In the spirit of a Coolidge painting depicting dogs playing poker is The Catfather from developer Pragmatic Play. Not only do players get a slot dripping in the flea-ridden beasts, but they also get them dressed like gangsters ready to do a bit of crime. Anyone care to wager what these dastardly mousers might be up to - scratching the rug, or just peeing on it? Anything is possible in a game run by cats impersonating criminals. Then again, perhaps not exactly anything, since The Catfather is about as lethal as a big sleeping furry feline stretched out by the heater on a cold winter’s morning – that thing isn’t going anywhere. Still, put this many cats in one place, and wacky things are bound to happen, right?
>Let’s start by saying The Catfather isn’t a complicated game, made up as it is of 5 reels, 3 rows, and 9 fixed paylines. For a slot at least partly mob-related, the background is as strangely humdrum as it gets. Instead of some speakeasy, or hideout, we get a couple of lamps and drapes next to the grid - an image of staid homely domestication if ever there was one. Clearly, these cats are gangstas in thought rather than deed. For your listening pleasure, a wicked bass lead 70s Bond era soundtrack adds some much-needed drama.
The most remarkable thing about The Catfather, aside from its bonkers theme, is a whopping default RTP value of 98.1%. As equally mystifying, for other reasons, is an absence of a volatility rating, usually prominently displayed in a Pragmatic Play slot. Here one can speculate, but judging by the rest of the game, don’t expect a highly volatile machine, quite the opposite. Due to the number of paylines, bets can be placed from 9 p/c per spin up to $/€45 for the higher rollers.
On the topic of paylines, The Catfather pays both ways as long as three or more symbols line up from reel 1 or 5. Symbols are made up of sparkling Q-A royals, then five kitties with distinctive looks and get-ups from Zorro style masks to monocles plus Bowler Hats. As to values, five of a kind premium wins are worth payouts of 3.33x to 22.22x the stake. Everything is ever so slightly unusual in this game. Take wilds, for example. They substitute for regular pay symbols like normal but pay out when just one lands (1.11x the bet), up to 555x the bet for five of a kind. Wilds gain an extra ability during one of the base game features too.
>Nestled in with the multitude of cat pimps, crooks, and goodness only knows what else, are two bonus features. One is random wild stacks, the other free spins where all wins are subject to a fixed multiplier.
Wild reels pop up completely at random on any base spin. Well, not all reels, only reels 2, 3, and 4 are eligible for this effect, but since the game pays both ways they can be surprisingly alright. Don’t expect to retire after playing The Catfather under the best of circumstances though; it’s not a dream maker of a slot.
The other feature, free spins, is triggered when 3 or more mouse scatters land anywhere on the reels. Players pick up a payout of 0.22, 0.56, or 2.22 times their stake as well as 10, 15, or 25 free spins, when 3, 4, or 5 scatters are in view. Like the rest of The Catfather, free spins keep things simple. There are no convoluted rule changes or anything innovative either really. Basically, all wins have their values multiplied by 4. Scatters continue to show during the bonus game too, so free spins can be retriggered up to 50 at the most.
The Catfather is one of those ludicrous games a small segment of the population will utterly fall for while everyone else shakes their head in disbelief. Cat devotees may well love the playfully mesmerising bunch of oddball felines in various guises all over the reels. Players who find entertainment value in animals pretending to be humans might find The Catfather amusing at a push as well. Okay, we are clutching at straws here, but there is a bit of an old school charm to the features, if you want to put a positive spin on it. Wild reels and free spins with a multiplier is about as old school as it gets, and a little beguiling with their simplicity.
Beneath the plain, cat-filled exterior is a pretty domesticated math model hacking up modest wins like annoying hairballs. Those who like wallowing around on the spot might appreciate the gentler volatility, yet what lies beneath the fleabag exterior might appeal to a wider range of players in the right circumstance. For instance, the higher than average RTP might come in handy for working through wagering requirements perhaps. It’s actually hard to think of another game that comes close to such a figure for a good long while. Of course, RTP isn’t enough to make you look past the rest of The Catfather’s shortcomings though. Not least is a max win of 2,251x the stake, which suits the cuddly gaming, yet is hardly exciting.
Add it all up, and you’ve got a game which might suit certain situations due to a high return to player value, but little outside of that - unless you live in a house where you can’t take a step without putting a foot on a fur ball. In that case, The Catfather’s abundance of felines will extend its furry little paws to draw you in. If you’re more of a dog person, then The Catfather ‘s math model and rewards have about as much drive as a spayed moggy.
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