Introduction to Death Becomes You
Death Becomes You is a casino slot from Hacksaw Gaming where we once again find ourselves in a battle between good and evil. Forget about happy-go-lucky fruit slots, with a charming soundtrack keeping you company. No, here we get another grim and frankly scary experience from Hacksaw Gaming, following popular releases such as Life and Death and Circle of Life. As mentioned, it won’t be a first choice among fans of softer slots, but it nonetheless offers a top-tier experience with well-produced visuals that set the grim tone from the start.
In terms of gameplay, it continues the DuelReel mechanic we’ve seen in Duel at Dawn, but instead of battling gunslingers, we meet awakened monsters from the depths of hell, carrying massive win potential once defeated. This was one of the darkest slots we’ve tested, but its impressive depth and innovative feature list result in a top-rated score. Try the Death Becomes You demo at the top of the page.
Theme, Gameplay, & Payouts
Death Becomes You is a video slot by Hacksaw Gaming that features 5 reels, 4 rows, and 14 paylines. You can select bet sizes ranging from 0.1 to 50, with a default RTP of 96.34%, which is considered slightly above average. However, operators can choose to use one of the lower ones, such as 94.36%, 92.23%, or 86.28%. This game has medium/high volatility and a hit frequency of 20.89%, offering potential wins of up to 15,000X your bet.
The game’s design is based on a gritty underworld theme, where death awakens and sets free monsters from the depths of hell. The 5x4 game grid is positioned in front of the gates of hell, with two beating hearts on each side. If you want to boost the gaming experience for a cost, activate the Feature Buy button in the left corner. All other buttons, including the Spin and Bet Size, can be found below the reels. You can play Death Becomes You on all mobile devices, desktops, and notepads. You create a winning combination by landing 3 or more of the same symbol types on adjacent reels starting at the leftmost reel.
The lower-paying symbols are D, E, A, T, H. Landing 5 of the same symbol type pays 1X. The higher-paying symbols are a fish, a moth, an owl, a heart, and an eye. Landing 5 of the same symbol type pays between 2X and 6X.
The game’s Wild Symbol has the design of a “W,” and creating a win with 5 Wild Symbols will pay 10X the bet. The Scatter Symbol is the letters “FS,” and landing 3 or more will trigger the Bonus Game. The VS Symbol has the letters “VS” with a red background, and if this symbol type is part of a winning combination, it will trigger DuelReels. Let’s find out what kind of features this game has to offer.
Special Features & Slot Mechanics
What is the max win in the slot of Death Becomes You?
The max win is 15,000X the bet.
What features are available in the slot of Death Becomes You?
The features of this slot game are Wild Symbol, DuelReels, Duel with Death, Bonus Games, and Feature Buy.
Wild Symbol
The Wild Symbol substitutes all symbols except the Scatter Symbol and helps you create winning combinations. Creating a win with 5 Wild Symbols awards 10X the bet.
DuelReels
This feature can be randomly triggered whenever a VS Symbol lands on the reels, expanding into a DuelReel if part of a winning combination once expanded. The fully expanded DuelReel works as a Wild reel and substitutes for all paying symbols except the Scatter Symbol.
Once expanded, the DuelReel will cover the entire reel, triggering a Duel between two duelists. Each DuelReel has a multiplier applied to each of the two dueling symbols in the winning combination.
The Multiplier can carry additative values of 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, 6X, 7X, 8X, 9X, 10X, 15X, 20X, 25X, 50X, 75X, or 100X. The respective Multiplier is applied to all wins it’s part of, and if several Multipliers are part of the same win, they are added before being applied to the win.
The DuelReels will show one of the game’s five monsters, and only one DuelReel can appear per reel.
Duel with Death
The Duel with Death feature can be triggered by landing 5 lower-paying symbols in view, spelling the word“D-e-a-t-h” across the reels, and awarding a respin with 3 lives.
During the feature, the Death DuelReel expands to cover reels 2, 3, and 4, activating a duel between you and Death. You start with a 5X Multiplier, and the Death between 2X to 100X.
When the Death wins a Duel, you lose 1 life, and another Duel is triggered on the same Death DuelReel. However, if you win, you collect the respective Death Multiplier and add it to your existing Multiplier value, triggering the following duel. This will continue until you lose all 3 lives. Once all lives are lost, normal paying symbols and VS Symbols can land on reels 1 and 5. Any DuelReels are handled, and your collected multiplier is applied to all wins connected to the Death DuelReel.
