Dragon’s Pub

Dragon's Pub Slot

Dragon's Pub is an exclusive Hacksaw release available on selected casinos only.

Dragon's Pub gives Hacksaw Gaming's familiar marked-square formula a surprisingly charming new home, swapping bandits and outlaws for a pub operated by dragons. The combination of top hats, stained glass, bottles and gambling machines has considerably more personality than the mechanics themselves, which borrow heavily from games such as Le Bandit. Still, with three increasingly powerful bonus modes and plenty that can happen in the base game, there is at least more here than a simple change of scenery.

The game runs on a 6x5 Cluster Pays grid, where groups of five or more matching symbols create wins. Super Cascades then remove every visible instance of the winning symbol rather than just those forming the cluster. Positions involved in wins become Marked Squares, which remain dormant until a Rainbow appears and activates them.

Activated squares can reveal Bronze, Silver or Gold Coins, with cash values ranging from 0.2x to 500x the bet. Four-Leaf Clovers apply multipliers from x2 to x10 to nearby prizes, while Pots of Gold collect cash values. This system can operate during ordinary play, giving the base game some feature activity without requiring a bonus trigger.

Three FS symbols award 8 Luck of the Dragon Free Spins, where Marked Squares persist between spins until a Rainbow activates them. Additional FS symbols can add spins, while four on the same spin upgrade the feature to All That Glitters Is Gold. This second bonus can also be triggered directly with four FS symbols and awards 12 spins, with Marked Squares now remaining in place even after being activated.

Five FS symbols unlock the hidden Treasure At The End Of The Rainbow feature with 12 Free Spins. Marked Squares remain persistent throughout, a Rainbow is guaranteed on every spin and the low-value Bronze Coins are removed. Feature buy options include 3x BonusHunt FeatureSpins, which make the bonus five times more likely, and 50x Rainbow FeatureSpins, which guarantee a Rainbow. Luck of the Dragon and All That Glitters Is Gold can also be purchased for 100x and 250x the bet respectively.

Dragon's Pub is ultimately caught between an entertaining presentation and mechanics Hacksaw Gaming has recycled too many times. Super Cascades, persistent marked positions, cash prizes, Clovers and collection symbols are all effective enough, and the three bonus tiers provide a clear progression towards the much stronger hidden feature.

The problem is that anyone familiar with Le Bandit and its numerous relatives has essentially played variations of this system already. The default RTP and 10,000x payout potential are respectable, but Dragon's Pub needed more than dragons behind the bar to make this well-worn formula feel genuinely fresh.