Wanted Dead or a Wild Demo Slots Machine

Wanted Dead or a Wild Review

Written by: Filip Gromovic Reviewed by: Nashon Khamala

Updated: Feb 2026

Wanted Dead or a Wild by Hacksaw Gaming is a Wild West slot that features 15 paylines and comes with an RTP of 96.38%. Its 5-row, 5-reel playing area (5×5 grid) offers stark visuals. In addition to expanding multiplier wilds, it delivers 3 different bonus rounds, as well as the potential for a 12,500x max win. Fans of modern, intense games often mix in Hacksaw slots for a different kind of edge and tempo.

Let’s dive into our Wanted Dead or a Wild review to discover other details and features.

Why It’s a Top-Search Hacksaw Slot

It’s one of the most searched Hacksaw slots because of its western style and its ability to produce huge wins. What makes this game so appealing is the Wanted Dead or a Wild Bonus, expanding sticky wilds, and the opportunity to get free spins with multipliers. 

Theme & Storyline: Outlaws, Duels, and Robberies

If you love cinematic western slots, then this Wild West theme will probably be appealing to you. In addition to the story of the game itself, it also has a nice and fun storyline. Wanted Dead or a Wild takes place in the American Wild West, with its bounty hunters looking for their “villains” in a beautiful setting. The smooth, no-pressure vibe fits perfectly with free casino slots, especially for short casual sessions.

So, basically, a western theme is about the wild west and hot American lands. A western theme includes everything from guns and outlaws to blood baths and robbers (like train heist), and duels. Symbols like Skulls, Bandit Hats, Whiskey Bottles, and Revolver Chambers all add to the outlaw theme. 

All aspects of the design (from the bullets shot into the reels to the red and black colours) contribute to building tension. These will place you in the middle of a showdown. The reels are positioned against an empty desert backdrop. That creates a sense of risk and uncertainty. 

Graphics, Sounds & Animation Style

A muted color palette is highlighted by bursts of bright red and gold to represent winning combinations and special features. Wanted Dead or a Wild has a “realistic” feel with the flair of the Wild West. It has some stunning environments, including deserts and saloon areas. Each character is very unique, with many wearing cowboy hats and having scars.

The visual style of the game is based on graphic novels and, therefore, features dramatic backdrops with heavy shading (dark), as well as large, symbolic shapes that help to build the Wild West atmosphere. 

Wanted Dead or a Wild features high-detail textures with sharp effects. When you trigger either a VS Wild or Bonus Icon, you’ll be treated to an animated, dramatic effect. During your sessions, there will be dynamic environments like weather effects and day-night cycles. The RTP-focused approach is a big reason highest RTP slots stay popular with more calculated players.

The visuals are accompanied by a soundtrack with bold sounds that convey the roughness of the storyline. Sound effects such as gunshots, spinning reels, and winds through the canyons can easily draw you into the Wild West vibe. There are also dramatic musical cues that punctuate bonus triggers and big wins.

How to Play Wanted Dead or a Wild in 2026?

Let’s see how to play Wanted Dead or a Wild. It’s quite easy. Whether you are a seasoned slot player or a newcomer, follow these simple steps:

1. Select your preferred stake – Set your stake from $0.2 (min bet) to $100 (max bet) using the bet adjustment buttons.
2. Spin the reels – To start the game, press the spin button (unless you use the autoplay option or turbo spins).
3. For multiplier wilds, aim to land VS symbols
4. Trigger one of the 3 bonus features
5. Check the paytable

The slot is played on a 5×5 layout. There are 15 paylines. To win, you need to land 3 or more matching symbols on adjacent positions from the leftmost reel along the Wanted Dead or a Wild paylines.

Wanted Dead or a Wild Gameplay Basics

Simply press the “Spin” button to cause the reels to spin around to see what you’ve got across your payline(s). Combinations of symbols that match the ones shown in the Wanted Dead or a Wild paytable will be paid. If you like this style, Rip City slot is another option that keeps things simple and fun.

The wild icon will take on the value of the regular icons in order to allow for possible win combinations. The special symbols provide an additional element of fun and can add variety to your gameplay. There’s also the Bonus Buy that adds versatility and strategy to the gameplay.

Main Features: Wanted Dead or a Wild VS Symbols

The VS symbol has a notable quality; when it is landed, it changes the entire reel into a wild reel with a random multiplier from 2x up to 100x applied to it. When there is more than one VS icon in play, the multipliers are added together to increase the chances of large wins.

What sets Wanted Dead or a Wild apart is its “duel” mechanic: there are 2 outlaws on the symbol. They come with their specific multiplier. The multipliers “fight” each other, and the one that wins gets applied to every win from a reel it was part of. These multipliers get added up if there’s more than one VS symbol on the reels. 

