Wanted Dead or a Wild is a Western-themed video slot developed by Hacksaw Gaming, featuring a 5x5 grid with 15 paylines. Released in September 2021, the game introduces the innovative DuelReels mechanic alongside multiple bonus rounds and a maximum win potential of 12,500x the stake.
Wanted Dead or a Wild represents Hacksaw Gaming's ambitious entry into the crowded Western slot genre, distinguishing itself through innovative mechanics and atmospheric design. Unlike typical Wild West slots that rely on dusty saloon aesthetics, this game adopts a darker, more ominous tone with twisted trees, barbed wire, and a smouldering sunset backdrop. The result is a slot that feels more like a suspenseful Western thriller than a lighthearted cowboy adventure.
The game launched in September 2021 and quickly gained recognition for introducing the DuelReels mechanic, a feature that has since become a signature element in Hacksaw Gaming's portfolio. With high volatility gameplay, multiple bonus rounds, and a substantial 12,500x maximum win potential, Wanted Dead or a Wild targets players seeking intense, feature-rich gaming experiences rather than frequent small wins.
Wanted Dead or a Wild operates on a 5x5 grid structure with 15 fixed paylines, a departure from the cluster-paying mechanism initially rumoured during development. The game is fully optimized for cross-platform play, functioning seamlessly on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices without compromising visual quality or feature functionality.
The default Return to Player percentage stands at 96.38%, which positions the game favourably within industry standards. However, operators can configure the RTP to lower settings including 94.55%, 92.33%, and 88.42%, making it essential for players to verify the active RTP at their chosen casino. The overall volatility rating is 4 out of 5, indicating high variance gameplay where wins may be infrequent but potentially substantial.
Each of the three bonus rounds carries its own volatility classification ranging from medium to very high. This information is clearly displayed when using the Bonus Buy feature, allowing players to select bonus games that align with their risk tolerance and bankroll management strategy.
The betting structure accommodates a wide spectrum of players with stakes ranging from 0.20 to 100.00 per spin. This flexibility makes the game accessible to casual players while providing sufficient ceiling for high-stakes sessions. The maximum single bet win is capped at 12,500x the total stake, translating to a potential payout of 100,000 when betting at the upper limit.
The paytable in Wanted Dead or a Wild consists of ten regular paying symbols organized into two tiers. Low-value symbols are represented by standard card ranks from 10 through Ace, each decorated with Western-themed embellishments. These symbols deliver modest returns, with five-of-a-kind combinations paying 1x the stake.
The premium symbol tier includes thematic icons that capture the essence of outlaw life. Bull skulls and bandit portraits form the mid-tier premiums, each paying 5x stake for five matching symbols. The top-tier premiums consist of liquor bottles and money bags, both delivering 10x stake for maximum combinations. The wild symbol, represented by a gun chamber, serves dual purposes by substituting for all regular symbols and offering the highest single-symbol payout at 20x stake for five wilds on a payline.
Beyond regular pay symbols, Wanted Dead or a Wild incorporates several special symbols that trigger unique mechanics. VS symbols activate the DuelReels feature, expanding to cover entire reels and applying multipliers. Duel symbols trigger the Duel at Dawn bonus game, while Great Train Robbery symbols initiate the corresponding free spins round. Dead Man's Hand symbols activate a two-phase bonus game, and skull cards function as non-winning blocker symbols that add strategic depth to the gameplay.
The DuelReels feature represents the core innovation in Wanted Dead or a Wild, offering a dynamic twist on traditional expanding wilds. When VS symbols land on the reels, they expand to cover all positions on their respective reels, transforming into wild reels. However, the mechanic extends beyond simple expansion.
Each VS symbol displays two outlaws engaged in a standoff duel, with each character associated with a specific multiplier value. After the symbols expand, an animation plays showing the duel outcome. The winning outlaw's multiplier is then applied to the entire wild reel, boosting all winning combinations that pass through it. If multiple wild reels contribute to the same winning combination, their multiplier values are added together before being applied to the payline win, creating potential for substantial multiplier accumulation.
The DuelReels mechanic only activates when the VS symbols form part of a winning combination after expanding. This conditional trigger adds strategic anticipation to each spin, as players must land complementary symbols to fully capitalize on the expanded wilds.
Wanted Dead or a Wild operates on a 5-reel, 5-row configuration with 15 fixed paylines. Winning combinations require at least 3 matching symbols across the reels, with a minimum of 1 symbol per reel. The betting range accommodates both casual players and high rollers, spanning from 0.20 to 100.00 per spin.
The game features ten regular pay symbols divided into low-value card ranks and high-value thematic symbols including gun barrels, money bags, liquor bottles, and outlaw portraits. Wild symbols substitute for all regular symbols and deliver the highest single-symbol payout at 20x stake for five of a kind.
Wanted Dead or a Wild offers three distinct bonus games, each with unique mechanics and volatility profiles. Players can trigger these features organically during base game play or access them immediately through the Bonus Buy option where available.
Activated by landing three or more Great Train Robbery scatter symbols, this feature awards 10 free spins with a sticky wild mechanic. All wild symbols that land during the bonus round remain locked in position for the duration of the feature, accumulating across spins. These sticky wilds participate in every subsequent winning combination, creating escalating win potential as more wilds populate the grid. The ultimate objective is filling the entire screen with sticky wilds, which maximizes the bonus round's payout potential. This feature carries medium to high volatility.
The Duel at Dawn feature also triggers from three or more corresponding scatter symbols and provides 10 free spins. The distinguishing characteristic of this bonus is a significantly increased probability of landing multiple VS symbols simultaneously. This enhancement can result in up to five DuelReels appearing on a single spin, with their multipliers combining for potentially massive wins. The feature is classified as very high volatility, offering the strongest potential for reaching the game's maximum win of 12,500x stake.
