The mechanic
Megaways slots: the ways counter, read off The Dog House Megaways
A Megaways reel changes height on every spin, so the number of ways to win changes with it: 96 on one board in our screenshots, 480 on the next, 117,649 when all six reels land at seven symbols. Megaways slots all work off that counter, and the one title in our catalogue, The Dog House Megaways, is where we take the numbers from.
The game
The Megaways slot in our catalogue
One title carries the mechanic here. The tile opens the game page with the paytable, both bonus games and the demo.
The arithmetic
How six reels of up to seven symbols become 117,649 ways
A payline game fixes the grid: The Dog House is five reels of three symbols and pays on 20 lines, every spin. A Megaways game keeps the reel count and lets each reel show a different number of symbols on each spin, up to seven on The Dog House Megaways. The number of ways to win on that spin is the product of the six heights, because a way is any path that touches one symbol on each reel from the left.
The two screenshots on our game page show the counter doing its work. One board reads 96 ways at a total bet of 2.00 EUR, which is the only board that produces it: five reels at two symbols and one at three. The other board reads 480 at a bet of 20, with the game paying 24 on that spin. Land all six reels at seven and the product is 117,649, the number printed on the studio page and on the tile. The counter is not a bonus; it is the size of the board you just paid for, and it is different every time.
| Reels | 6, each 2 to 7 symbols high |
|---|---|
| Ways on a spin | product of the six heights |
| Counter in screenshots | 96 and 480 |
| Maximum | 117,649 ways, all reels at seven |
| Wild multipliers | 2x or 3x on reels 2 to 5 |
| Studio RTP | 96.55% on the studio page; a lower build exists at some casinos |
| Max win | 12,305x |
Two consequences follow. A five-of-a-kind on a tall board counts many times over, once per way through those symbols, which is where the big single spins come from. And a short board pays little even with wilds on it, because there are few ways to count. The studio prints a max win of 12,305x rather than a round number: it is the ceiling of the product of multipliers and ways the maths model allows, not a marketing figure.
The two features
Sticky Wilds or Raining Wilds: the choice the scatters open
Three to six scatters open a choice rather than one feature. Sticky Wilds gives 7 to 20 free spins where up to seven wilds per reel stay on the board and change size as the reel height changes, so a wild that covers one position on a short reel covers several on a tall one. Raining Wilds gives 15 to 30 free spins where up to six wilds land in random positions on each spin and vanish afterwards. Every wild on reels two to five carries a 2x or 3x multiplier in both features, as in the base game.
The pick is a volatility choice inside a High volatility game. Sticky Wilds is the shorter round with the compounding board: multiplier wilds that stay and grow are how the 12,305x ceiling is reached. Raining Wilds is the longer round with more frequent, smaller hits. Our record holds no hit frequency for either feature, so we do not print one; the demo on the game page lets you buy both several times on play credits and watch the difference. The buy price on the panel is 100 times the bet, 2000 on a bet of 20.
Tip
The choice comes up the moment the scatters land. Decide before the session which feature suits your balance, so the screen does not catch you deciding on the spot.
Side by side
How the Megaways version compares with the original The Dog House
| The Dog House | The Dog House Megaways | |
|---|---|---|
| Grid | 5 reels x 3 symbols, 20 lines | 6 reels x up to 7 symbols, up to 117,649 ways |
| Wild multipliers | 2x or 3x on reels 2, 3 and 4 | 2x or 3x on reels 2 to 5 |
| Free spins | 9 to 27, sticky wilds | Sticky Wilds 7 to 20, or Raining Wilds 15 to 30 |
| Bonus buy | no buy in our record | 100x the bet |
| Studio RTP | 96.51% | 96.55% |
| Max win | 6,750x | 12,305x |
| Stake range | 0.20 to 100 | 0.20 to 100 |
| No deposit codes on it | Vavada Casino, Cactus Casino, Auf Casino, Cryptoboss Casino, Unlim Casino | none in our data |
The original is the game the no deposit codes land on, which is the practical difference for a reader with a code: the spins at Vavada Casino and the others run on The Dog House, and the Megaways version has to be played from your own balance. If the feature choice and the taller ceiling appeal, buy the Megaways bonus on play credits first; if the codes are the point, the original's page lists every card and the wagering on each.
Quick answers
What does 117,649 ways mean
It is the number of ways to win when every one of the six reels shows seven symbols: seven multiplied by itself six times. On most spins the reels show fewer symbols, and the counter drops: the screenshots on our game page read 96 on one board and 480 on another. The maximum is reached only when all six reels land at full height.
Is a Megaways slot better than the original
Different, not better. The Dog House Megaways prints a studio return of 96.55% against 96.51% on the original, a max win of 12,305x against 6,750x, and adds a second bonus game. The counter changing every spin makes the pay rhythm less even, and the volatility label reads High on both. Try the demo of each before choosing.
Why is there only one Megaways game on the site
Because the catalogue covers the games the casinos we review hand codes on or feature most, and among those The Dog House Megaways is the one Megaways title. The mechanic is licensed to many studios, so casino lobbies list more, but this page explains the counter on the game we have measured.
What does the bonus buy cost on The Dog House Megaways
The panel in our screenshots prices it at 100 times the bet: 2000 on a bet of 20, and 200 EUR on a total bet of 2.00 EUR. Buying skips the scatter wait and opens the choice between Sticky Wilds and Raining Wilds directly. The price is fixed by the game, not the casino.