Dead or Alive

In the Wild West, bandits, outlaws and desperados would occasionally appear on Wanted posters, with generous rewards aimed at inspiring bounty hunters to track them down. The legend at the top of the poster revealed the rough nature of life back then: Dead or Alive!

NetEnt created this engaging 5-reel, 3-row slot set back in that Wild West era, so you, too, can join a band of bounty hunters in search of a fortune, if you’re brave enough. Better that than ending up on the wrong side of the law, that’s for sure. Life was slower in those days, so you’ll also get a chance to enjoy the remarkable graphic design, moody soundtrack and some opportunities to win along the way.

Design

As one of the world’s leading online slots developers, NetEnt has tremendous strengths when it comes to game design, and Dead or Alive is a winner - this popular title comes with a full-spectrum theme from the background to the reels, bonus rounds and soundtrack. You’ll find yourself in a small town somewhere in the Wild West, where stormy skies spread out between foreboding mountain ranges. There’s a black-clad cowboy complete with Stetson hat and cigarette waiting for the action to break loose.

The reels are housed in what appears to be a rickety saloon, with symbols to match: there are the playing card symbols 10, J, Q, K and A along with cowboy boots, whisky tumblers and a cowboy hat. the two most valuable symbols come in the form of holstered pistols a sheriff’s gold star. Of course, there’s a Wanted poster, and this is the Wild symbol in this game.

Gameplay

With the 5 reels, 3 rows and 9 bet lines, it’s your challenge to land 3 or more matching symbols on a payline from the leftmost reels. You have the option of selecting a betting level, with four levels available along with the 9 bet lines, and a maximum stake of 18 coins. The gameplay in the base game is easy to understand and the real kick comes with the bonus round.

Dead or Alive Free Spins

Landing 3 or more pistols, the game’s Scatter symbol, on the reels in one spin gains you access into the Free Spins bonus round. This comes in the form of a generous set of 12 Free Spins and a minimum 4x multiplier according to the following:

The added benefit of Sticky Wilds within the Free Spins round makes a huge difference. When a Wanted poster Wild is landed during a Free Spin, it remains in position for the rest of the round, contributing to combinations that can be particularly lucrative, especially if more Sticky Wild posters are secured.

You may even retrigger the Free Spins round once per session by landing another 3 Scatter symbols, so NetEnt has added plenty of opportunities to win if you are lucky and patient enough for this feature to kick in.

You also get a 2x multiplier if you land only 2 Scatter symbols, so while that achievement won’t earn you a Free Spins round, it is a useful reward that seems to come around quite regularly.

High volatility

Dead or Alive is a game that’s described as high volatility, so you need patience. The wins aren’t as frequent as in, say, a low volatility game, but when there are wins they tend to be quite generous. The patience aspect requires players to be able to wait out the period in between bonus rounds and to have the bankroll to do so. If you’re that kind of player, you’ll enjoy Dead or Alive, since the wins can be substantial.

Dead or Alive Mobile

When it comes to mobile slots, NetEnt are superb at delivering games that can be enjoyed in multiple environments, so players can choose to play their favourites on a desktop PC or on a mobile device. This accessibility means that more players get to enjoy slick gameplay in titles such as Dead or Alive.

The Verdict

Considering that Dead or Alive came out way back in 2009, the game’s longevity is an indication of the thought that went into its creation. Surviving the test of time isn’t easy when so many games are being released and this one has stayed the course, still appearing on most-played lists at Wildz and other reputable online casinos.

It’s so popular, in fact, that it has spawned the sequel title, Dead or Alive 2, so you can get even more of this Wild West action.

With a solid 12 free spins and the Sticky Wild feature, the bonus round offers a big win potential. That is also part of the reason why Dead or Alive is among the most popular slots online.

NetEnt has delivered a timeless classic that transfers players back to an authentic Wild West setting, and they have given the players the opportunity to return with good money in their pockets.

Play Dead or Alive at Wildz Casino

Dead or Alive and hundreds of other online slots are waiting to be enjoyed at Wildz Casino. You can try the game for free before wagering real money, and you can play it across all your devices. Log in to your Wildz account today (New player? Register here to experience why this game is still popular over a decade later.

High volatility

Dead or Alive is what we often refer to as a high volatility game. That means that you might not win as frequent as in other slots, but that the win will be higher when you do. You might experience periods where you don’t get much in return on this slot, but if you get to the free spins round it’s very likely that you win big.

With a solid 12 free spins and the Sticky Wild feature, the bonus round offers a big win potential. That is also part of the reason why Dead or Alive is among the most popular slots online.

Dead or Alive Mobile

You can always count on NetEnt to deliver a good mobile slot. Dead or Alive is available with NetEnt Touch, meaning you get the same seamless gaming experience on your phone or tablet.

It doesn’t matter if you’re playing on the go from your phone or at home from your desktop computer. Dead or Alive will run on more or less every modern handheld device, both Android and iOS. The desktop players can also enjoy the game across all the biggest operating systems.

The Verdict

Dead or Alive was released back in 2009. The fact that slot ranks among the most popular online slots, 10 years after its release, speaks volumes. Very few online slots get sequels, but Dead or Alive did in 2019 with Dead or Alive 2.

The game is uncomplicated, and maybe that’s what appeals to people. The design and soundtrack are outstanding, as usually is the case with NetEnt slots. We like the free spins round with the Sticky Wild feature, but we would have liked to see maybe one more feature. Maybe we have become a bit spoiled with the feature-packed modern slots, and Dead or Alive was definitely industry-leading when it came out 10 years ago.

NetEnt has delivered a timeless classic that transfers players back to an authentic Wild West setting, and they have given the players the opportunity to return with good money in their pockets.

Play Dead or Alive at Wildz Casino

You will find Dead or Alive, and hundreds of other online slots, at Wildz Casino. You can try the game for free before wagering real money, and you can play it across all your devices. Log in to your Wildz account today (New player? Register here to experience why this game is still popular 10 years later.