Duel At Dawn

Duel At Dawn Review

Hacksaw made a name for themselves thanks to the Wild West theme, and Wanted Dead Or A Wild is still their most popular game after catapulting them to stardom back in 2021. It’s therefore no surprise that they've once again returned to familiar territory with Duel at Dawn slot. This time, you’re treated to a classic Western showdown with a Morricone-esque soundtrack, a mysterious outlaw pointing his six-shooter in your face, and a spectacular sunset in the majestic canyon setting.

Duel at Dawn is played on a 5x5 grid with 19 paylines and a betting range of €0.1 to €100 per spin. The symbols are all classic Western icons, with the Sheriff's star being the most valuable. You'll also find crossed pistols, a cowboy hat, and the usual card-suit royals. The premium symbols pay between 3x and 10x your stake for 5-of-a-kind wins. Wilds play a crucial role in different ways, substituting for other symbols and awarding a 10x payout for 5 on a payline.

Duel At Dawn Slot - Reels Screen

The VS symbols make a comeback in Duel At Dawn slot, a familiar feature found in many Hacksaw games. These expand into DuelReel multiplier wilds, boosting wins by up to x200 after the duel animation has played out. Outlaw wilds also boast random multipliers up to x200, while turning up to 6 random symbols wild. The duels are between the sheriff and the outlaw, and the multipliers are additive across all multiplier wilds.

If you're looking for even more bullets flying, the bonus rounds won't disappoint. The Wild Wild West bonus offers higher multipliers and more frequent VS and Outlaw action, while the Dusk 'Til Dawn Bonus unlocks guaranteed DuelSpins with increasing VS symbols per unlock. This can potentially fill the screen with DuelReels, so the 15,000x max win is clearly within reach. With a top-tier RTP of 96.3 % and medium-high volatility (4/5), Duel at Dawn offers gritty Wild West shoot-outs like only Hacksaw can deliver.

Duel At Dawn Features

You get expanding wild duels in all stages of Duel At Dawn Hacksaw, with the Outlaw wild turning random symbols into wilds with a hail of bullets. You get more of the same in both bonus rounds, so let’s check it all out!

DuelReels

VS symbols expand to cover the full reel as DuelReel Wilds, but only if expanding creates a win. A shoot-out between the Outlaw and the Sheriff determines the DuelReel Wild multiplier, with possible values ranging from x2 to x200. If multiple DuelReel Wilds partake in the same win, the multiplier values are added together before boosting the win.

The Outlaw Feature

The Outlaw symbol expands to fill the reel as a Wild symbol whenever it appears, revealing a revolver chamber with 1 to 6 bullets. The outlaw fires these bullets to turn random positions wild. Landing up to 2 Outlaw symbols per spin is possible, and the wilds they spread across the grid cannot overlap. The full-reel Outlaw Wilds reveals a multiplier between x2 and x200, adding the values together if more than one is part of the same win.

Wild Wild West Free Spins

You need 3 FS scatter symbols in view to trigger the Wild Wild West Bonus Round, awarding 10 free spins. The only change from the base game is that you’re more likely to get higher multiplier values when you land DuelReel Wilds and Outlaw Wilds. In addition, these symbols appear more frequently, and you win +2 or +4 extra free spins from 2 or 3 scatters in view.

Dusk 'Til Dawn Free Spins

The Dusk 'Til Dawn Bonus Round triggers from 4 FS scatters in view, also awarding 10 free spins. Outlaw symbols land to shoot their bullets as usual, subtracting the fired bullets from a 6-bullet meter above the grid. When all 6 bullets above have been used, you trigger a DuelSpin with guaranteed VS symbols. This can happen up to 4 times per bonus, with the number of guaranteed VS symbols increasing per subsequent DuelSpin as follows:

• DuelSpin 1 guarantees 2+ VS symbols.
• DuelSpin 2 guarantees 3+ VS symbols.
• DuelSpin 3 guarantees 4+ VS symbols.
• DuelSpin 4 guarantees 5 VS symbols.

