’t skimped on winning potential, with a 10,000x max win possible in all game modes. Dorks of the Deep might present itself as a friendly, bubbly ocean slot, but make no mistake—it has teeth. Whether the waters are smooth, choppy, or downright turbulent, the game delivers an exciting mix of fun visuals and high-powered mechanics, making it another strong addition to Hacksaw Gaming’s deep portfolio.