Prepare to face the Four Horsemen in Hacksaw Gaming's haunting and high-stakes slot, Life and Death™. With wild multipliers, expanding reels, and two unique bonus games, this eerie, black-and-white 6x5 grid takes you through the veil between worlds. Boasting a max win of 15,000x your bet, Life and Death offers intense volatility, evocative visuals, and clever mechanics worthy of the studio's best.

If you’re here for the cryptic visuals or the multiplier-chasing chaos, this game might be your new favorite descent into the dark.

What Is Life and Death™?

Life and Death™ is a 6-reel, 5-row slot with 19 fixed paylines and a focus on Wild Multipliers and Expanding Wild Reels. Developed by Hacksaw Gaming, the slot sets a somber tone with its grayscale palette, broken only by colorful symbols representing the Four Horsemen — Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death.

These aren't just for show. Each Horseman is tied to a specific reel and a unique multiplier range, and when the Wild Multipliers land correctly, they can expand and boost payouts dramatically.

Two bonus games — Devastation and Reckoning — offer ramped-up mechanics and feature buy-ins for players who want to skip the base grind.

🔍 Game Overview & Key Stats

  • Developer: Hacksaw Gaming
  • Release Date: March 27, 2025
  • Reels/Rows: 6x5
  • Paylines: 19 fixed
  • Volatility: High (4/5)
  • RTP Options: 96.36% / 94.26% / 92.33% / 88.24%
  • Hit Frequency: 27%
  • Max Win: 15,000x
  • Bet Range: $0.10 – $100
  • Bonus Buy: Yes
  • Mobile Compatibility: Fully optimized

This is a classic Hacksaw package: scalable RTP, capped volatility, and feature-rich mechanics that blend base and bonus in clever ways.

🛹 Symbols & Payouts

Low Pay Symbols

  • 10 to A card royals, stylized in grayscale gothic font
  • 6-of-a-kind pays: 3x to 10x your stake

High Pay Symbols

  • A mix of dark, esoteric icons (skulls, hourglasses, etc.)
  • 6-of-a-kind pays: 15x to 50x your stake

Wild Multipliers

  • Land on reels 2 to 5
  • Can expand into full-reel Wild Reels if:
    • On their connected reel, and
    • Part of a winning combination
  • Multiply the win by their shown value
  • Multiple Wild Reels add their multipliers before applying to the win

Wild Multipliers & Expanding Wild Reels

The core of the slot lies in its Wild Multipliers. There are four distinct types, each linked to one reel and representing one of the Four Horsemen:

HorsemanColorReelMultiplier Range
PestilenceBlue2x2, x3, x4
WarRed3x5 to x9
FamineYellow4x10 to x25
DeathGreen5x30 to x200

Any multiplier that lands on its connected reel and is part of a win will expand to cover the reel and apply its full power. Wild Reels substitute for all symbols and can create insane payout spikes.

Note: Wilds can land on any of reels 2-5, but they only expand on their assigned reel. Only one Wild Multiplier can land per reel per spin.

🚨 Devastation Bonus Game (3 Scatters)

  • Triggers with 3 FS scatter symbols
  • Awards 10 Free Spins
  • Same gameplay as the base game
  • Increased chance of Wild Multipliers

Retriggering

  • 2 additional FS symbols = +2 spins
  • 3 additional FS symbols = +4 spins

This mode offers frequent multiplier expansions and a high level of action. A perfect warm-up to Reckoning.

☠️ Reckoning Bonus Game (4 Scatters)

  • Triggers with 4 FS scatter symbols
  • Also awards 10 Free Spins
  • Adds Death Reels mechanic
Death Reels: How They Work
  • Land a Wild Multiplier on its connected reel
  • That reel becomes a Death Reel, staying activated
  • From now on, that color's Wild Multiplier will expand anywhere on reels 2-5, not just its assigned reel (as long as it’s part of a win)

Retriggers

Same as Devastation:

  • 2 FS = +2 spins
  • 3 FS = +4 spins

The Reckoning bonus escalates fast and is the most rewarding path to the 15,000x max win cap.

🕹️ Bonus Buy Options

Want to skip the base game and dive into the afterlife?

  • BonusHunt FeatureSpins – 3x bet, 5x higher chance of triggering bonuses
  • Four Horsemen FeatureSpins – 60x bet, guarantees 3 Wild Multipliers per spin (no scatters)
  • Devastation Bonus – 100x bet
  • Reckoning Bonus – 200x bet

These buys give you quick access to the best mechanics, especially for testing feature volatility.

🌟 Max Win Potential: 15,000x

While rare, the 15,000x win cap is reachable in both bonus games, especially Reckoning, where multiple Death Reels multiply wild wins across the board.

You’ll want:

  • Expanded Wilds across multiple reels
  • High-tier multipliers (Death x200, Famine x25)
  • Full-line high-pay symbol connections

The base game can technically hit max win but it’s highly unlikely without stacked luck.

🌌 Final Verdict: Should You Play Life and Death™?

Yes — if you like clever wild mechanics and dark visuals. Life and Death leans into the high-volatility Hacksaw formula but gives it a fresh twist with its connected Wild Reels and thematic color-coded system.

Pros:

  • ✅ Unique multiplier-linked reels
  • ✅ Stunning minimalistic aesthetic
  • ✅ 15,000x win cap in all modes
  • ✅ Strategic bonus structure (Death Reels vs Base Wilds)

Cons:

  • ❌ Can feel streaky with low hits in base mode
  • ❌ Wilds landing on wrong reels can frustrate
  • ❌ Players unfamiliar with Hacksaw might need a learning curve

Best For:

  • Hacksaw fans
  • High volatility chasers
  • Players who love sticky, expanding wilds with multiplier heat

Final Score: 9.1/10 — Haunting, high-volatility thrills with deep mechanical flavor.