The Dead Man's Hand feature operates as a two-phase bonus game triggered by landing three or more Dead symbols. The first phase, the Collection Phase, begins with 3 free spins that reset to 3 whenever a wild or multiplier symbol lands. During this phase, the objective is accumulating as many wild symbols and multiplier values as possible. Once the Collection Phase concludes without additional resets, the game transitions to the Showdown Phase. In this second phase, all collected wild symbols are randomly placed on the reels for every spin, and the accumulated multiplier is applied to all resulting wins. This feature balances collection strategy with payout execution.
For jurisdictions where permitted, Wanted Dead or a Wild includes a Bonus Buy option that allows players to purchase direct access to any of the three bonus games. Each bonus game has a different purchase cost reflecting its volatility and win potential. The Bonus Buy feature displays the specific RTP for each purchased bonus, which ranges from 96.27% to 96.43%, varying slightly from the base game RTP. This feature appeals to players who prefer concentrated bonus action over extended base game sessions.
Hacksaw Gaming has crafted a distinctly atmospheric visual experience for Wanted Dead or a Wild. Rather than embracing the sun-bleached, dusty aesthetic common to Western slots, the game adopts a darker, more foreboding tone. The colour palette emphasizes deep browns, shadowy blacks, and muted oranges from the dying sunlight, creating an environment that feels isolated and tense.
The symbol designs maintain thematic consistency with detailed illustrations of Western iconography. Animations are purposeful rather than excessive, with the DuelReels showdowns providing the most elaborate visual sequences. The user interface remains clean and functional, with all necessary information accessible without cluttering the screen. Sound design complements the visuals with atmospheric audio cues and dramatic musical stings during feature triggers.
Given the high volatility nature of Wanted Dead or a Wild, bankroll management becomes paramount. Players should anticipate extended periods without significant wins, requiring sufficient funds to weather variance. The 15-payline structure means wins occur less frequently than in all-ways or cluster-paying games, but individual wins can be more substantial when multipliers activate.
Understanding the volatility differences between bonus games helps inform Bonus Buy decisions. The Great Train Robbery offers more consistent but moderate returns, while Duel at Dawn provides the highest risk-reward ratio. Dead Man's Hand sits between these extremes, offering strategic depth through its two-phase structure. Players should select bonus games that align with their session goals and risk tolerance.
Verifying the active RTP setting before playing is essential, as the configurable nature of the game's return percentage can significantly impact long-term results. The difference between 96.38% and 88.42% RTP represents a substantial variance in expected returns over extended play sessions.
Within Hacksaw Gaming's portfolio, Wanted Dead or a Wild shares mechanical DNA with Chaos Crew, another high-volatility title featuring innovative bonus mechanics. However, Wanted Dead or a Wild distinguishes itself through the DuelReels system and its Western thematic execution. Compared to other Western-themed slots in the broader market, this game offers more complex feature interactions and higher volatility than mainstream titles like Dead or Alive 2, though it lacks progressive jackpot potential.
The 12,500x maximum win potential positions Wanted Dead or a Wild competitively within the high-volatility segment, though it falls short of some extreme variance games offering 50,000x or higher. The trade-off is more frequent feature triggers and a more balanced volatility profile that remains accessible to players not exclusively chasing maximum exposure.
Wanted Dead or a Wild successfully carves out a distinctive identity within the saturated Western slot genre through innovative mechanics and atmospheric design. The DuelReels feature provides a fresh take on expanding wilds, while the three bonus games offer meaningful variety in gameplay experience and risk profiles. High volatility players seeking feature-rich gameplay with substantial win potential will find the game's 12,500x maximum win and multiple bonus rounds appealing.
The game's primary strengths lie in its mechanical innovation, visual cohesion, and bonus variety. The configurable RTP represents a potential weakness, as players must verify they are accessing the optimal 96.38% version rather than reduced alternatives. The 15-payline structure may feel restrictive to players accustomed to all-ways or cluster-paying systems, but it serves the game's high-volatility design philosophy.
Overall, Wanted Dead or a Wild stands as a solid entry in Hacksaw Gaming's catalogue and a worthwhile option for players seeking Western-themed slots with depth beyond surface-level theming. The game rewards patience and proper bankroll management while delivering memorable moments when features align favourably.
The default RTP is 96.38%, but operators can configure it to 94.55%, 92.33%, or 88.42%. Always verify the active RTP at your chosen casino before playing.
VS symbols expand to cover entire reels and display two dueling outlaws with multipliers. The winning outlaw's multiplier applies to all wins passing through that reel, with multiple wild reel multipliers adding together.
The maximum single bet win is 12,500x the total stake, which translates to 100,000 when betting at the maximum stake of 100.00 per spin.
Yes, three bonus games offer free spins: The Great Train Robbery and Duel at Dawn each award 10 free spins, while Dead Man's Hand provides 3 free spins that reset with each wild or multiplier collected.
The betting range spans from 0.20 to 100.00 per spin, accommodating both casual players and high rollers across all device types.
Duel at Dawn carries the highest volatility and offers the best chance at reaching the maximum win, as it significantly increases the probability of landing multiple VS symbols with stacked multipliers.
Yes, where legally permitted, players can purchase direct access to any of the three bonus games, with each having a different cost and RTP ranging from 96.27% to 96.43%.
The game features 15 fixed paylines across a 5x5 grid, requiring at least 3 matching symbols across the reels with a minimum of 1 symbol per reel for winning combinations.
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