Dead or Alive Review

Join the ranks of history’s most infamous outlaws, in the Dead or Alive slot; the action-packed Wild West title from NetEnt. Originally released in 2009, this Western slots caper sees you taking on characters like Jesse James and Billy The Kid, as you become the new sheriff in town.

So, if you want to know more about this great slot, then join us in our Dead or Alive slot review. We’ll tell you how to play it and how to get the most out of this awesome game.

Quick Info

Software Developer: NetEnt
Reels: 5
Rows: 3
Paylines: 9
Max Bet: £18
Min Bet:: £0.09
RTP (Return To Player): 96.82%
Volatility: High
Progressive Jackpot: No
Bonus Game: Yes
Free Spins Feature: Yes
Wilds: Yes
Theme: Wild West/Western

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Playing Dead or Alive

First up, how to play Dead or Alive. This 3 row, 5 reel game is simple enough from the outset. And with only 9 paylines, it’s not as complicated as a lot of other slot titles. That being said, there’s nothing boring about this Western themed game.

You can find a Dead or Alive casino on all the best UK sites. And with a minimum bet of just 9p, this game is suitable for low bettors. And, if you want to try it out for free, then check out the Dead or Alive demo version, which is also available at great online casinos, as well as the NetEnt website.

So, what is it that makes this Wild West saga so great? Let’s take a look at it in a little more detail.

Paylines and Paytable

NetEnt's Dead or Alive has 9 fixed paylines, set across 5 reels. While this might not sound incredibly exciting at first, the addition of sticky wilds, scatters and multipliers certainly up the ante and make this an exciting game to play.

Matching 3 or more symbols will give you a win. And just 2 scatter symbols will double your stake. So it’s not hard to start stacking up the cash, if you play tactically.

It also has an above average RTP of 96.82%. This means that you should see back the majority of your original stake if you play for a prolonged period of time. Additionally, it’s a highly volatile game, so it pays out very large prizes. In fact, the max win on this game is a very generous 12,000 x your original stake.

However, because it pays out big, it means that it doesn’t pay out often. So, in order to get the most out of this title, be prepared to play the long game.

Wager limits on Dead or Alive

This game is suitable for both high and low bettors. With a minimum stake of 9p, you can play carefully, without breaking the bank. And, as it’s a high volatility game that doesn’t pay out regularly, a little patience and small bets could be your best weapon if you want to land the Dead or Alive jackpot.

Or, if you like to live dangerously, then the max bet is £18. So it’s also a great game for high rollers, who like to play with big bucks. And, as we’ve said, with just 2 scatters doubling your stake, upping your bet could add to your bankroll considerably, if you have a few lucky spins.

What's Dead or Alive like to play?

So, what exactly makes this game fun? Here at Slots.xyz, we love this title. But don’t just take our word for it! Let’s look at some of the different aspects of this fun slot game, to see what all the fuss is about. And how you could become the next Dead or Alive winner.

Theme and Graphics

First up, one of our favourite things about this slot is its fun theme. The Wild West genre has been done before many times. But this one gets it just right. The characters are expertly rendered. And the stormy skies in the background give you the feeling of walking through a dangerous, dusty old town in the Wild West, before seeking shelter in the local saloon.

Plus, the sound effects add some great touches to the theme, with shooting guns, whistling wind and whip cracking all pulling the Western theme together.

Finally, the symbols themselves are all fun tributes to the days of old, with wanted posters, gun holsters, spurs and whiskey shots all making an appearance across the reels. All these things combined make the Dead or Alive slots game a great nod to the Western genre.

Symbols in Dead or Alive

The symbols are very tongue-in-cheek and cute. The standard letters are given a nice Wild West font, and are peppered with other symbols, such as whiskey shots, gun holsters, sheriff badges, spurs and stetson hats.

Among these, some of them are special symbols. These include:

  • Sheriff badges: if you can fill the screen with these, you’ll get 1,000 x your original stake
  • Wanted posters: these are wild. And they turn into sticky wilds during the free spins round
  • 2 pistols: these are the scatter symbols and can double or triple your steak, depending on how many you get

The scatters are your best friend in this game. As are the multipliers. Between the two, you can get a max win of 12,000 x your stake. So getting onto the bonus rounds with free spins and sticky wilds will give you a better chance of scoring those all-important scatters and multipliers.

Dead or Alive Features

Now it’s time to get down to business - what bonus features does the Dead or Alive slot machine game have to offer?

Let’s take a look.

Bonus games

The bonus rounds in this game are 100% free spin based. This is quite a classic NetEnt move, but it’s something they do very well.

