Wanted Dead or a Wild is a simple, yet visually gritty video slot from Hacksaw Gaming. A video slot with visually appealing graphics and background images, it offers a max win of 12,500x your bet and a high volatility rating. This Wanted Dead or a Wild slot review covers everything about the game.
Overview of the Game:
Wanted Dead or a Wild, part of the Hacksaw Gaming slots catalog, sets the stage with an interesting theme that takes you back in time when cowboys and unruly men roamed the wild plains of the Midwest. This Wild West slot, with its dark atmosphere, along with supporting images, sets the tone for what is to come.
With three bonus rounds to trigger or buy, expanding multipliers, and a wild symbol, its Great Train Robbery, Duel at Dawn, and Dead Man’s Hand bonuses deliver a heart-pounding walk into the wild side with big win potential.
Wanted Dead or a Wild Slot Demo & Basic Information
The Wanted Dead or a Wild demo slot is an excellent opportunity to explore the various features, betting limits, and gameplay nuances this game delivers. The demo version is compatible with all devices, including desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. iOS and Android users will find it particularly appealing due to its optimization capabilities.
The betting limits in Wanted Dead or a Wild demo are ideal for all play levels. Given that it emulates the real-money version, Wanted is suitable for low-, medium-, and high-rollers who want to play Wanted Dead or a Wild free and enjoy a diverse range of betting limits.
Theme and Graphics
Being a Western themed slot, the surrounding visuals in Wanted Dead or a Wild Hacksaw Gaming are muted, yet effective. The darker western setting is supported by blacked-out trees on either side of the reels and a sun-bleached moon.
That atmosphere is backed by a soundtrack with eerie musical overtones, drums, and subtle thuds as symbols come to a stop. Unlike traditional cowboy slots, this Hacksaw Gaming slot uses supportive images in its bonus features. A mix of distant whistles in the Duel of Dawn feature, the back of a caboose, and the clanking of it going down the tracks are heard, as are the sounds of shots being fired when expanding wilds appear.
Symbols and Paytable
The Wanted Dead or a Wild symbols cement its place as one of Hacksaw Gaming’s best slots. The symbol combinations include low-paying symbols and premium symbols. The lower-paying symbols are K, Q, J, A, and 10, and the premium symbols are a revolver, a bottle of whiskey, a bag of money, a cowboy, and a skull with horns.
In addition, the slot features a number of bonus symbols. They include the three free spin bonus triggering symbols, a wild, and a VS symbol. The VS symbol is the star of the show, as it can expand and multiply payouts by up to 100.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Wanted Dead or a Wild gameplay is standard. All wins must appear left to right on the reels, unless two or more are joined by a wild or DuelReels™(VS symbol). The wild matches all other symbols, but will not assist in the activation of a bonus round. The DuelReels™(VS symbol) is an expanding multiplier symbol that can appear on all reels.
The spin mechanics are straightforward, with the spin button located in the lower-right corner; an autoplay feature is available. Additional options are available for game instructions, sound, speed, and music.
VS Symbols and DuelReels™ Feature
Wanted Dead or a Wild is one of the first games from Hacksaw Gaming to introduce its famous DuelReels™ mechanic. DuelReels™ is a unique feature that is triggered when a VS symbol appears on the reels. The VS symbol will expand and apply a multiplier of up to 100x if it helps to form a winning combination.
The DuelReels™ side comes into play when more than one VS symbol lands. Each VS will expand to cover the entire reel, and a multiplier number will appear. When two or more VS symbols are part of a winning combination, all multiplier wins will be multiplied by each other if they form a winning combination. As the VS symbol can appear on all five reels, it can appear at a random grid position or simultaneously from left to right.
Wanted Dead or a Wild Bonus Features
Wanted Dead or a Wild is packed with some critically acclaimed free spins bonus features. With three separate scatter symbols that trigger a different bonus, they include The Great Train Robbery bonus, the Duel at Dawn bonus, and the Dead Man’s Hand Bonus. Each is unique, exciting, and explained below.
The Great Train Robbery Bonus
The Great Train Robbery bonus is a thrilling bonus that will see you boarding a train to spin your way into big wins. The bonus mechanics of this bonus require a minimum of three Great Train Robbery scatters to appear on the reels during the base game.
When the bonus is activated, it awards 10 free spins. All wild symbols during the bonus will turn into sticky wilds and can contribute to multiple winning combinations. This feature is rated as a medium-volatility bonus that cannot be retriggered.
