Renowned supplier NetEnt ushers players into a frontier world filled with spinning revolvers, outlaws, and vigilantes with its 2009 release Dead or Alive. This Western-themed game with a 5×3 layout comes with 9 fixed paylines, a generous free spins round, scatters, and sticky wilds that greatly boost its potential for awarding handsome cash prizes.
Anyone can afford to play for the maximum prize of 12,000 times the stake as minimum bets go as low as $0.09 per spin. However, only the toughest can survive in this highly volatile release where wins are rare but impressive in terms of size. Continue reading our comprehensive review for all the details on this massively popular NetEnt video slot.
| Dead or Alive Slot Summary | |
 Game Provider: NetEnt |
Release Date: 2009 |
| Game Type: Video Slot |
Theme(s): Wild West |
| Reels: 5 |
Wild Symbols: Yes |
| Rows: 3 |
Scatters: Yes |
| Paylines: 9 fixed lines |
Free Spins: Yes |
| Payout/RTP: 96.82% |
Bonus Game: No |
| Volatility Level: High |
Progressive Jackpot: No |
| Min Bet: 0.09 |
Autoplay: Yes |
| Max Bet: 18 |
Max Win: 12000x |
Dead or Alive Theme
Dead or Alive takes you back in time to the lawless days of the American frontier when gunfights and petty theft were anything but uncommon. Here you will encounter five of the most legendary outlaws in the history of the Wild West, namely the Bandit Queen Belle Starr, Apache Kid, Jesse James, Della Rose, and Billy the Kid.
The spinning action unfolds in a small frontier town, with a stormy sky in the background. The backdrop is masterfully animated as you get to see flashing lightning in the distance. Swinging lanterns and spinning windmills sit on either side of the five reels. Hitting the spin button is accompanied by the clicking sound of a revolver’s cylinder.
How Dead or Alive Compares to Other Slot Games
If you are craving more online slots with a frontier theme, you should most definitely consider trying the sequel of this popular NetEnt game. Dead or Alive 2 is loaded with more bonus features, including three exciting theme-related rounds of free spins – Train Heist, High Noon Saloon, and Old Saloon. You will meet all the familiar characters from the original but they are better rendered to look more realistic and recognizable. The payline number remains the same but the sequel has a considerably greater winning potential, with a fixed jackpot 100,000 times the bet.
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Dead or Alive Symbols and Payouts
All high-value symbols in Dead or Alive relate to the frontier theme of the game in one way or another. Tasty prizes are awarded for matching three to five symbols containing sheriff badges, holstered revolvers, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and spilled glasses of whiskey. The biggest bounty up for grabs amounts to $45,000 and results from aligning five revolver symbols on the same spin.
Keep in mind you need to match at least three identical icons on a payline from left to right to earn your bounty. The scattered revolvers are the only symbols that pay for as few as two matches. Playing cards 10, J, Q, K, and A represent the low payers in Dead or Alive, awarding between $4 and $200 with maximum bets.
| Dead or Alive Winning Combinations and Payouts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbols | 2 Matches | 3 Matches | 4 Matches | 5 Matches |
 Revolver |
$36 | $72 | $450 | $45,000 |
 Wanted Poster |
– | $50 | $300 | $3,000 |
 Sheriff Badge |
– | $40 | $250 | $2,000 |
 Holster |
– | $40 | $200 | $1,500 |
 Cowboy Hat |
– | $30 | $150 | $800 |
 Boots |
– | $24 | $120 | $600 |
 Whiskey Glass |
– | $20 | $100 | $400 |
 Ace |
– | $20 | $40 | $200 |
 King |
– | $10 | $0 | $150 |
 Queen |
– | $8 | $24 | $100 |
 Jack |
– | $4 | $20 | $80 |
 10 |
– | $4 | $20 | $50 |
*The payouts listed above apply when you bet the maximum of $18 per spin
Bonus Features Overview
The free spins round is the centerpiece of Dead or Alive, but the game also offers two types of wilds, scatters, and multipliers. Sticky wilds help you amass more winnings during the free spins feature but the base game has only regular substitution symbols to offer. The bonus features in Dead or Alive are pretty straightforward but highly effective.
Wild and Scatter Symbols
The Wanted poster containing the faces of the five outlaw characters is wild and replaces all symbols in the base game except for the scattered revolvers. The posters transform into sticky wilds during the free spins and remain in their positions on the reels for the duration of the bonus feature. This considerably boosts your odds of earning bounties in free spins mode.
Free Spins
Three or more scattered revolvers landing concurrently in any position on the reels reward players with 12 spins at no cost. Each win you land during the special feature is doubled by a 2x multiplier. Your chances of scoring payouts increase significantly thanks to the sticky wilds the feature comes with. Retriggered bonus rounds keep the sticky substitution icons from the triggering free spins session. The feature can be retriggered no more than once per bonus session.
Pros & Cons of Dead or Alive
- The RTP is higher than average at 96.82%
- The free spins feature can be very rewarding once triggered
- The fixed jackpot of 12,000 times the bet is worth playing for
- Players on a tight budget may not stomach the slot’s high volatility
- There are only 9 paylines in this game
- The free spins take too long to trigger
Dead or Alive FAQs
Is there a demo version of Dead or Alive?
A demo version of the frontier-themed game is available on NetEnt’s official website, so feel free to check it out if you fancy trying Dead or Alive risk-free. The online casinos recommended by SlotsMove also provide the option to play with demo credits, but you may have to register an account for this purpose in some cases.
What is the maximum number of free spins I can trigger?
Players are initially awarded a round of 12 free spins but retriggering another batch of 12 more bonus rounds is a possibility. However, no more than one retriggering is possible per free spins session.
What languages is the interface available in?
NetEnt caters to players from different nationalities with several language options. Spinners from Sweden, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Finland can all load the game and read the paytable in their native languages.