Wanted Dead or a Wild app guide

Wanted Dead or a Wild app overview

Wanted Dead or a Wild is a Hacksaw Gaming slot with a gritty Wild West theme: outlaws, trains and showdowns at dawn. It plays on a 5x5 grid with 15 fixed paylines and is rated high volatility, 4 out of 5 on Hacksaw’s own scale. The release year isn’t stated on the developer’s page, so it is left out here.

There is no dedicated app. The game loads inside a UK-licensed casino app, which supplies your balance, limits and verification. That also means the RTP version is chosen by the casino, which matters more for this slot than for most, as explained below.

How the 5x5 grid plays on a phone

Hacksaw is known for building its games around phone screens, and a square 5x5 grid fits a portrait display well. Held upright, the grid takes the full width with the balance and stake controls in a bar underneath; the spin button lands naturally under your thumb. Landscape adds artwork at the sides but shrinks the grid on most phones.

When a DuelReel triggers, the duel animation and multiplier appear over the reel itself. On a small screen the multiplier numbers are the detail to watch, so portrait with brightness up is the most comfortable set-up. Turning haptics on can help you notice features if you play with the sound off.

DuelReels and VS symbols explained

VS symbols are the base game’s main feature. When one lands and would form part of a win after expanding, it grows into a full wild reel and a duel plays out between two outlaws. The winner’s multiplier then applies to that whole reel, boosting every payline win that passes through it.

If two or more DuelReels share the same winning line, their multipliers are added together, not multiplied, before being applied. For example, a 5x and an 8x reel on the same line give 13x.

Ordinary wild symbols also substitute on paylines in the base game. Combined with a DuelReel, they are the base game’s best route to a sizeable multiplier win.

The three bonus games

Hacksaw’s page describes the rounds but not the scatter counts needed to trigger each one naturally, and some rounds in some versions are reached through bonus buy. Bonus buy is not offered in Great Britain, so open the rules in your app to see which rounds the UK version includes and how they trigger. The bonus buy glossary entry explains the restriction.

Four RTP versions: why checking matters here

Hacksaw publishes four RTP figures for this game: 96.38%, 94.55%, 92.33% and 88.42%. The difference is large. Across £100 staked over the long run, the top version keeps £3.62 and the lowest keeps £11.58, more than three times as much.

Some of these figures may relate to bonus buy rather than standard play, and Hacksaw’s page doesn’t say which is which. What matters for you is the figure in the rules screen inside your app. Our guide on how to find a slot’s RTP in an app shows where to tap.

Playing Wanted Dead or a Wild step by step

1. Open your UK casino app and sign in.
2. Search ‘Wanted Dead or a Wild’ (some lobbies shorten it to ‘Wanted’).
3. Before spinning, tap the menu or ‘i’ icon and read the RTP line in the rules.
4. Check which bonus rounds the rules list and how they trigger.
5. Tap the stake control and choose a bet within your UK limit.
6. Tap Spin for each round and watch for VS symbols landing.

High volatility in practice

A high-volatility game spends most spins paying little or nothing and relies on rare big moments. With a 12,500x ceiling, a 20p stake has a theoretical top prize of £2,500, but most sessions will never come close.

Here is a realistic budget picture. £40 at 20p a spin is 200 spins and takes at least eight minutes and 20 seconds under the 2.5-second rule. At the top RTP, the theoretical cost is £1.45; at the lowest version it is £4.63. Either way, the real result of 200 spins is dominated by whether a DuelReel or bonus lands, so plan for the possibility of losing the full £40.

UK rules that apply to Wanted Dead or a Wild

• Stakes are capped at £5 per spin (£2 if you are 18–24).
• No autoplay and no turbo; at least 2.5 seconds per spin.
• No bonus buy for players in Great Britain.
• Demo play only after age verification.
• Net position and balance displayed at all times.

More detail is in UK slot design rules on mobile.

Wanted Dead or a Wild vs other western and high-risk slots

Chaos Crew shares the 5x5, 15-line format; Dead or Alive 2 is the classic western alternative; Tombstone RIP pushes risk much further.

Pros and cons on mobile

Where to play Wanted Dead or a Wild in a UK app

Search each UKGC-licensed app for the game and check its RTP before playing. Ladbrokes gives 50 no-wagering 10p spins a day for 10 days on selected games after £10 of slot play, Casumo offers a 50% bonus up to £100 from a £20 first deposit with 10x wagering in 7 days and a £5 max bet, and PlayOJO gives 80 no-wagering spins on Big Bass Bonanza after a £10 first deposit. 18+, new customers, T&Cs apply.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.