You can unlock up to 2 DuelSpins simultaneously, and they then take turns playing out. DuelSpin does not subtract from your free spins tally, and you win +3 extra free spins per DuelSpin you unlock. This is the only way to land VS symbols during this bonus round.

Duel At Dawn Slot - Free Spins

Duel At Dawn Bonus Buy (not UK)

Eligible players will find the yellow Bonus Buy menu down to the left, and it comes with the following options in Duel At Dawn slot:

• BonusHunt FeatureSpins (3x your stake) - boosts the FS hit rate by more than 5 times.
• Deadly Duels FeatureSpins (60x your stake) - guarantees 2+ VS symbols per spin (but you cannot land FS scatters).
• Lone Outlaw FeatureSpins (60x your stake) - guarantees 1+ Outlaw symbol with 2+ bullets per spin (but FS symbols cannot land).
• Wild Wild West Bonus - is priced at 100x your stake.
• Dusk 'Til Dawn Bonus - comes with a price tag of 200x your stake.

How to Play Duel At Dawn?

Duel At Dawn is widespread across the best Hacksaw Gaming casino sites; you will find it easily. The fastest and safest way to do that is to choose a verified operator, like those available at SlotCatalog. Keep in mind that we spend a lot of time researching the market. Here are all the steps you need to take to start a real money session:

• Select a licensed and secure Duel At Dawn casino site
• Log in or create an account by following the guidelines
• Make a deposit and claim a bonus with fair terms
• Find Duel At Dawn in the casino’s slot library
• Start the game, choose a bet from €0.10 to €100, and have fun

Duel At Dawn Strategy

Duel At Dawn comes with 25 - 30 stake levels depending on the selected online casino. That provides plenty of opportunities for developing a Martingale-type strategy. However, the exact betting system will depend on your skills, gambling background, and bankroll size. Here are a few more general tips:

• Play at licensed and regulated online casinos only
• Start with the Duel At Dawn free play version
• Set a budget in a advance and stick to it no matter the results
• Stay cool, and better take a break than chase losses
• Do not overuse the Bonus Buy and FeatureSpins features

Pros and Cons of Duel At Dawn

Our Verdict

Duel at Dawn casino game cleverly combines the best elements of its predecessors, Wanted Dead or a Wild and 2 Wild 2 Die. You get the exciting VS symbols from the first, and the wild-creating bullets from the second. While the Outlaw Wild doesn't quite match the female gunslinger's multiplier wilds, he compensates by transforming into a full-reel multiplier wild. Hacksaw continues to refine their visual style, and the canyon backdrop is stunning. The shadowy outlaw pointing his six-shooter at you adds to the tension, and the soundtrack is a perfect match as well.

The name might not be the most creative compared to the previous releases, but the action on the reels more than makes up for it. Watching those duel animations and bullets fly, transforming symbols into wilds, is highly engaging. Hacksaw consistently delivers well-balanced gameplay, and Duel at Dawn game is no exception. The base game offers plenty of excitement and the potential for explosive wins, a hallmark of their games and something I’m surely not alone in appreciating. You always feel like a big win is lurking just around the corner.

The Wild Wild West bonus round is the most fun in my experience, due to the non-stop DuelReel and Outlaw wilds action. The Dusk 'Til Dawn bonus, while supposedly the top-tier feature, is a different animal altogether. Getting more than one DuelSpin can be a challenge many times, which can be frustrating. That being said, the potential to fill the screen with DuelReels and hit that 15,000x win cap is definitely alluring.

To wrap things up, Duel at Dawn is another superb Wild West slot from Hacksaw Gaming. It takes the best features from previous releases and rolls them into a gritty and explosive frontier showdown you don’t want to miss. While the Dusk 'Til Dawn bonus might be a bit hit-or-miss, the overall gameplay experience is excellent. It'll be interesting to see if it can dethrone Wanted Dead or a Wild, but as far as I’m concerned, Duel at Dawn is already their alpha gunslinger.