Plus, with 29 free spins up for grabs, the bonus rounds are pretty generous when it comes to giving out spins. Additionally, with those free spins, you have more chances to grab those sticky wilds and scatter symbols that will start to bring in the cash.

So, although the bonus rounds aren’t the most inventive we’ve ever seen, they still give you lots of fun gameplay and, most importantly, opportunities for some big wins.

Free spins games

As we’ve seen, this game relies heavily on its free spins to make it exciting for the player. And it does a good job of it!

3 scatter symbols or more will land you in the bonus game. This comes with a possible 12 free spins up for grabs. But, if you manage to snag a 2 x multiplier as well, this can be boosted up to 24 in one go. Pretty sweet!

In fact, it’s in the free spins round where you can really clear up. With a 2 x multiplier and the maximum 5 scatter symbols coming in, you can hit the jackpot prize of 12,000 x your stake.

Auto-play and quick-spin features

If you want to sit back and watch the reels turn, then select the auto-play feature. You can choose the amount of spins you want the game to play, and then crack open a beer and watch your game unfold.

Or, if you like your slots fast and furious, then enable the quick-spin feature to speed up the gameplay; for a fast-paced, action-packed experience!

Dead or Alive free spins offers

Like all great slots games, you can find this title at the top online casinos in the UK. And, as a new player, you can snap up some incredible offers that will give you free spins to play with.

To get your hands on these bonus spins, look for free spins no deposit offers. These are usually offered as part of a welcome package. And you can snatch a handful of spins to play on this game and many other titles.

Alternatively, if you want to get even more free spins, then you should consider a deposit bonus. These are always more generous than their no deposit counterparts. And you could snap up hundreds of bonus spins with the right offer.

Finally, if you’re already a customer, check out the promos page on your favourite casino’s site. Most casino operators give our sporadic bonuses to their existing players, and these often include free spins.

Whatever the bonus, it’s always important to read the T&Cs attached. Among other things, they will tell you which titles are included in their offers. So that you can make sure that the game you want to play is on that list.

Progressive jackpots

This slots title doesn’t come with a progressive jackpot. However, Dead or Alive jackpot winners have still walked away with eye-watering sums of money over the last few years! With a 12,000 x max win on your original stake, and an £18 max bet, the possible jackpot stands at an impressive £216,000. Not bad, eh?

Plus, if you love this title, then wait until you see the Megaways version, which is set for release in December this year. With the Megaways function in play, you can create 117,649 paylines. And a whopping 50,000 x max win on your original stake.

So, while there’s no progressive jackpot in this saga, there’s still a lot of cash waiting in the wings for you to snatch. And there’ll be even more from this cult classic slot come the end of the year.

Dead or Alive RTP

Impressively, the Dead or Alive slot RTP is a high 96.82%. This is well above average for a slots game, and it means that you should see this percentage back during your gameplay.

For instance, if you stake £100 to start with, by the end of play you should have got back £96.80 of your original stake. And anything above 96% for a slots game is considered high RTP.

RTP is not an exact science, and the time you must play for in order to get back that percentage is a prediction. That being said, a high RTP gives you a good idea of how likely it is for you to win back the majority of your stake over a period of gameplay.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

  • Great theme and imagery
  • High RTP
  • Generous free spins rounds

Disadvantages

  • Lack of bonus game variety
  • Long wait for payout

Our rating of Dead or Alive

Since its release in 2009, this game has reached cult status in the slots community. And it’s not hard to see why. The graphics and sounds are still very modern, despite this game being over 10 years old. And the imagery is fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Plus, with tons of free spins and special symbols boosting your bankroll regularly, this game is a gun-slinging, Wild West adventure that we can’t get enough of! And we’re excited to see what’s next for the Dead or Alive slot UK series.

Our rating

Theme and design: 5/5

RTP: 5/5

Originality: 4/5

Features: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5

FAQ

Still not sure about the Dead or Alive game? Then check out our FAQs:

Where can I play Dead or Alive?

The Dead or Alive online slot games are available to play on all the top UK casino sites. To find a great new casino, check our lists of trusted and reviewed sites. We only work with regulated UK casinos, so we’ll point you in the right direction! And there you’ll find this slots title, as well as thousands of others.

What’s the RTP of Dead or Alive

This game has a high RTP of 96.82%, which means that you can expect to see that percentage of your original stake back if you play for a long duration of time. Slots RTP are usually quite low, compared to other casino games. So this game offers more chances to win back your stake than a lot of other titles out there.

Where can I play Dead or Alive for free?

Most online casinos offer a Dead or Alive free play mode. Simply go to your chosen casino and select the ‘demo’ version of the game. You can try it out and, if you want to play for cash, you can create an account/log into the casino and start playing for real money.    


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