Dead Canary
We head deep underground in Dead Canary, the second title from Nolimit City featuring a rather disgruntled miner. With its unusual layout, we’re treated to xBomb explosions, win multipliers, expanding reels and more in this highly volatile game. Our Dead Canary slot review explores the bonuses, gameplay and payouts of this feature-rich release.
Casinos with Dead Canary
- Dead Canary
An Introduction to Dead Canary
A 6 reel grid sits against the walls of a deep mine, hovering above a murky yellow puddle. Not the prettiest of spots, but your eyes are quickly drawn to the slot grid, which begins with an unorthodox criss-cross 2-4-6-5-3-1 configuration.
As you unlock positions, this layout expands, increasing the ways to win. The game features the grumpy dwarf from the Misery Mining slot, whose mermaid love interest aids his recovery.
Unlock rows with Cascading Wins, Wild Mining or xBomb explosions. Unleash multipliers and mine for a 65,000x maximum win!
Betting and Layout
Inventive casino software developers Nolimit City opt for a 6 reel grid with an unusual starting formation of 2-4-6-5-3-1. As positions are unlocked, this configuration can expand to 4-3-4-3-4-3-4. On the starting grid there are 36 ways to win, but with the fully expanded layout, this increases to 1,728.
The Dead Canary volatility is high. Betting ranges from 0.20 to 100 credits, unless you opt for the xBet feature for an additional 40% of your stake. As is customary, the lower paying symbols are represented by playing cards. Premium symbols include a grappling hook and rope, a hip flask, our friend the miner.
There are wilds and scatters in this game, represented by dynamite and birds in either a silver or gold cage. The Dead Canary RTP is a solid 96.02% and you could hit a potential 65,000x max win.
Key Information
Developer | Nolimit City |
RTP | 96.02% |
No. Reels | 6 |
No. Rows | 6 |
Volatility | High |
Min. Wager | 0.20 |
Max. Wager | 100 |
Max. Payout | 65,000x |
Our Verdict | 88% |
Gameplay and Features
We’ll explore the free spins bonus in full later on in our Dead Canary review. But first let’s check out the various base game features:
Cascading Reels
As mentioned earlier, the 6 reel grid starts out with a 2-4-6-5-3-1 configuration. However, the final three reels are initially locked. Symbols slide diagonally downwards and are removed through cascade wins. Winning symbols explode and disappear from the grid allowing new ones to slide into position.
Match three symbols across adjacent reels from left to right to earn wins. Each blocked row will unlock following a cascading win, xBomb explosion or the Wild Mining feature. Locked multipliers become active once each row is unlocked and are applied to the total win.
Wild Mining
Grouping symbols diagonally across the grid without a win activates the Wild Mining feature. Three, four or five triggering symbols are replaced with one, two or three Wild Bombs, respectively. Wild Bombs explode and destroy all other symbols with the exception of any xBomb Wilds.
Any scatters caught up in the blast will reappear in a random position for the next cascade. Any locked row adjacent to the Wild Bomb will unlock through the explosion. The win multiplier will also increase by one for the next cascade.
Regular Symbols
Low paying symbols are represented by playing cards A, K, Q, J and 10. Mid-range payouts come from a miner’s grappling hook and rope, a hip flask, a compass and a fierce-looking rat. Top of the bill are the miner symbols which payout the biggest rewards.
Scatter Symbols
A caged yellow canary represents the scatter symbol. It can land in either a gold or silver cage, the significance of which is explained further in the free spins section. Land three canaries for the free spins bonus.
Wild Symbols
Nolimit City’s exclusive xBomb Wilds make a return in Dead Canary. They’re easy to spot, just look for the bundles of dynamite. The xBomb Wilds will substitute for all other symbols except the canary scatters and destroy all symbols in a cross pattern.
