The Wild West has long appealed to slot machine enthusiasts, and perhaps this is due to its gold rush atmosphere or the popularity of cowboy films among Australians. Dead or Alive is a slot that brings us back to this harsh world: a simple but exciting game without unnecessary embellishments, conveying the spirit of wild adventure. In this article, we’ll look at why this pokie slot is still relevant even after 8 years, and whether it’s worth playing in 2024.
General Description of the Game
Dead or Alive is a slot with a Wild West atmosphere that stands out for its simplicity. It has no complex plot, cinematic introductions or unexpected twists, which is unusual for games from NetEnt. Here the developers decided to follow the classic path.
The slot has a standard structure with five reels and the symbols represent typical Wild West attributes – whiskey bottles, cowboy boots and hats. There are few animations, and they are activated only when wild or scatter symbols appear.
The bonus round takes you to the saloon, the place where you can earn the maximum winnings. This is the most exciting part of the game and you will definitely want to stay here as long as possible.
The soundtrack, too, is designed to enhance the atmosphere: piano trills, revolver sounds and whip clicks help immerse you in the theme. But the frequent cowboy whistles will probably make you muffle the sound eventually.
How the Gameplay of the Game is Structured
Dead or Alive’s gameplay is built on just nine lines, which may seem like an advantage or disadvantage depending on your experience. If you’re used to 3-reel slots or fruit machines, this game will be a good transition to the more challenging 5-reel slots. However, for those expecting more lines, this limitation may be disappointing.
Fewer lines often means that you see winning combinations on the reels, but the lack of an active line leaves you without a payout. This also means that wins are less frequent than in slots with more lines, which adds an element of unpredictability and requires patience.
The main excitement of Dead or Alive is centred around the bonus round, where players have access to free spins and sticky jokers. When new jokers appear on the screen, this adds extra free spins, which greatly increases the chances of a big win. This bonus round is the most likely way to win some really serious money, including a maximum jackpot that can reach tens of thousands of Australian dollars.
In the Wild West, Fortune Smiles on the Bravest. Game Bonus Overview
Dead or Alive, despite its simplicity, truly shines thanks to its bonus rounds. While it may take a lot of time and patience to activate this bonus, when luck is finally on your side, the rewards can be quite significant. Let’s take a look at what makes the bonuses in this game so appealing.
The main features of the bonus round:
- Free Spins. By triggering the bonus round, you get 12 free spins, which greatly increases your chances of winning without any additional investment;
- Sticky Jokers. In the bonus round, all dropped jokers remain in place until the end of all free spins. This allows you to create additional winning combinations and significantly increase payouts;
- Extra Free Spins. If more jokers fall during the bonus round, you get extra spins, which can lead to even bigger wins.
Testimonials from Real Players
We decided to supplement our Dead or Alive review with the opinions of real players who share their experiences on forums. Here are a few reviews to give you a better understanding of what this game is all about.
Player Fiki277
Dead or Alive lives up to its name: you either win or leave with nothing. Despite this, the slot has a feature worth playing for, namely the hunt for the “wild line”. This is exactly the excitement that every player is looking for.
NetEnt has put a lot of excitement into the game, especially in the bonus spins, but even here there are moments when the game gets boring. The slot itself doesn’t offer many special features: there are only 9 paylines, and you can’t get huge wins in the base game. The only time the base game can surprise you pleasantly is when you hit five scatters, which give you up to x2500 of the bet.
The main feature is the free spins. Sometimes you have to do up to 500 spins to trigger the bonus, and sometimes the feature will drop a few times in 100 spins. On average, wins range from x5 to x30 of the bet, and that’s most of all the features. Two scatters fall out frequently, but getting a third or, even more so, five is a challenge. I’m still in pursuit of my wild line and five scatters, although it seems to take a million spins to get there.
Bonus spins are activated when 3 to 5 scatters fall out, and at the same time give between 4 and x2500 of the bet, as well as 12 spins with a x2 multiplier. This means that the wild line during these spins can give just over x300 of the bet. If you get one wild on each reel, you’re given an additional 5 spins, which makes the bonus even more interesting.
Dead or Alive is a very popular game, and its potential is obvious. But honestly, I just don’t have the patience to wait for those five scatter or wild symbols, although I still dream of a wild line. Maybe someday.
Player Maxxximilian_777
For me Dead or Alive is the only game where I managed to win really big sums. I played it often, and like many people, I couldn’t catch five wilds in a row for a long time. But when it finally happened, the wins came one after another – in different casinos and at different bets.
I have managed to win with both large balances and small balances. One of my winnings was a 0.09 AUD bet that won me 300 AUD, starting with the 3 AUD I got in a freeroll. Another time I got lucky in a bonus: I caught five wilds at a bet of 9 AUD, and then decided to take a chance and immediately got five wilds, but already at a bet of 27 AUD. In the end the winnings totalled AUD 1000.
What I like about this slot is that you can get a big win at any time, and the chances are always there. However, I never managed to catch five scatters despite many attempts.