Wanted Dead or a Wild at a glance
Wanted Dead or a Wild made Hacksaw Gaming famous in September 2021. The western slot runs on a 5x5 grid with 15 fixed lines and has three different bonus rounds that can pay up to 12,500x the stake.
- Provider
- Hacksaw Gaming
- Released
- September 2021
- Grid
- 5 × 5
- Ways to win
- 15 paylines
- RTP
- 96.38%
- Volatility
- high
- Max win
- 12,500x
- Bonus buy
- yes
Rules: how Wanted Dead or a Wild works
Wanted Dead or a Wild has 5 reels, 5 rows and 15 fixed paylines. A win needs at least three matching symbols on a line, counted from left to right starting on the first reel. Only the highest win per line is paid.
The return to player (RTP) of the standard version is 96.38%. That is an average over a very large number of spins, not a promise for a single session. Casinos may run versions with a lower RTP; the in-game info menu shows the value that applies.
The maximum win is capped at 12,500x your stake. At €1 per spin that would be €12,500; if a bonus reaches the cap, the round ends automatically.
Free spins, features and bonus round
The rounds are called Great Train Robbery, Duel at Dawn and Dead Man's Hand. They differ in length and risk: one lets you play more calmly for a medium win, another bets almost everything on a few spins. All three can be bought directly in many casinos; according to Hacksaw the RTP stays the same either way.
Scatter symbols trigger the free spins. How many scatters you need and how many spins you get is shown in the paytable; in most games of this kind the free spins can be retriggered during the bonus.
Multipliers boost wins in this game many times over. What matters is whether they apply to a single win only or add up during the free spins: that difference is exactly what makes the bonus round so swingy.
Where the casino and the local rules allow it, the free spins can be bought directly. The price is shown as a multiple of your stake and is high; buying the bonus sharply increases the risk per round.
Wanted Dead or a Wild with the BlazeBet bonus: wagering and a worked example
At BlazeBet, slots count 100% towards the welcome bonus wagering (100% up to €1,000, 15x wagering, 30 days). Wanted Dead or a Wild is therefore suitable for clearing the bonus.
A worked example with real numbers: with a €100 bonus and 15x wagering on the bonus, you need to wager €1,500. At €1.00 per spin, that is 1,500 spins. With an RTP of 96.38%, the theoretical loss over that stretch is about €54.30. If BlazeBet counts deposit plus bonus, the total wager and the expected loss double.
With high volatility, the balance can run out before the free spins arrive. A smaller stake per spin stretches the budget over more rounds.
Volatility, hit rate and budget
As a rough rule of thumb for a game with high volatility: plan a budget for about 300 spins, which at €0.50 per spin is €150. That gives you a reasonable chance of seeing the bonus round. Set a limit and a time frame beforehand, and do not raise your stake to chase losses.
Bonus-buy players value the choice between three risk levels. Equally extreme but with their own style are Chaos Crew 3 and San Quentin Manhunt.
More from Hacksaw Gaming and similar games
Wanted Dead or a Wild is part of the Hacksaw Gaming portfolio. If you are looking for a similar experience, try Slayers Inc, The Dog House and Big Bass Bonanza. All slots are listed in our slot overview, games with real dealers in the live casino section. How wagering, deadlines and game contributions work for the welcome bonus is explained on the bonus page.