Dead Canary Free Spins
Three canary scatters will trigger the free spins bonus. They may land in either a silver or gold cage. During the free spins round, the scatters are locked into place and start with a 1x multiplier value. They collect coins, upgrades, multipliers, rats and dwarf enhancers.
Silver-caged canaries collect any symbols directly adjacent in an x-shape, while gold-caged canaries collect in an x-shape from whole rows. The grid expands to 4-3-4-3-4-3-4 with locked vaults in each of the four corners.
Each vault collects coins or multipliers which land in adjacent positions and can only unlock via an adjacent xBomb explosion. You’ll receive three Dead Canary free spins which reset following every xBomb explosion.
Special Modifiers
Each scatter starts with three heart shaped hit points. Once these are exhausted the canary dies and its value is awarded. The canary then resurrects with a further three hit points in a different position on the grid.
Symbols collected by the canaries or vaults are added to the total win or modify the round as follows:
- xBomb: Explodes and affects adjacent symbols in an x-shape; removes a hit point, unlocks a vault, resets the free spins to three.
- Multipliers: Doubles or triples the canary or vault values.
- Coins: Adds values of up to 100x your bet to the canary scatters or vaults.
- Gas: Removes a hit point from any adjacent canary scatter.
- Upgrade: Transforms silver cages to gold; adds a hit point to the affected scatters.
- Rat: Collected by a canary scatter and placed in the cage with three hit points. Shares collected values with all other scatters and after death, resurrects as a canary with three hit points.
- Dwarf: Collected by one canary scatter only; collects all other scatter values until death when it resurrects as a canary.
How to Win at Dead Canary
Matching three or more symbols on adjacent reels earns a win. Lining up three or more diagonally triggers the Wild Mining feature. Cascading wins, Wild Mining and xBomb explosions can open locked rows. Canary scatters activate the free spins bonus with up to 65,000x maximum win up for grabs.
Register at one of the regulated casinos found on this page to play the Dead Canary demo for free. This is a great way to trial the bonus features and hone your strategy. These sites also offer real money bonuses at sign-up.
Payout Structure for Dead Canary
When playing at real money casinos you’ll want to know which symbols award the best payouts. Keep an eye out for the premium symbols headed by the miner, as these award up to 7.5x your bet. Lower value payouts come from the playing cards with up to 1.5x for landing six on the reels.
Conclusion
Offering a new slant on reels layouts, Nolimit City’s Dead Canary can seem a little confusing at first. But once the action gets going, it quickly becomes clear as to how to win and trigger the various bonuses. This is a feature-rich and extremely inventive slot.
The game’s RTP is a solid 96.02% with a high volatility and an impressive 65,000x maximum win. It really is an exciting addition to the developer’s mining series that’s most certainly worth a spin.
FAQ
Does Dead Canary have a free spins feature?
Yes. Land three canary scatters to trigger the free spins bonus. You’ll receive three spins which resets following each xBomb explosion. Unlock vaults, increase multipliers and pick up coins and upgrades.
What is the Dead Canary volatility?
The Dead Canary volatility is high, so expect a wait in between the bigger rewards.
What is the max win of Dead Canary?
The maximum win for Dead Canary is an explosive 65,000x.
Can I play Dead Canary for free?
Yes. Dead Canary is available for free at any of the recommended casinos found on this page.
Who makes the Dead Canary slot game?
Nolimit City is responsible for the innovative Dead Canary.
Can I play Dead Canary on my mobile or tablet?
Yes. Dead Canary is accessible via mobile or tablet devices. It’s compatible with most operating systems including iOS and Android.
Which online casinos have Dead Canary?
Use the list of Dead Canary casinos to see all online casinos that have Dead Canary. We filter the casino top list to only show Dead Canary casinos that accept players from your location.
What is the Return to Player (RTP) for Dead Canary?
The Dead Canary RTP is 96.02%. An RTP of 96.02% puts Dead Canary among slots with an average Return to Players. To be a high RTP slot it would have to be 98% or more.