Wanted Dead Or a Wild Slot Review
Free demo, RTP, volatility and max win
7.8Value score · Good · how it works
Wanted Dead Or a Wild review: Hacksaw Gaming's 5x5 Western with expanding VS duels and three bonus games, listed at 96.38% RTP and three lower versions.
- #1139by RTP of 3,708 slots
- #1407by value of 3,708 slots
Play Wanted Dead Or a Wild free: demo, no sign-up
Free play money from Hacksaw Gaming's official demo. 18+. No deposit and no account; a demo does not predict real results.
Basic information
| Software | Hacksaw Gaming |
|---|---|
| Release year | Not published |
| Theme | Wild West slots |
| RTP | 96.38% | 94.55% | 92.33% | 88.42% |
| Volatility | Not published |
| Max win | Not published |
| Hit frequency | Not published |
| Reels and rows | 5 × 5 |
| Win system | Paylines, 15 paylines |
| Features | Bonus buy, Ante bet, Paylines |
| Named in the rules | Duel at Dawn, Dead Man’s Hand, The Great Train Robbery, VS symbols |
| Game type | Slot |
| Data verified | 2026-09-28 |
Source: Hacksaw Gaming game page; RTP database by toolsgambling.com (CC BY 4.0); image: Hacksaw Gaming promotional image from the official game page. How we collect data · Report a mistake
Wanted Dead Or a Wild review
Hacksaw Gaming's Western is built around one idea: a showdown. VS symbols expand into a full reel, two outlaws fight, and the survivor's multiplier is applied to the whole reel, which also turns wild. Around that duel sit three separate bonus games, a bonus buy and an ante bet. The catalogue lists four RTP versions, from 96.38% down to 88.42%, which matters as much as any feature here.
The grid and how wins form
The studio describes a 5x5 grid with 15 fixed paylines. A win needs matching symbols on adjacent reels along one of those lines, counted from left to right starting at the leftmost reel. The same combination rules apply in the bonus features unless the rules say otherwise, so the base game and the bonuses are read in the same way.
The VS symbol: a duel on one reel
The VS symbol is the centre of the game and also the part that needs the most careful reading. It expands only if at least one VS symbol takes part in a win once expanded. When that happens it covers the whole reel and shows two outlaws, each with a different multiplier. A duel plays out, the surviving outlaw's multiplier is applied across the reel, and the reel becomes wild.
If several VS symbols land, their values are first added together and the total is then multiplied with the line wins. The rules say the possible multipliers start at 2x, 3x and 4x, and the studio text we hold is cut off after that, so the full range is not stated here.
Three bonus games
Each bonus has its own scatter. Three or more of the matching scatters in the base game start the corresponding round. The catalogue's mechanics data says the game has no free spins, which conflicts with the official rules: two of these bonuses are explicitly built on 10 free spins. We follow the rules.
Duel at Dawn
Three or more DUEL scatters in the base game start 10 free spins. The round is loaded with more VS symbols than the base game, so duels, expanding reels and added multipliers should come up more often than they do in normal play.
The Great Train Robbery
Three or more TRAIN ROBBERY scatters trigger a sticky wilds bonus with 10 free spins. Every wild that lands stays in place until the feature ends, so the board gets steadily more wild as the spins go on.
Dead Man's Hand
Three or more DEAD scatters start a collect phase. The goal is to gather as many wilds and multipliers as possible: wilds are stored above the reels on the left and the total multiplier is shown on the right. Each time a wild or multiplier is collected, the remaining spins reset to 3, and the phase runs until three non-winning spins occur.
Buying in and the ante bet
The rules confirm a bonus buy with three options, one for each bonus game, and an ante bet. The static rules do not show the cost multipliers, which the game fills in at runtime, so no price is stated here. The rules also do not state the RTP of a bought round, so it should not be assumed to match the base game.
Four RTP versions, a wide gap
The catalogue records 96.38%, 94.55%, 92.33% and 88.42%. The official rules text only has a placeholder where the figure goes, so we cannot say which of them an operator is running. The house edge is 3.62% at the top, then 5.45%, 7.67% and 11.58%.
In money, the best version costs about $36.20 per $1,000 wagered and the lowest about $115.80. For 100 spins at $1, that is $3.62 against $11.58 on average, and at $5 a spin ($500 wagered) it is $18.10 against $57.90. Volatility and max win are not published, and the catalogue lists no free demo.
Near neighbours
Among games with similar numbers, Dark Summoning (96.36%, High, 10,666x) and Densho (96.4%, High, 10,000x) show what a rated max win looks like; this game has none on record. Death Becomes You and Red Rascal list 96.34% with High volatility, while Great Game Rockies at 96.33% and Minted Mike at 96.31% are rated Medium.
Pros
- The VS duel can multiply a whole reel and turn it wild
- Three separate bonus games, each with its own scatter
- Bonus buy and ante bet are both available
- Top RTP version of 96.38% has a 3.62% house edge
Cons
- Three lower RTP versions exist, down to 88.42% with an 11.58% house edge
- No volatility rating, max win or free demo in our catalogue
- Catalogue mechanics and official rules disagree on free spins
Verdict
Wanted Dead Or a Wild gives a clear gimmick, the VS duel, and three bonus games on a 5x5 board with 15 paylines. Volatility is not published, so the pace is unknown from the data. The RTP is the bigger decision: 96.38% is the headline, but versions as low as 88.42% are on record, and the cost per $1,000 wagered more than triples between the best and the worst. Check which version the game shows before judging its cost.
Sources: Hacksaw Gaming official game page; RTP, volatility and max win from the open Slot RTP Database.
Slots like Wanted Dead Or a Wild
Wanted Dead Or a Wild RTP versions
4 RTP versions of Wanted Dead Or a Wild are recorded. Casinos choose which one to run, so the number you get depends on where you play. Each bar shows what that version keeps on average per $1,000 wagered.
- 96.38%Highest $36.20 lost per $1,000
- 94.55% $54.50 lost per $1,000
- 92.33% $76.70 lost per $1,000
- 88.42%Lowest $115.80 lost per $1,000
Cost of 100 spins
| Bet | Wagered | Average cost at 96.38% | At 88.42% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.20 | $20 | $0.72 | $2.32 |
| $1 | $100 | $3.62 | $11.58 |
| $5 | $500 | $18.10 | $57.90 |
Averages computed from the published RTP; real sessions vary widely around them. RTP calculator
Wanted Dead Or a Wild max win, volatility & stats
- Value score
- 7.8 / 10
- Lost per $1,000 (average)
- $36.20
- Max win at $1 bet
- –
- Wins on average
- –
Percentiles compare this game with the 3,708 games in the catalogue. Max win: not published.
