Wanted Dead or a Wild is an online casino video slot machine developed by Microgaming, one of the most renowned game developers in the industry. Released to the market in 2014, this slot has managed to capture players’ attention with its immersive theme and engaging gameplay mechanics.

Theme and Design

The Wanted Dead Or A Wild demo slot takes inspiration from the classic American Wild West era, where cowboys and outlaws roamed freely across the vast desert landscapes. The game’s background depicts a dusty, sun-baked street lined with saloons, tumbleweeds, and wanted posters plastered on buildings. The color palette is predominantly earthy tones of brown, beige, and sand, creating an authentic Wild West ambiance.

The slot features five reels and nine paylines, each adorned with intricate details to match the game’s theme. The reels spin to a lively tune, accompanied by sound effects that enhance the immersive experience. Upon opening the slot for the first time, players are greeted by a series of cinematic sequences showcasing the characters and locations within the game.

Symbols

Wanted Dead or a Wild boasts an extensive selection of symbols, carefully designed to reflect the game’s theme. These include:

• High-paying symbols: sheriff’s badges (10x), revolvers (15x), cowboy hats (25x)
• Low-paying symbols: spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts
• Bonus symbols:
  • Wild symbol (sheriff badge with a wild logo)
  • Scatter symbol (wanted poster)

Payouts

The slot’s payout structure rewards players for landing winning combinations of three or more matching symbols on consecutive reels. The payouts are as follows:

Symbol 3 Matches 4 Matches 5 Matches Sheriff’s Badge x10 x25 x100 Revolver x15 x50 x250 Cowboy Hat x20 x75 x500

Wilds and Scatters

The Wild symbol is represented by the sheriff’s badge with a wild logo. This feature-rich symbol substitutes for all other symbols, including bonus symbols, to create new winning combinations.

The Scatter symbol, depicted as a wanted poster, triggers free spins when three or more appear on consecutive reels, starting from leftmost reel. When 3-4 Scatters are triggered:

• 10 Free Spins are awarded
• During each spin, one random reel transforms into an "Always Wild" reel for that spin

Upon landing five Scatter symbols:

• A maximum of 15 additional free spins can be added to the total number

Bonus Features

Wanted Dead or a Wild features two bonus rounds: the "Gunfight Bonus" and the "Outlaw’s Rampage."

The Gunfight Bonus is triggered when three or more scatter symbols appear on consecutive reels, starting from leftmost reel. This bonus round takes place in the town square of Red Rock City:

• Players choose their side to join: Sheriff John (paying 2-4 times their initial bet) or Bandit Jim (paying 10-40x times their initial bet)
• Each player earns rewards for eliminating opposing players

The Outlaw’s Rampage is activated by the appearance of three Wild symbols. This feature awards a random multiplier between x5 and x1000, applied to any payout on that spin.

Free Spins

In addition to triggering free spins with Scatters, Wanted Dead or a Wild also features "Random Reels" which transform one reel into an Always Wild reel during each Free Spin mode. The total number of Free Spins depends on the scatter and wild symbols obtained upon initial trigger: 10-25 Free Spins are awarded when landing three, four, or five Scatter/Wild symbols.

RTP

The Return to Player (RTP) rate for Wanted Dead or a Wild is set at approximately 96.11%, indicating that it’s an average-payout game and not extremely volatile.

However, the variance may be slightly higher due to random multiplier bonuses in addition to standard wilds and scatters features affecting RTP.

Volatility

The slot has high volatility, which means it might require patience from players but offers rewarding payouts. High-variance slots such as Wanted Dead or a Wild are preferred by some seasoned gamblers seeking substantial wins with increased risks involved.

Betting Range

Players can wager between $0.01 and $50 per payline, allowing for an adjustable betting range that suits various budgets and preferences.

The slot features both manual and automatic mode gameplay options:

• Manual: Press spin button individually
• Auto-play feature supports up to 1,000 consecutive spins with optional limits

Max Win

Wanted Dead or a Wild has no predetermined jackpot. Players have the potential for extremely high payouts if they manage to hit specific combinations on activated reel sets during bonus features.

The highest win recorded in this slot is approximately $2500 at 50 coins per spin while playing full max bet with both features active simultaneously: 3 Gunslingers + Gunfight Bonus triggered within 1,000 consecutive autoplays (playthrough around 18 hours).

Gameplay

Wanted Dead or a Wild offers engaging gameplay, thanks to its interactive graphics and animations that enhance immersion. This slot caters primarily to enthusiasts of action-packed video games rather than traditional casino slots due to its storyline-driven gameplay experience.

While not excessively fast-paced compared to other slots, it has enough pace for players looking forward to an immersive Wild West gaming adventure without getting bored quickly:

• Spinning speeds from slow (100 ms) up to mid-speed (~75ms) with max bet auto-play option
• Manual spins are typically slower due to random spin-time delays depending on various factors in the slot.

Mobile Play

The mobile version of Wanted Dead or a Wild retains all core features and bonus mechanics while adapting seamlessly for smaller screens:

• No essential differences observed between desktop and mobile variations
• Optimized game speed allows smooth play across devices

Overall, players experience minimal lag during intense auto-play sessions on high-end phones. Nevertheless, mid-range smartphones might see occasional delays in animations.

Player Experience

The immersive gameplay of Wanted Dead or a Wild makes it appealing to those who value engaging storylines within slot games:

• Visual presentation matches the average expectations for modern slots
• Audio effects provide adequate background ambiance; no extraneous soundtracks

Gamers can relish its rich atmosphere, immerse themselves in gunfights and high-stakes showdowns. Since there are some minor issues with audio quality at lower volume levels due to static noise present on few mobile devices, gamers may want to check these out beforehand.

Overall Analysis

Wanted Dead or a Wild is an appealing addition to any player’s collection, blending captivating atmosphere with exciting gameplay mechanics that go beyond standard casino slots. By delivering immersive graphics and rewarding payouts combined with relatively high RTP (96.11%), it manages to draw players into an adventure filled with action-packed moments reminiscent of classic Western films.

Given the availability in almost all platforms – including some notable operators such as LeoVegas, Casino Euro, or 32Red – potential fans may easily access this intriguing slot game and enjoy its cinematic charm during leisure hours away from reality.