Hacksaw Gaming’s blood-red Wild West Description

Wanted Dead Or A Wild rides into town with a darker, grittier Western vibe than the usual genre fare. The horizon bleeds crimson, leafless trees claw at the sky, and the reels become a stage for duels, heists and a final showdown that feels like a dusty legend retold. It’s a square grid that plays like a classic lines slot, but the twist comes from VS duels that can turn whole reels wild with multipliers—the kind of sudden turn of events that suits a tale of outlaws and bounty posters. Developed by Hacksaw Gaming, this release blends clean, stylized visuals with punchy, modern audio touches that give the frontier a contemporary edge. Under the hood, it’s built around a familiar structure but stacked with three distinct bonus modes, each pushing the narrative in a different direction: a sticky-wild train robbery, a dawn duel soaked in multipliers, and the two-phase “Dead Man’s Hand” that collects power before unleashing it in a tense final act. On the numbers front, the game keeps things straightforward yet uncompromising: 5x5 layout, 15 paylines, and a minimum/maximum bet of €0.20/€100. It’s a high volatility ride with a max win of 12,500x, backed by RTP ranges that include a default 96.38% setting and alternative configurations at 94.55%, 92.33%, and 88.42%. First released on 2021-09-29, it quickly became a calling card for Hacksaw’s more serious tone, and for good reason: the base game can feel like a windswept trail until a VS symbol hits and flips the script in an instant. If you’re drawn to Westerns that trade saloon slapstick for shadow and steel, this is a frontier worth exploring—especially when the features start firing like revolvers at high noon.

Bleak sunsets, stark art, and standout Symbols

Design and Atmosphere

A minimalist, stylized Western plays out against a blood-soaked sky, with parched trees and a looming moon setting a somber mood. Colors favor deep reds and earth tones; wins are punctuated by sharp, impactful animations that feel like quick cuts from a modern Western film. The art direction leans contemporary—clean lines, deliberate austerity—while the audio swings between a slow, tension-building tune in the base game and more urgent themes when features trigger. It’s Western by way of graphic novel: striking, moody, and instantly readable on the 5x5 grid.

Symbols

• Main symbols
  • Gun Chamber – top premium; pays 20x for 5 and sets the high-water mark with classic gunslinger flair.
  • Liquor Bottle – pays 10x for 5; a staple of Western iconography.
  • Moneybag – pays 10x for 5; the prize every outlaw is chasing.
  • Bandit – pays 5x for 5; a masked nod to the game’s antiheroes.
  • Animal Skull – pays 5x for 5; a totem of the harsh frontier.
• Secondary symbols
  • A, K, Q, J, 10 – pay up to 1x for 5; the low-pay backdrop to the feature-driven action.
• Special symbols
  • Wild – substitutes for pay symbols and also pays 20x for 5, tying the top premium.
  • VS symbol – expands to a full-reel wild and awards a duel multiplier of x2 to x100 when part of a win; multipliers add together if multiple VS reels connect.
  • Train Robbery Scatter – 3+ trigger The Great Train Robbery with 10 free spins and sticky wilds.
  • Duel Scatter – 3+ trigger Duel at Dawn with 10 free spins and more frequent VS symbols.
  • Dead Scatter – 3+ trigger Dead Man’s Hand, a two-phase collect-and-showdown bonus.

Sound Effects and Soundtrack

The soundtrack riffs on classic Western motifs with a modern pulse: low-key in the base game, then tightening like a coiled lariat during features. Spins, wins, and bonus entries are punctuated by crisp audio cues; VS duels in particular land with satisfying impact as multipliers resolve. In feature modes, the music grows darker and more adrenaline-charged, reinforcing the shift from slow-burn tension to high-stakes action.

Features and Bonuses that shoot from the hip

VS expanding multiplier wilds up to x100

The signature mechanic. When a VS symbol can help form a win, it expands to cover the entire reel, turns wild, and triggers a duel between two outlaws. The winning outlaw’s multiplier (x2–x100) applies to that reel. If more than one VS reel participates in the same win, their multipliers are added together before being applied. Land one VS on each of the five reels and the grid is treated as entirely wild—a rare but thrilling sight. VS can appear in the base game and becomes more common in Duel at Dawn.

