The Wanted: Dead or Alive slot machine is an exciting online game developed by NextGen Gaming. The theme of the game revolves around the concept of bounty hunters, with players taking on the role of tracking down wanted fugitives in various locations across the United States during the 19th century.
Theme and Design
Upon launching the game, players are greeted by a visually appealing interface that sets the scene for the Wild West. The background displays an American landscape, complete with rolling hills, mountains, and a setting sun. The symbols on the reels include Wanted Dead Or A Wild free play various characters from the Wanted: Dead or Alive universe, such as Annie Oakley, Doc Holiday, Wyatt Earp, and Butch Cassidy. The design of the game is well-crafted, immersing players in an era of outlaws and lawmen.
Symbols and Payouts
The symbols used in the game are colorful and pay homage to the classic Western characters. Each character has its own unique payout structure, with Annie Oakley being one of the highest paying symbols. The standard playing card values (10-4) also feature as symbols on the reels, offering lower payouts but increasing the chances of winning.
The game offers a maximum jackpot win of 1,000x, achieved when five Wild symbol appear in combination. In addition to the character symbols and playing cards, two special symbols are present: the Scatter symbol (represented by a map) and the Wild symbol (a portrait of Butch Cassidy).
Wilds
As mentioned earlier, one of the game’s main features is its Wild symbol. This can appear on reels 2-5, substituting for all other standard characters to complete winning combinations. Additionally, the Wild symbol acts as an Expanding Symbol when used in a combination, covering entire reels.
However, it’s worth noting that while there are two symbols that may appear as wilds (the Portrait of Butch Cassidy and Annie Oakley), only one has the power to expand and substitute for all other characters. This limited expanding Wild feature can lead players into confusion about which symbol is truly a "wild."
Scatters
The Scatter symbol in Wanted: Dead or Alive is represented by an American map, appearing on reels 1-5. Landing three of these symbols triggers the Free Spins Bonus Feature.
In this feature, players earn 12 free spins and any winnings earned will be tripled. If a Wild Expanding Symbol appears during the bonus feature, it can expand across entire reels to boost winnings even further. The game also includes two types of scatters: "Wanted" Scatter (map) or non-"wanted" scatter.
Bonus Features
The Free Spins Bonus Feature is the most exciting aspect of Wanted Dead or a Wild Slot machine. When three Scatters appear, players enter this feature and are awarded 12 free spins with tripled payouts. The Expanding Symbol can cover entire reels during these bonus rounds to boost winnings even further.
While not part of a larger collection called ‘Bonuses’, the Free Spins round offers two modes: one where you play without any multipliers applied, but still receives three times as much cash than regular wins for that same combination and another (as shown in our analysis) offering up 3x multiplier while playing with free spins.
In addition to this, players can also win "Wanted" bonus rounds, which trigger when the map Scatter symbol lands on reel one and a Wild Expanding Symbol appears. These special events provide more substantial rewards compared to regular wins but they are relatively rare occurrences depending upon how well a game progresses initially from initial starts up until its eventual conclusion.
Free Spins
The Free Spins Bonus Feature is initiated by landing three or more Scatters across the reels. Players receive 12 free spins with tripled payouts during this feature, significantly increasing their winning potential.
During these bonus rounds, the Expanding Symbol can cover entire reels to further boost winnings. Furthermore, two additional special modes of a "Wanted" and normal spins become unlocked within an overall 20 round play session from the very beginning without any need for resetting the game every time.
Return to Player (RTP) and Volatility
NextGen Gaming has set the RTP (Return to Player) rate at 95.07% and volatility is medium, offering a balance between wins and losses. The theoretical maximum win potential in this slot machine is capped at an impressive 1,000x return.
Players can adjust their bet size using four different options: £0.25, £0.50, £0.75, or £1.00 per spin. Although no progressive jackpot exists within this slot game itself (the maximum pay-out does not seem as highly paid compared to its medium-volatility nature), winning combinations based on normal symbols tend towards lower amounts while rare occurrences provide very substantial results due solely on how much one chooses in each game.
Bet Range and Max Win
As mentioned earlier, the bet range spans from £0.25 to £1.00 per spin. This flexibility allows players of all budgets to participate. However, considering its high RTP rate and medium volatility, it’s not an extremely good fit for low-stakes or short sessions unless attempting at beating house edge by using optimal strategies such as employing perfect sequences rather than relying solely on RNG output.
The game offers a theoretical maximum win potential of £1,000 per spin but when we break this down in terms what average players stand to gain from their initial investments over the course of long play duration or even sessions with no prior experience at all, it becomes clear most don’t end up closer than a range that goes upwards toward hundreds more often then not while only small percentages walk away above £1k.