Free slot: Duel at Dawn

Duel at Dawn Review 

Howdy folks! Are you ready for a rootin’-tootin’ high octane slot game set in the Wild West? 

Produced by Hacksaw Gaming, Duel at Dawn is packed with unique bonus features that perfectly match the gritty visuals and atmospheric soundtrack. 

Referencing one of Sergio Leone’s great films, our team at Lucky7Bonus delved into the ‘good, the bad and the ugly’ that this great game has to offer. 

Theme & Visual Style 

With stunning visuals and smooth graphics, the background is reminiscent of a scene from old spaghetti western films, with the hero riding off into the sunset. 

Only there is no hero, and he certainly isn’t riding off beyond the horizon for his ‘happily ever after’. 

That’s because in the foreground beside the reels, there’s an ominous looking gunslinger wielding a revolver aimed at you while eternally puffing on his cigar. 

No doubt about it, Duel at Dawn’s gritty art style perfectly captures the feel of the great American frontier known as the Wild West. 

Symbols & Iconography 

The lower paying symbols are represented by playing cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings & Aces), typical of what you would see in saloon bars for cowboys to pass the time. 

Naturally, the rest of the iconography is also made up of objects from the Wild West, including a wagon wheel, a bovine skull and 2 crossed revolvers among other items. 

There’s also a Wild symbol with the same namesake. Additionally, there are Outlaw and FS icons that can unlock the game’s main features. 

Symbol Payouts: 

Soundtrack & Audio 

Whistles, bells, horns and trumpets form the backbone of Duel at Dawn’s soundtrack. The music is dramatic and perfectly matches the game’s vibe, often building up to a crescendo. 

When the reels spin, they creak and groan like old wood, but it’s when you unlock certain bonuses that the in-game audio really comes alive. 

When a reel expands and turns into a Wild, a shootout takes place accompanied by the sound of gunfire, ricochets and amped up music for dramatic effect. 

Duel at Dawn Slot Mechanics 

From explosive bonus games to the potential for high payouts, our team peeled back the layers of Duel at Dawn – examining it from all angles. 

RTP (Return to Player) 

Referring to the average return of assets over an extended time period, Duel of Dawn has a very solid RTP rating of 96.30%. In fact, this one of the highest available RTPs of any slot by Hacksaw Gaming 

Bear in mind that this figure is just an average and not a reflection of how your gaming session will go. Sometimes you might get less and other times you might get more and perhaps make a profit.  

The RTP also fluctuates depending on the bonus game: 

Volatility 

With its moody setting and gritty nature, it is no surprise that Duel at Dawn scored a 4 out of 5 in variance. This places it in the medium-to-high volatility range, making it ideal for players who enjoy chasing bigger wins. 

Such slots will test your patience during dry spells but have the potential for massive payouts if and when the right features align. It’s a Wild West gamble but that’s exactly the point. 

Max Win Potential 

The maximum amount you could potentially win from a single round sits at an eye-catching x15,000 your initial wager, quite a bit higher than some other popular Hacksaw Gaming slots like Fist of Destruction (x10,000). 

For perspective, even at the game’s lowest bet limit of €0.10c, that’s a potential payout of €1,500. As is customary, the maximum win potential can only be unlocked through a rare combination of bonus features and multipliers. 

However, with a wide range of multipliers of up to x200, solid wins are still possible without reaching the maximum. 

How to Play Duel at Dawn 

Here’s a simple and straightforward process of how to play Duel at Dawn: 

1. Settings: Tap the hamburger icon (three vertical lines) located next to your balance 

2. Sound: Adjust the sound of the music and in-game audio separately by switching them on or off 

3. Game Rules: To access the game rules and paytable, select the info button from settings (note: animations might be skipped) 

4. Turbo/Super Turbo: Choose how fast you want the base game and bonus features to be played out 

5. Bonus Buy: Select, purchase and activate up to 5 bonus modes via the clearly labelled Bonus Buy icon next to the hamburger menu 

6. Start Spinning: Tap the circular arrow and watch the reels spin 

Bonus Features

Gain access to Duel at Dawn's most rewarding perks by tapping into the four highly innovative bonus features available!

DuelReels Feature 

This fun feature requires a VS symbol to land anywhere on the reels. The column it lands on will then expand if and only when it becomes part of one winning combination once expanded. 

When it does, a shootout will take place within the reel between the Outlaw and the Sheriff, with multipliers attached to each one. The winner of this shootout will see its multiplier applied to the whole reel. 

This will also turn the column into a fully stacked Wild, substituting all other symbols in the paytable, with the added bonus of the multiplier boosting your payout. 

Dusk Til Dawn Feature 

For this bonus game to activate, there needs to be 4 FS Scatter symbols anywhere on the grid at the same time. 

This will instantly reward you with 10 free spins. Now, the whole point of this feature is to earn up to 4 DuelSpins. 

These additional spins come with guaranteed VS symbols, which as we know from the previous section, unlock opportunities for multipliers and more winning combinations. 

Landing a fourth DuelSpin will guarantee you 5 VS symbols! 

Wild Wild West Feature 

If you see 3 FS Scatter symbols at the same time, the Wild Wild West bonus game activates, awarding you with 10 free spins. 

What this does is increase your chances of landing higher-value multipliers during DuelReels and Outlaw reels. Remember, the multipliers can go as high as x200 your initial wager! 

Naturally, to obtain DuelReels, you need to land VS symbols but not to worry because this bonus feature increases the likelihood of landing them. 

Outlaw Feature 

When an Outlaw symbol lands, the entire column becomes Wild. Within the reel itself, an Outlaw will appear with a six-shooter revolver.  

The number of bullets in the chamber directly correspond to the number of Wild symbols that the Outlaw shoots across the grid. 

The fact that the Outlaw reel acts as a massive wild with an attached multiplier – while also firing extra Wilds across the grid – vastly increases your chances of landing winning combinations and higher payouts. 

Similar Slots to Duel at Dawn 

Wanted Dead or a Wild 

Created by Hacksaw Gaming, Wanted Dead or a Wild is not quite as visually epic as Duel at Dawn. Nevertheless, it has become a fan favorite for its dark, brooding atmosphere and iconic bonuses like the Dead Man’s Hand. 

So, while the graphics are simpler, the gritty style, chaotic energy and explosive bonuses quickly turned this slot into a fan favorite. 

Wild 2 Die 

Sharing similarities with Duel at Dawn both in terms of graphics and soundtrack, 2 Wild 2 Die is yet another Wild West-themed slot created by Hacksaw Gaming. 

Featuring multipliers, free spins and Duel mechanics, it is known for its extremely high volatility and unpredictable gameplay. 

Wild West Gold 

Released by Pragmatic Play, Wild West Gold is a lot less gritty and more cookie-cutter than Duel at Dawn – but no less of a Wild West slot than another. 

It features Scatter icons that can trigger free spins, which in turn unlock the potential for sticky Wilds with random multipliers attached. 

Final Thoughts 

The creators of Duel at Dawn completely nailed the aesthetic and sound design. Add in the clever game mechanics like shooting Wilds and you have yourself a slot that’s bursting with character. 

The high volatility won’t be for everyone, and you may have to wait a while before unlocking any of the bonus games. That said, the DuelReels feature only requires one VS symbol to land. 

Overall, the game is sharp, stylish and looks gorgeous, with creative bonuses that heighten gameplay and really set the mood. As far as Wild West slots go, it’s up there with the very best.