RIP city

RIP City: When "Medium Volatility" Means Medium Everything

Look, I'll be straight with you - RIP City is the slot equivalent of ordering a medium coffee. It's not bad, it's not great, it just... exists. After grinding through 1,000 spins on this Hacksaw Gaming release, I walked away with a +19.9% ROI ($199.23 profit), which mathematically speaking, puts me in the green. But here's the thing about variance - one decent session doesn't tell the whole story.

The cat-and-mouse theme initially pulled me in. Ro$$ the beat-up cat and Maxx the badass mouse standing on either side of a 5x5 grid with their obvious Tom and Jerry inspiration. Hacksaw usually delivers on atmosphere, and visually, this hits the mark with that gritty, retro cartoon aesthetic. But after about 300 spins, I realized something: the novelty wears off fast when you're watching the same expanding wild mechanics play out over and over.

My 1,000-spin test revealed what I suspected - this is a slot that shows all its cards early. The Medium volatility tag is accurate, but it also means you're stuck in this middle ground where the game never gets truly exciting or devastatingly brutal. It's just... there. You spin, you occasionally hit something decent, and then you grind through another 200-spin drought wondering why you're not playing something with more personality.

First Impressions

When I first loaded RIP City, I'll admit - the production quality caught my eye. Hacksaw Gaming knows how to create an atmosphere, and the dark alley backdrop with these two characters staring each other down had potential. Maxx puffing on his cigarette with a spare one in hand, Ro$$ looking like he just went twelve rounds and lost - there's character here.

The 5x5 grid with 19 fixed paylines seemed promising. I've learned to appreciate Hacksaw's tendency to deviate from standard 5x3 setups. The expanding Wild Cat symbols and the promise of two different bonus rounds (Ro$$ Bonus and Maxx Bonus) suggested there might be enough variety to keep things interesting long-term. Spoiler alert: there isn't.

What concerned me immediately was the max win - 12,500x. For a Hacksaw slot, that's on the conservative side. I've played their releases that can hit 20,000x or higher. This felt like they were playing it safe, which for a bonus hunter like me, translates to capped upside potential.

Long-term Playability - The Reality

Here's where RIP City shows its true colors, and honestly, it's not pretty for anyone planning extended sessions. The first 100-150 spins feel decent enough. You're learning the mechanics, seeing how the Wild Cat symbols expand downward when they form wins, watching wild multipliers stack up when they expand through regular wilds. It's functional.

But somewhere around spin 200, the cracks start showing. The base game becomes predictable. You're essentially waiting for scatter symbols to trigger one of two bonus rounds, and with only 5 triggers across 1,000 spins (roughly every 200 spins), you're spending the vast majority of your time in a loop. The expanding wilds help break up the monotony, but they're not enough to carry the experience.

The Medium volatility means you avoid the soul-crushing dead spins that plague high-volatility Hacksaw releases, but you also miss out on that adrenaline rush when variance finally swings your way. It's a trade-off, and not one that favors long-term engagement. By spin 500, I was seriously questioning why I was still playing. The answer: I'm stubborn and I committed to 1,000 spins for this review.

Feature variety? Let's be honest - there are only two bonus rounds, and they're not different enough to keep things fresh. The Ro$$ Bonus gives you 10 free spins with better chances of landing Wild Cats and wilds. Fine. The Maxx Bonus activates reels with guaranteed Wild Cats once you land them. Also fine. But neither feels distinct enough to create genuine excitement after you've seen them a few times.

The fatigue factor hit me hard around spin 600. I found myself checking my phone between spins, which is never a good sign. When a slot can't hold your attention during your own test session, that's a red flag. The game doesn't evolve, doesn't surprise you, doesn't give you reasons to come back.

Replay value? Minimal. Once you've hit both bonus rounds a couple times and seen the wild multipliers reach respectable levels (my highest was during that 193.1x hit), you've experienced everything RIP City has to offer. There's no hidden depth, no secret sauce that reveals itself after hundreds of spins. What you see in the first 50 spins is what you get for the next 950.

My Testing Results

The Reality

Let me walk you through the highs, lows, and the painful lesson this slot taught me.

The best moment: Around spin 780, I triggered the Maxx Bonus and managed to activate reels 2 and 4 early in the round. The guaranteed Wild Cat symbols on those reels, combined with wild multipliers that hit on both, led to my best win of the entire session - 193.1x on a $1 bet. That $193.10 hit was genuinely exciting. My heart was actually pounding as I watched those expanding wilds fill the reels. For about 30 seconds, I thought maybe RIP City had been holding back on me. Spoiler: it hadn't.

The worst moment: Here's the brutal truth about variance - I triggered 5 bonus rounds, and every single one of them paid under 200x. Even worse, the first three bonuses delivered absolute garbage: 16.7x, 23.6x, and 47.9x (the third one I'm remembering from my notes). The 16.7x Ro$$ Bonus was particularly insulting. Ten free spins with "better chances" of wild symbols, and I barely scraped together enough wins to cover the wait. When you're grinding through 200+ spins to trigger a bonus just to see it pay 16.7x, it tests your patience.