The Great Train Robbery — 10 free spins with sticky wilds

Trigger this classic heist with 3+ Train Robbery scatters to receive 10 free spins. Every wild that lands becomes sticky for the rest of the feature. It’s straightforward, satisfying design: build a lattice of wilds and let the 15 lines do the rest. Labeled medium volatility, this round is the most predictable of the trio—ideal if you enjoy steady build-up and visible board development.

Duel at Dawn — 10 free spins with more frequent VS

Land 3+ Duel scatters to enter a ten-spin showdown where VS symbols appear more often. The dream scenario is chaining multiple expanded VS wilds and stacking x2–x100 multipliers across lines. It’s the high-wire act of the bunch—high volatility, high drama, and those “hold your breath” moments when reels two, three, and four all threaten to expand.

Dead Man’s Hand — collect wilds and multipliers, then face the Showdown

Three or more Dead scatters launch this two-phase feature: - Collect Phase: Start with 3 respins; only wilds, multipliers (shown as a cylinder with a +), and blanks can land. Each time you collect a symbol, the counter resets to 3. You can bank up to 20 wilds and a total multiplier up to x31. - Showdown: You get 3 spins. Before each spin, the collected wilds are deployed in random positions, and any win is boosted by your banked multiplier. It’s a brilliant “save up, then spend” structure that builds anticipation, culminating in three spins that can burst like fireworks.

Bonus Buy menu (feature access on demand)

If you prefer to jump straight into the action, the game includes a Bonus Buy panel: - The Great Train Robbery for 80x bet (96.27% RTP) - Duel at Dawn for 200x bet (96.33% RTP) - Dead Man’s Hand for 400x bet (96.43% RTP) It’s a rare treat to have three distinct entry points, each with its own flavor and RTP tuning.

Statistics and Math for players who like the full picture

RTP

This title uses RTP ranges. The default RTP is 96.38%, with alternative configurations at 94.55%, 92.33%, and 88.42%. The top setting sits comfortably above the modern average and suits longer sessions; the lower settings deliver a tougher ride.

Volatility

It’s a high volatility slot. Expect stretches of quiet base-game spins punctuated by sudden, feature-driven spikes—especially when VS reels stack multipliers or when a strong Dead Man’s Hand setup enters the Showdown.

Paylines and Win Mechanics

The game plays on a 5x5 layout with 15 fixed paylines. Wins register left to right and require 3+ matching symbols on a line. The headline mechanic is the VS expanding wild that can overlay full-reel wilds with x2–x100 multipliers, added together across multiple VS reels.

Bet Limits and Accessibility

Stake selection is broad and clear-cut: minimum bet €0.20 and maximum bet €100 per spin. That range keeps the door open to casual sessions while accommodating players who like to push the pace. For additional context, the hit frequency is 19.36%, so roughly one in five spins will return a win on average.

Conclusion — a Western that earns its legend

Wanted Dead Or A Wild nails its tone and backs it with mechanics that feel tailor-made for the setting. The VS expanding wilds up to x100 are the heartbeat—fast, decisive, and capable of transforming a spin in a blink. The trio of bonuses brings welcome variety: sticky wilds in The Great Train Robbery for steady construction, VS-heavy chaos in Duel at Dawn for risk-takers, and the collect-and-burst drama of Dead Man’s Hand for players who love to build momentum and then let it rip. Strengths: - Distinctive 5x5/15-line format with VS multipliers up to x100 - Three well-differentiated bonus rounds that cater to different play styles - Max win 12,500x and a default 96.38% RTP option Considerations: - High volatility and an RTP range configuration mean the experience can vary significantly - The base game can feel sparse until features land—par for the course with this math model Recommended for Western fans who appreciate a serious, stylized aesthetic and for players who enjoy feature-centric gameplay with meaningful peaks. If this hits the spot, try these as well: - Chaos Crew (Hacksaw Gaming) — also a 5x5 slot with unconventional flair, base-game multipliers and a hold-and-win style bonus that builds big totals; max win 10,000x. Similar grid vibe, different attitude. - El Paso Gunfight (Nolimit City) — a hardboiled Western with xNudge multiplier wilds, multiple bonus modes, and selectable volatility. Grittier still, with a sprawling feature set. - Dead or Alive 2 (NetEnt) — iconic sticky wild free spins, three bonus choices, and a legendary top-end. If sticky wilds are your favorite part of the Train Robbery, this is a must. In short: a modern Western that looks the part, sounds the part, and—thanks to those VS reels—plays the part with real personality.