Slot Machines and the Allure of Risky Gamble Wanted Dead Or A Wild

Wanted Dead or a Wild is an online casino slot developed by Microgaming, one of the most renowned software providers in the industry. Released in 2016, this five-reel video slot has been captivating players with its immersive theme and lucrative payouts.

Theme and Design

The game’s theme revolves around the American Wild West, transporting players to a world of rugged cowboys and outlaws. The Wanted Dead Or A Wild demo reels are set against a backdrop of a dusty desert landscape, complete with towering rock formations and cacti. The design is meticulously detailed, featuring a variety of characters and props that add to the game’s immersive atmosphere.

The symbols on the reels include playing cards from 9-Ace, as well as more themed icons such as cowboy hats, bandannas, and Wanted posters. Each symbol has been carefully crafted to fit seamlessly into the Wild West setting, adding to the overall aesthetic appeal of the game.

Symbols and Payouts

The symbols in Wanted Dead or a Wild are categorized based on their payouts. The playing cards offer relatively modest wins, ranging from 10 coins for the number 9 up to 100 coins for an Ace. Moving up the hierarchy, themed icons such as the bandanna pay out between 20-50 coins, while the cowboy hat is worth between 30-80 coins.

The most valuable symbol in the game is undoubtedly the Sheriff’s badge, which offers a potential payout of 1,000 coins for five-of-a-kind. However, these payouts can be significantly boosted through the use of wilds and bonus features, as we’ll discuss later on.

Wilds

Wanted Dead or a Wild employs both standard and stacked wild symbols to enhance gameplay and offer more opportunities for winning combinations. The Standard Wild substitutes for all regular symbols except Scatters and Bonuses, while Stacked Wilds occupy three adjacent positions on the reels.

The presence of Wilds in Wanted Dead or A Wild allows players to fill gaps and create higher-paying wins. Additionally, when a Stacked Wild lands on an active payline during free spins, it can result in massive multipliers that significantly boost potential payouts.

Scatters

In addition to standard wild symbols, the game features Scatter symbols that unlock additional rounds of gameplay. The Scattered Sheriff’s badge serves as both Scatter and Bonus symbol, while also triggering up to 15 Free Spins when three or more appear on the reels.

Free spins offer a unique set of rules: all wins are multiplied by x5 during these rounds, with Wilds substituting for regular symbols only. Furthermore, retriggered free spins may occur when additional Scatter symbols land during play.

Bonus Features and Jackpot

Players can earn entry to the Bonus round through various means:

• Free Spins: As mentioned previously, three or more Scattered Sheriff’s badges (Scatters) on reels 1, 3, and 5 award between five and fifteen free spins. Players will receive up to a 25x multiplier for this feature.

• Bonus Round : A single Bonus symbol triggers the 'Wanted’ bonus round.

A six-tier progressive jackpot system is also present within Wanted Dead or a Wild. The Jackpot can grow exponentially as players wager, making it an exciting prospect even without contributing a significant amount to their bet.

RTP (Return-to-Player) and Volatility

According to Microgaming’s documentation, the game offers a respectable RTP of 96%. While no exact volatility rating is specified by the manufacturer, various reviews from online players indicate that Wanted Dead or A Wild carries moderate volatility levels. As such, it does not promise astronomical rewards but maintains an equilibrium between winning and losing outcomes.

Betting Range

Gamers can bet anywhere from a minimum 0.50 coins (using all five paylines) to a maximum of 250 per spin using the Auto Play mode or manually by pressing "Bet" in Quickfire versions for desktop play on online casino platforms running software provided by Microgaming and other reputable operators.

Max Win

While micro-stakes players stand little chance at landing substantial wins, large bets could potentially yield as much as £12 500 – a rather notable sum when comparing to smaller stakes offered within the same game title.