What I learned: After that disappointing run of weak bonuses, I did something stupid that every experienced player knows not to do - I started chasing losses by doubling my bet size. Bad idea. Terrible idea. On a Medium volatility slot like RIP City, the variance doesn't smooth out faster just because you're betting more. If anything, you just burn through your bankroll quicker while waiting for that elusive big hit. The lesson here: stick to consistent bet sizing. The math doesn't care about your emotions. I corrected course after about 50 spins and went back to $1 bets, which is probably why I still ended up positive.

Who This Is (Not) For

After 1,000 spins, I have a pretty clear picture of who might actually enjoy RIP City:

This slot might work for:

• Casual players who want Hacksaw's aesthetic without the soul-crushing volatility of their more brutal releases. If you like the studio's style but can't stomach the swings of slots like Hand of Anubis or Chaos Crew, this is your middle-ground option.
• Players testing the waters with Hacksaw Gaming and want something that won't immediately destroy their bankroll. The Medium volatility means you can survive longer sessions without constant reloads.
• Bonus hunters in jurisdictions where feature buys are available - the guaranteed Wild Cat spins at 20x or 50x the bet could be interesting for those looking to exploit specific mechanics, though I can't test those from my location.
• Anyone who enjoys cat-and-mouse themes and appreciates the retro cartoon aesthetic enough to overlook the repetitive gameplay.

Perfect for:

• Players who value consistency over excitement - if you're someone who prefers steady, predictable action without huge swings, RIP City delivers exactly that. It's the slot equivalent of index fund investing.
• Short session players - if you're only planning to spin for 15-20 minutes at a time, you probably won't experience the fatigue that sets in during extended play.

Comparison to Similar Slots

From a mathematical and mechanical standpoint, here's how RIP City stacks up against comparable options:

vs other Hacksaw Gaming slots: This is bottom-tier Hacksaw in terms of excitement and innovation. Chaos Crew has more personality, Hand of Anubis has better win potential, even Break Bones feels more engaging despite similar mechanics. RIP City feels like Hacksaw going through the motions - technically competent but lacking the spark that makes their best work memorable. It's as if they took the expanding wild concept from Book of Time and stripped out everything interesting.

vs other Medium volatility slots: Against the broader medium-vol category, RIP City is thoroughly average. The 96.22% RTP is slightly above industry standard, which is something. But slots like Reactoonz or Jammin' Jars offer more dynamic gameplay at similar volatility levels. The 12,500x max win is decent but not exceptional - I've played medium-vol slots that can hit 15,000x or higher.

vs similar themed slots: The cat-and-mouse concept has been done before, and frankly, done better. While the Tom and Jerry inspiration is obvious, the execution doesn't capitalize on the rivalry enough to create ongoing tension or narrative. It's window dressing on standard slot mechanics.

Final Verdict

So here's my bottom line after 1,000 spins: RIP City is a competently made slot that commits the cardinal sin of being forgettable. Yeah, I walked away with a +19.9% ROI, but that's variance talking, not game design. The 96.22% RTP and Medium volatility mean you're playing a mathematically fair game, but "fair" doesn't equal "fun" when you're grinding through session after session.

Would I play RIP City again? Honestly, probably not unless I'm specifically hunting for medium-volatility options or trying to clear a bonus with moderate wagering requirements. The game does what it promises - provides consistent, medium-volatility action with expanding wilds and two bonus rounds. But "does what it promises" is a low bar when so many other slots exist that actually make me want to keep spinning.

The biggest issue is long-term playability. This slot exhausts its novelty fast. After 100 spins, you've seen everything meaningful. After 500 spins, you're on autopilot. After 1,000 spins, you're questioning your life choices. That's not what you want from a modern video slot, especially not from a provider like Hacksaw Gaming that's capable of so much better.

If you're curious about the cat-and-mouse theme or want to try a less punishing Hacksaw release, sure, give RIP City a few dozen spins. Just don't expect it to hold your attention for long. This is a slot for short sessions and casual play, not for anyone looking to actually engage with the game over time.

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Rating Breakdown:

• Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.4/5) - Functional but repetitive
• Features: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.3/5) - Two bonus rounds that lack variety
• Graphics & Sound: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.1/5) - Solid production, lacks impact
• Win Potential: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.3/5) - 12,500x is decent but unexciting
• Originality: ⭐⭐ (2.8/5) - Derivative mechanics with familiar theme
• Theme & Symbols: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.4/5) - Cool aesthetic that can't save the gameplay

Overall: 3.0/5 – A okay slot with limited appeal

Tested independently by 0xPlaySlots. 1,000 spins at various stakes. We maintain editorial independence.