Wanted Dead or a Wild

Wanted Dead or a Wild

Our Wanted Dead or a Wild review tackles a Hacksaw Gaming slot that’s set in the Wild West. However, this particular release is a little darker than most Western-themed slots.

With a top payout of 12,500x and three distinct bonus games, there’s a lot for you ornery varmints to discover. Mosey on through the rest of this review to learn more about this enthralling game.

Basic Details of the Wanted Dead or a Wild Slot

Wanted Dead or a Wild Details, RTP and Volatility

Hacksaw Gaming’s Wanted Dead or a Wild slot features a 5×5 grid with a total of 15 paylines. It’ll cost you $0.20 to spin the reels, with a maximum wager of $100 on offer.

The highly-volatile slot boasts a generous-enough RTP of 96.38% at most real money casinos, though some offer lower rates. Try to avoid the 94.55%, 92.33% and 88.42% versions if possible. Regardless, the biggest possible win is 12,500x your stake.

Img Description: The 5×5 reel grid after a losing spin. An unused wild lies on reel three, with the Buy Bonus option in the bottom-left.

Theme & Graphics in Wanted Dead or a Wild

The Wild West is a common theme for slots, with many developers inspired by the success of NetEnt’s classic Dead Or Alive. This one features many stereotypical cowboy tropes, with cattle skulls, whiskey and sheriff’s badges galore. 

However, it tries to stand out by taking a darker approach, and it does a pretty good job. For instance, a slow and almost eerie soundtrack accompanies the base game, which plays out in front of an unsettling sunset scene. 

It’s not quite as bleak – or controversial – as Tombstone RIP, the similarly-themed Nolimit City slot released just four months later. But it certainly draws inspiration from violence, crime and death, as you’ll see in the game’s three bonus features.

Wanted Dead or a Wild Slot Features

Now we come to the meat of our Wanted Dead or a Wild review. Let’s break down the game’s features.

Regular Symbols

Ten regular symbols are available. The five lower-paying options resemble playing cards, and all offer the same returns. It’s 0.10x the bet for three on a payline, with 0.5x and 1x whenever you match four and five, respectively.

The better-paying symbols feature typical Wild West imagery. An animal skull and a masked cowboy return up to 5x for five on a payline. 

These are followed by a swag bag and a bottle of whiskey, both of which offer 10x. Finally, the chamber of a loaded revolver offers a maximum of 20x.

Scatters

Three distinct bonus symbols exist, each of which triggers a different feature. Match three to unlock the corresponding game. We’ll discuss the mechanics of each bonus game shortly in this Wanted Dead or a Wild review.

Wilds

A sherrif’s badge is the wild, which substitutes for any regular paying symbol. In addition, there’s a reward of 20x if you drop five onto the reels.

The Great Train Robbery

The simplest of the three bonus features, you’ll receive ten free spins. Every wild that appears becomes sticky, remaining in place for the duration of the round.

Duel At Dawn

This feature marks the debut of Hacksaw Gaming’s DuelReels mechanic. If a VS symbol forms part of a winning line, it expands. Two gunslingers then appear, each bearing a multiplier. 

After a brief but bloody gunfight, the victorious multiplier is applied to the win. There are ten free spins in total.

Dead Man’s Hand

This game is broken into two parts. First, you’ll acquire as many wild and multiplier symbols as possible. If you fail to collect anything, you’ll lose one of your three lives. At the end of the round, you progress to the Showdown stage.

At this point, you’ll receive three standard free spins. However, all of the previously earned wilds are added to the grid, before the collected multiplier is applied to payouts.

Buy Bonus

Too impatient to wait for a bonus? Buy your way directly into any game for the following fees.

• The Great Train Robbery: Medium volatility – 80x
• Duel At Dawn: Very high volatility – 200x
• Dead Man’s Hand: High volatility – 400x

Img Description: A win of 532.59 during Dead Man’s Hand free spins. That figure will be added to the 653.80 already won, seen bottom-right.

How to Play Wanted Dead or a Wild Online

Although this Hacksaw Gaming release is packed with features, it’s not actually difficult to play. 

Start by using the up and down arrows beneath the reels to pick a bet size. Then, tap the circular arrow to spin, or use the button with two smaller arrows to configure up to 1,000 automated plays. 

To win, drop at least three matching symbols onto a payline. The Buy Bonus button in the bottom-left corner allows you to enter one of the three features directly.

Try the Wanted Dead or a Wild Demo for Free before playing for real money

With three bonus features to tackle, it’s worth testing the game in demonstration mode before risking real money. Play the free Wanted Dead or a Wild game here on this page to do exactly that.

Wanted Dead or a Wild Review – Our Final Verdict

This game is really enjoyable for a variety of reasons. The different bonus games keep things fresh and you won’t get bored easily. 

Our favorite is Dead Man’s Hand, which can last for quite a while as you rack up the multipliers. Not everyone will enjoy the suspense, but we certainly did, and the payouts from that particular feature can be extremely rewarding.

Aside from the bonuses, it’s a fantastic example of a Wild West slot. Although that particular theme has been done to death, Hacksaw Gaming manages to produce a title that’s interesting, entertaining and has longevity. 

The music and artwork are fabulous, and the dark undertones give it a bit of extra bite. It’s a shame that Nolimit City released Tombstone RIP just a few months later, which left this game somewhat in its shadow.

Similar Slot Games

Enjoyed our Wanted Dead or a Wild demo? The following slots are based on a similar concept.

• Wild West Gold: This Pragmatic Play slot has a near-identical theme, though the RPT is a tad higher at 96.51%.
• 2 Wild 2 Die: Another western-themed Hacksaw Gaming slot, this one boasts a maximum payout of 15,000x.
• Wanted Wilds: Triple Cherry’s attempt at a Wild West slot, with a 5×3 grid and a solid RTP of 96.07%.