In Circle of Life, Hacksaw Gaming leans into the constant cycle of existence, where we fall, we fade, & we bloom once more…nothing ever truly ends. Explore the cycle of life in this 5-reel, 4-row video slot, where the reels keep turning & a maximum win potential of 15,000x your bet is on the table across every game mode.
Hacksaw Gaming has always been comfortable moving between extremes, shifting effortlessly from light, playful concepts to themes that are darker & more unsettling. That creative drive is rooted in their origins, where they first began creating Scratchcards.
Hacksaw Gaming quickly built a reputation for bold designs & mechanical creativity before finding its rightful place within the iGaming industry. Now, they’re known for their bold, innovative slot releases that consistently stand apart from the others.
Circle of Life is a clear extension of that identity, which leans into Hacksaw Gaming’s familiar Black & White aesthetic that has been explored in other titles with the same morbid curiosity.
Fans of their previous release, Life and Death, will recognise the same fascination with mortality, balance, and inevitability, revealed through a clean, deliberate style that lets the theme do all the heavy lifting.
During gameplay, each spin is layered with features & mechanics, with the Tree of Life & Circle of Life features driving the experience, alongside 3 distinct Free Spins modes that shape how the reels evolve and rewards play out from spin to spin.
Circle of Life carries a high volatility profile, with long stretches of restraint offset by moments where the full weight of the game’s potential can surface. Paired with a high RTP of 96.33%, this game is another ambitious release from Hacksaw Gaming…
Base Game & Features
Circle of Life is a highly volatile 5-reel, 4-row video slot from Hacksaw Gaming, consisting of 14 fixed pay lines. Paytable symbols guarantee wins when 3-5 identical symbols land on adjoining reels, starting from reel 1.
The highest-paying symbol is the Wings, followed by the Apple, Snake, Sun, & Heart. Other symbols include A, K, Q, J, & 10 royals, which act as the game’s low-paying symbols. After a spin has settled, all winning combinations award a fixed payout between 0.2x and 5x your bet.
In terms of special symbols, Tree symbols & FS Scatters cannot land on the same reel at the same time. Furthermore, only 3 expanding FS Scatters can land per spin in the Origin & Eternal Bonus modes.
Tree of Life
When a Tree symbol hits, it will act as a Wild symbol that substitutes for all symbols in the paytable, revealing a random Multiplier between 2x and 100x your bet. If the Tree symbol is part of a win, it will trigger a Respin.
When a Tree symbol creates part of a winning combination, the triggering win is multiplied by its respective Multiplier. If more than 1 Tree of Life symbol is part of the same win, their Multipliers will add together before being applied to the win.
Once each win has been awarded, a Respin will trigger, causing each winning Tree of Life symbol to stick to the reels & expand upwards by +1 row, while all other reels spin normally. The Respin event continues until no new wins occur with any available Tree of Life symbols.
Each Tree of Life symbol will continue to expand by +1 row during every Respin sequence until the Tree of Life is fully expanded on the reel. After expansion, the Tree of Life is removed from the grid on the next Respin or base game spin.
Circle of Life
When a Tree of Life has reached its full expansion, the Circle of Life Feature triggers on the respective Tree of Life, activating during a Respin but before the grid settles.
During this feature, the Circle of Life spins to reveal a Multiplier or Skull. The Multiplier on which the arrow lands will be combined with the Multiplier on the Tree of Life. If the arrow lands in an Additive Multiplier, the two values will be added together. Otherwise, if the arrow lands on a Multiplicative Multiplier, the Tree of Life will combine its value with the new one to reveal a new total.
- Additive Multiplier: 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, 25x, 100x
- Multiplicative Multiplier: x2
The Circle of Life continues spinning & landing on Multipliers until the arrow lands on the Skull Icon, resulting in the end of the feature.
Spreading FS Scatters
When 3 or more FS Scatters land simultaneously, each one expands across the reel after all wins have been awarded. Each position the FS Scatter covers represents the number of starting Free Spins, awarding +1, +2, and +3 Free Spins per position.
When purchasing a Free Spins mode, there is a chance that certain positions will reveal Upgrade symbols, awarding the following:
- 3 FS Scatters +1 Upgrade: Awards the Eternal Bonus
- 3 FS Scatters + 2 Upgrades: Awards the Rebirth Bonus
- 4 FS Scatters +1 Upgrade: Awards the Rebirth Bonus
Circle of Life: Free Spins
Triggering the Origin Bonus requires 3 FS Scatters to land in the base game, awarding a random number of starting Free Spins. In this mode, each spin maintains the same base game mechanics.
