Tail of Crime

Case Closed: Tail of Crime Reviewed

Tail of Crime is a detective-themed slot from Ela Games that puts players alongside an animal investigator, Mr. Dog, as he works a case with the help of his partner, Lady Foxy. It plays out on a 5-reel, 4-row grid with 20 fixed paylines, and leans on stacked wild symbols and a clue-collecting mechanic to build toward its free spins round.

Theme and presentation

The comic-book detective aesthetic runs through everything, from the animated character designs to the moody, tension-building backdrops that shift as the mystery unfolds. Dynamic reel effects and a suspenseful soundtrack help sell the chase-and-investigate framing, giving the game a bit more narrative flavour than a straightforward fruit-and-symbol slot.

Collecting clues on the reels

Wins land on the 20 fixed paylines as standard matching combinations. The twist comes from the Wild symbols: collecting them unlocks Free Clues, which in turn trigger the Free Spins feature. Landing stacked Mr. Dog and Lady Foxy Wilds on consecutive reels starting from the left boosts the number of free spins on offer, so bigger wild stacks in the base game translate directly into a longer bonus round.

RTP: what 96.2% means for your bankroll

Tail of Crime returns a theoretical 96.2% to players, a healthy figure that sits comfortably above the market average. It's a solid indicator that Ela Games has built reasonably generous long-term payback into the core math, even before factoring in the bonus round's extra value.

Volatility explained

Ela Games rates Tail of Crime as medium volatility, which points to a fairly balanced rhythm of wins — not as spiky as a high-volatility slot chasing rare mega-payouts, but not as flat and frequent as a low-volatility grinder either. Expect a reasonably steady mix of smaller returns punctuated by the occasional larger hit, especially once the Free Spins round gets going.

Doubled wins in Free Spins

Up to 50 free spins are available depending on how the stacked wilds line up, and every win during the round is doubled. Landing two or more consecutive Wilds starting from the leftmost reel during the bonus retriggers additional spins, which keeps the round alive longer and stacks up extra value on top of the multiplier boost.

Max win and stakes

The game caps out at a maximum win of 5,000x the stake, with betting available from 0.1 up to 50 per spin — a wide enough range to suit cautious and more adventurous players alike. There's no bonus buy option here; the Free Spins feature has to be earned through the Wild-and-Clue system rather than purchased outright.

Verdict

Tail of Crime pairs an appealing comic-detective theme with a well-above-average 96.2% RTP and a medium-volatility rhythm that should suit most players. The doubled-win free spins round is the clear highlight, and it's well worth chasing via the free demo at johnessyslots before deciding whether to put real money on Mr. Dog's case.