Duel at Dawn Bonus
Nothing screams Wild, Wild West like the Duel at Dawn Bonus. A manually triggered bonus is awarded when three Duel at Dawn scatter logo symbols appear in any spot on the reels. It will award 10 free spins with the opportunity to land more VS symbols than in the base game.
During the Duel at Dawn bonus, whenever a VS symbol appears, the expanding reel feature is triggered. Designed to maximize winning combinations, Duel at Dawn is a very high volatility bonus game with no retriggering.
Dead Man’s Hand Bonus
The last Wanted Dead or a Wild bonus is called the Dead Man’s Hand. It is a high volatility-rated bonus that is not for the faint of heart. This special two-phase bonus game is triggered when three Dead Man’s Hand scatter symbols fall into position on the reels.
The first phase involves collecting wilds and target symbols. The wilds are collected in the upper left corner of the game, and the target symbols are collected in the upper right. At the conclusion of three dead spins, the game will award three spins.
During each spin, the collected wilds will randomly appear on the reels, and wins will be multiplied by the multiplier displayed in the upper right corner of the slot. After each spin, all wins will be awarded according to the paytable.
Bonus Buy Feature
Players wishing to avoid having to wait until a bonus is triggered manually can opt to avail the bonus buy feature. The bonus buy feature offers three options; the cost to buy a bonus depends on the bonus. The cost per bonus is as follows:
- The Great Train Robbery Bonus – 80x the bet amount
- Duel at Dawn – 200x the bet amount
- Dead Man’s Hand Bonus – 400x the bet amount
Bear in mind that the reward-to-risk ratio ranges from medium to high. The Great Train Robbery bonus offers the lowest risk-to-reward, whilst the Duel at Dawn and Dead Man’s Hand bonuses have the highest.
RTP, Volatility, and Winning Potential
Wanted Dead or a Wild has a high volatility rating, meaning wins are few and far between, but when they hit, they are significant. Taking this into account, players should be mindful of their betting strategies as bonus activation can be a lengthy process.
In terms of RTP and winning potential, the slot offers an average return to player payout of 96.38%. That means that if players want to achieve a max win, it must occur during a bonus game.
Mobile Compatibility
One of the fantastic operational principles Hacksaw Gaming has incorporated into all its games is its commitment to mobile compatibility. The company’s cross-device compatibility measures have ensured that Wanted Dead or a Wild is iOS/Android and Windows compatible and betting from a mobile app is a breeze. As a mobile slot game, it is compatible with mobile browsers, such as Opera, Chrome, and Firefox.
While mobile players won’t see anything different, aside from size limitations and the location of controls, all other features are present. The same applies to the betting limits, gameplay, and user-ability features.
Pros and Cons
- Pros
- Interesting theme with attractive visuals
- VS symbol with DuelReels mechanics
- Multiple bonus rounds (Great Train Robbery, Duel at Dawn, and Dead Man’s Hand)
- Max win potential of up to 12,500x the bet
- Cons
- Bonus features are infrequent
- Base game can feel uneventful
- High volatility not suitable for some players
Final Verdict
Wanted Dead or a Wild takes on a darker, more intense Wild West theme that sets it apart from other similarly themed video slots. The high volatility rating can deliver significant swings that may not suit everyone, but for those drawn to the potential high volatility slots offer, its value is unprecedented.
That said, the lower-costing bonuses are appealing for players who want a more stable bonus opportunity, and the overall theme makes good on its promises of delivering a high-value slotting experience that all can enjoy.
FAQ
What is the RTP of Wanted Dead or a Wild slot?
The RTP is 96.38% in the base game, and 94.55%, 92.33%, and 88.42% in its bonus games.
Who developed the Wanted Dead or a Wild slot game?
The title was developed by Hacksaw Gaming. The company was founded in 2017 and operates out of its offices in Malta.
What is the maximum win in Wanted Dead or a Wild?
The max win amount that you can win in Wanted Dead or a Wild is 12,500 times your bet.
Is Wanted Dead or a Wild a high volatility slot?
Yes, this is a high-volatility slot, although its Great Train Robbery bonus has a medium volatility rating.
How many bonus features are available in Wanted Dead or a Wild?
Wanted Dead or a Wild has three bonus features; The Great Train Robbery bonus, Duel of Dawn bonus, and the Dead Man’s Hand bonus.
Can you buy bonus features in Wanted Dead or a Wild and how much do they cost?
Yes, you can buy a bonus feature. The cost to buy the Great Train Robbery bonus is 80x your stake, the Duel of Dawn bonus costs 200x your stake, and the Dead Man’s Hand bonus costs 400x.