When a Tree of Life symbol hits, it will remain sticky until it is no longer part of a winning combination, while a fully expanded Tree of Life is removed for the next spin. Lastly, revealing expanding FS Scatters can award up to +12 Free Spins.
Eternal
Alternatively, the Eternal Bonus is awarded when 4 FS Scatters land anywhere in the base game. Again, this mode maintains the same mechanics from the base game & Origin Bonus.
In addition, a reel is activated when a Circle of Life is triggered upon it. The activated reel will remain so throughout spins, which guarantees a Tree of Life lands on every spin, unless there is already one present.
Landing further expanding FS Scatters will award additional Free Spins, up to a maximum of 12.
Rebirth
The hidden bonus, Rebirth, is triggered when 5 expanding FS Scatters land in the same base game spin. This bonus continues to use the same mechanics from the base game & Eternal Bonus. In addition, reels 2 & 4 are activated from the start of the feature.
Featurespins & Bonus Buy
Players can purchase any of the following Featurespins & Bonus Buy options:
- Bonushunt Featurespins: Each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger a Free Spins mode for 5x your bet
- Life or Death Featurespins: Guarantees at least 2 Tree of Life symbols on the reels for 70x your bet
- Origin: Instant access to the Origin Bonus with 3 FS Scatters for 100x your bet
- Eternal: Direct entry into the Eternal Bonus with 4 FS Scatters for 300x your bet
Circle of Life has a maximum win of 15,000x your bet. If a single session exceeds this, the player returns to the base game with the qualifying amount.
Our Honest Verdict
At first glance, Circle of Life feels like it is cut from the same cloth as Life and Death, sharing a similar art style and a title that naturally invites comparison. In reality, it could hardly be more different. Players hoping for a direct sequel may be left wanting, but for those who appreciate Hacksaw Gaming’s refusal to retread old ground, this is a familiar studio flexing its creative range rather than revisiting past glories.
Instead of death and decay, the focus here is growth. The Tree of Life wild is the main feature, expanding in size and power as it builds multipliers, with its true potential unlocked once fully grown. That is where the Circle of Life mechanic shines, allowing multipliers to escalate rapidly and, when multiple trees link together, produce significant wins.
The free spins structure further reinforces how far this strays from Life and Death. The Origin Bonus is the most grounded, retaining base game behaviour while relying on sticky Trees of Life and additional spins from expanding scatters. Eternal Free Spins steps things up significantly, introducing activated reels that guarantee a Tree of Life on every spin, dramatically increasing consistency and pressure.
Rebirth, the hidden bonus triggered by five expanding scatters, pushes things even further, activating reels 2 and 4 from the outset and creating the most aggressive setup in the game. It feels deliberately elusive, but entirely fitting for a feature built around growth and escalation.
With a maximum win of 15,000x, matching Life and Death on paper, Circle of Life proves that identical ceilings do not equate to identical experiences. All in all, this is not better or worse than its spiritual predecessor. It is simply different, and intentionally so. Fans of Life and Death may need to reset expectations, but players who value variety and high impact mechanics will likely find plenty to admire here.
*The images found in this slot review are currently from Demo Play. On average, our reviews are written prior to the initial release date and before real play is available.
Circle of Life FAQs
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What is the maximum win in Circle of Life?
Circle of Life has a maximum win potential of 15,000x the stake, matching the top end seen in several recent Hacksaw Gaming releases. -
Does Circle of Life have multiple Free Spins modes?
Yes. The game features several Free Spins variations, including Origin, Eternal, and a hidden Rebirth bonus, each increasing in intensity and win potential. -
Is Circle of Life a sequel to Life and Death?
No. Despite visual similarities and a comparable maximum win, Circle of Life is not a direct sequel and plays very differently in terms of mechanics and feature design. -
What is the main feature of Circle of Life?
The core mechanic is the Tree of Life wild, which expands and builds multipliers, becoming increasingly powerful when fully grown and linked with other trees. -
Does Circle of Life include a hidden bonus?
Yes. Rebirth is a hidden Free Spins bonus that can be triggered by landing five expanding Free Spins scatters in a single base game spin.