There are a total of 3 primary bonus round options that are activated by unique scatter symbols. Each of these bonus rounds is represented as sticky wilds, additional VS symbols, and unique respins. 

Aside from a duel bonus and wild features, there is a “Bonus Buy.” This option allows you to access all of these features (at a set cost) and provides you with more choices in your play. Fans of edgy themes and punchy gameplay often keep Chaos Crew 3 in their rotation for something with more bite.

Symbols & Payouts

As for the Wanted Dead or a Wild symbols, there are basically two groups: low-paying and high-paying symbols. 

The first ones include the standard playing cards like 10, A, J, Q, and K. When it comes to the symbols that bring higher payouts, these include themed icons like outlanders (outlaw hats or bandit masks), skulls, Whiskey bottles, gun chambers, and money bags.

You will also see Wilds and multiple scatters on the screen. When you land several scatter symbols on the reels, this will help you trigger specific features like free spins. The wild symbol can replace any standard symbol (except special symbols), so it lets you achieve different winning combinations, depending on the symbols across the win lines. 

If you get 5 premium symbols in a row, you’ll be rewarded with payouts that may range anywhere between 5 and 20 times your stake. For 20x the bet, you need to get a full line of wilds.

Wanted Dead or a Wild Strategy for Winning

To boost your winning chances, you should take into account these high-volatility tips:

• Play the Wanted Dead or a Wild demo first. Don’t risk any real money right away. Before you decide to play for real stakes, start with the demo version until you learn the basics (unique features, mechanics, and volatility). 
• Set a budget (your loss limits) before you start. To extend your playtime, use smaller bets and do not increase them out of frustration. That will also help you boost your odds of hitting bonus rounds.
• Look for casinos that offer the highest Return to Player when optimizing your Wanted Dead or a Wild strategy. Ideally, select the version with an RTP of 96.38% if possible.
• Be wise when using “Bonus Buy”. This feature comes at a high cost (up to 400x your bet), so use it with your bankroll in mind.
• Take advantage of promotions and bonuses. Seek online casinos that offer deposit matches and/or free spins. You will have a greater chance of activating the profitable features thanks to these promos.

Bonus Features

As mentioned above in our Wanted Dead or a Wild review, there are 3 main bonuses. Check the table below to find out more about them.

* During the Collect Phase, you will have 3 spins for which only non-paying skull symbols, wilds, or multipliers can appear. Each time you collect a wild symbol or multiplier, you will reset your spin counter to 3 and collect up to a multiplier of up to 31x and 20 wilds. The Showdown will then begin when three (3) consecutive spins occur. In this phase, your collected wilds will be placed on the reels, and normal symbols will return.

Free Spins

Each of these bonus rounds offers a certain number of free spins. For example, the Great Train Robbery and Duel at Dawn both grant 10 free spins. 

You will earn the chance for Wanted Dead or a Wild free spins by getting at least 3 scatter symbols. In addition to that, when playing with Free Spins, you’ll be able to get enhancements such as a multiplier or extra wilds.

Max Win Potential

Your maximum possible win is 12,500 times your stake placed during play. There is great potential to hit large amounts of money if it’s played at the highest level, or when the maximum bet has been made. That said, the total winnings could be quite large. 

Note: If a game round exceeds this, the current mode will end immediately, and you will move back into the Base Game, taking all winnings earned from previous rounds with you.

Wanted Dead or a Wild RTP & Volatility

You can expect a Return to player (RTP) of 96.38% during your Wanted Dead or a Wild sessions. However, keep in mind that it is different during bonus rounds. It varies slightly with bonus buys as follows:

• The Great Train Robbery – RTP 96.27%
• Duel at Dawn – RTP 96.33%
• Dead Man’s Hand – RTP 96.43%

Generally speaking, the game has high volatility. But similar to RTP, it depends on the bonus feature, ranging from medium (The Great Train Robbery) to high (Dead Man’s Hand) and very high (Duel at Dawn). Therefore, there are varying volatility levels.

This caters to different player preferences, though. The extreme volatility explains why it’s a streamer favorite. Many players find the streaming content dramatic thanks to big swings and sudden max-win moments. 

FAQ about Wanted Dead or a Wild

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s plenty of potential (12,500x max win potential) and attractive features like free spins and three bonus rounds. It is about combining knowledge of the gameplay mechanics with money management (bankroll) and bonus use that will create the most productive Wanted Dead or a Wild sessions. Once you become familiar with all it has to offer, you can responsibly spend your money and also increase your chance of winning.