Once wins have been rewarded, the Duel with Death ends.
Bonus Games
This feature can be triggered by landing 3 or more Scatter Symbols, activating the corresponding Free Spins feature.
Meet Your Maker
This feature can be triggered by landing 3 Scatter Symbols, awarding 10 Free Spins. Landing 2 or 3 Scatter Symbols during the feature will grant +2 or +4 additional Free Spins.
Meet Your Maker will keep the base game mechanics, with an increased chance of landing VS Symbols and triggering a Duel with Death feature.
Drop Dead
This feature can be triggered by landing 4 Scatter Symbols, awarding 3 lives. Here, you get the same base game mechanics with 3 lives; however, the feature ends when no more lives remain. If a Duel with Death is awarded, the Life Meter will be reset to 3 again. Once the Duel with Death round is over, the feature will end.
During the feature, the game grid will spin and award wins until DuelReels are triggered. When this happens, and you lose a Duel, 1 life is consumed. If you win a Duel, the corresponding Monster is defeated, and defeating all 5 Monsters will award the Duel with the Death feature.
Epic Death
This feature can be triggered by landing 5 Scatter Symbols, awarding 5 lives. Here, the Duel with Death is activated on the first spin. After every Duel, paying symbols and VS Symbols can land on reels 1 and 5. Any DuelReels are handled, and your collected multiplier is applied to all wins connected to the Death DuelReel. When no more lives remain, the feature ends.
Feature Buy
If you want to boost the gaming experience for a cost, you can use the Feature Buy options:
3X (BonusHunt FeatureSpins) = Each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger a Bonus Game. Played with high volatility and an RTP of 96.29%.
60X (Death Row FeatureSpins) = Each spin guarantees 1 VS Symbols on the reels. Played with high volatility and an RTP of 96.32%.
500X (Duel With Death Featurespins) = Each spin guarantees a Duel with Death. Played with high volatility and an RTP of 96.29%.
100X (Meet Your Maker) = Activates Bonus Game. Played with high volatility and an RTP of 96.35%.
500X (Drop Dead) = Activates Bonus Game. Played with very high volatility and an RTP of 96.32%.
Final Thoughts on Death Becomes You
This game provides one of the darkest and grimmest slot experiences we’ve ever come across, while delivering top-tier win potential and innovative features. While testing the game, my girlfriend walked past in the background, looking at my screen, and said, “You’re not going to be able to sleep tonight.” I think that statement says more about her than about me, since I am used to Hacksaw Gaming’s previously dark releases, such as Cursed Crypt and Dark Spiral. Even if the dark vibe definitely won’t suit everyone, we can’t deny the ambition and well-produced visuals, offering a lasting impression, to say the least.
Looking at the gameplay, it revolves around the DuelReel mechanic, which sets the tone for lucrative battles against monsters from the underworld. Here, we scored some big wins while defeating these eerie creatures, thanks to multipliers up to 100X, which is applied to all wins it’s part of. Besides the impressive win potential, we also have to mention the immersive atmosphere these duels create, which sets them apart from the usual slot norm. The studio has improved the DuelReel mechanic by including a showdown against Death, which is triggered whenever 5 lower-paying symbols spell the word D-E-A-T-H on the reels. When triggered, the win potential jumps up a notch, where you must fight Death and collect Multipliers up to 100X every time it’s defeated, creating a similar video-game feeling we’ve seen in Eternal Clash from Octoplay. The Duel with Death is also the highlight in two of the boosted Bonus Games, while the Meet Your Maker keeps the base game mechanic, offering a wide range of ambitious Free Spins alternatives.
Overall, the grim vibe isn’t for everyone, but no one can deny the ambition and innovation from Hacksaw Gaming, proving why the studio is regarded as one of the industry’s best. Here, we get epic battles against the underworld, where the main selling point is the showdown against Death itself, creating massive win potential while keeping us intrigued for the next coming spin.
Death Becomes You is a slot that keeps the studio’s dark vibe alive, offers an epic showdown against monsters at the gates of hell, and delivers impressive win potential in a memorable presentation.
