Deadeye Slot Review
In the lawless town of ELK Studios’ latest release, Deadeye, five notorious gunslingers participate in a deadly series of duels…but there can only be one survivor. Quick draws, perfect aims, and ruthless betrayals turn friends into foes as the desert sun burns from high above.
When the smoke clears and the dust settles, who will be the last man (or woman) standing?
Survive the duel and ride into the sunset of this Wild West slot release from ELK Studios. Like the Fishing genre, the Wild West theme is one of the most popular genres you’ll find within the iGaming industry.
This genre is home to some of the most iconic and highly-rated releases, including Dead or Alive 2, Deadwood, & Wanted Dead or a Wild, to name a few. Let’s also not forget two of the best Wild West series from Nolimit City and Relax Gaming: Tombstone & Money Train.
Featuring ELK’s trademarked RTP of 94% and high volatility score, Deadeye can reward up to 10,000x in max win potential, but will our efforts be in vain? Let’s load up and face our opponents…
Base Game & Features
Deadeye is the latest Wild West slot release from ELK Studios, featuring 6 reels, 4 rows, and 30 fixed pay lines. Winning combinations trigger when 3-6 identical symbols land on adjacent reels, starting from reel 1.
The 5 highest-paying symbols each represent Outlaw Characters, followed by A, K, Q, J, & 10 card suits. When a win is evaluated, varying payouts between 0.1x and 5x your bet are awarded, where applicable. Outlaw symbols can appear in sizes 1×1, 1×2, or 1×3 on the reels.
Additionally, Wild symbols appear on all reel positions, substituting for all symbols except Scatters. Through unique features, each high-paying symbol on reels 1, 2, 5, & 6 can transform into Wilds.
Lastly, the game reveals a special row of steel plates & saloon doors above the main reel set. These become part of ongoing features throughout gameplay.
Shots Fired
In the base game, when shots are fired on reels 1, 2, 5, or 6, it will automatically add the portrait of an Outlaw Character to a steel plate above the reels. If an Outlaw matching the portrait lands directly below its steel plate, it will transform into 1 or more Wild symbols.
The first shot that’s fired against one of the two Saloon Doors will generate a Multiplier between x2 and x100. Each additional shot that is fired against a saloon door after this will double its current Multiplier.
In addition, individual Saloon Doors can appear on reels 3 & 4, in sizes 1×3. If both Saloon Doors land in the same spin, but they fail to align, one or both doors will nudge until they pair with each other, carrying Outlaw symbols with active Multipliers.
Lastly, when there is an active Multiplier on a steel plate above a reel, its Multiplier will be added to any Outlaw symbol with a Multiplier on the same reel. If both Saloon Doors appear in the same spin, the Duel Feature instantly triggers.
Duel Feature
Once the Duel Feature is active, the revealed Outlaw Characters will fight to the death, leaving only 1 Outlaw Character as the winner. However, both Outlaw Characters can be killed in this feature.
If an Outlaw Character wins, it will expand into a 2×3 symbol, covering the space of two Outlaw symbols, retaining its current Multiplier. Alternatively, if both Outlaw Characters are eliminated, they will be replaced with a single 2×3 Wild symbol, receiving a new Multiplier equal to the Multiplier of both Outlaw Characters.
At the end of a duel, a random number of Wild symbols will be added to certain reel positions on reels 1, 2, 5, & 6.
Deadeye Free Spins
The Free Spins mode is triggered by landing 3 or more Scatters anywhere in the base game. Each Scatter symbol reveals up to 2 Bullets when they appear in view. Each bullet is collected to the left of the main reel set during this mode.
When 6 or more Bullets have been collected, +1 Free Spin is awarded. After this, 6 additional Shots are fired against the steel plates above the reels or the Free Spins counter.
The Multipliers on the steel plates & saloon doors maintain the same mechanics from the base game, remaining persistent throughout the entire feature. If shots are fired directly at the Free Spins counter, additional spins are awarded.
X-iter
Players may purchase one of the following X-iter Features:
- Bonus Hunt: More than triples your chance of triggering the Free Spins mode for 3x your bet
- Shots Fired: Triggers 3 or more shots fired at steel plates for 10x your bet
- Duel: Guarantees to trigger the Duel Feature for 25x your bet
- Bonus: Instant access to the Free Spins mode for 100x your bet
- Super Bonus: Guaranteed entry into the Super Free Spins mode, where Scatters carry 2 Bullets for 500x your bet
Each of the above X-iter features carries a theoretical RTP of 94%.
Deadeye has a maximum win potential of 10,000x your bet. If a single session exceeds this, the current mode ends, and the player returns to the base game with the qualifying amount.
Our Honest Verdict
We don’t often take favourites, but ELK Studios have a special place in our hearts for their creative and innovative prowess within the iGaming industry. Each software developer has a distinct method of aesthetics, features, and mechanics, so you can easily spot an ELK Studios release a mile off.
After battling Sgt. Nitro Wolf in the impressive Battle of Nitropolis series, we were eager to see what ELK Studios had cooked up in the dusty, Wild Western town of Deadeye, but did it satisfy our expectations?
While ELK Studios has never lost sight of what makes a successful slot, it does feel like they have toned down their features and mechanics in the last few releases. Deadeye still ticks all the right boxes for us and players alike, but it’s not quite as feature-rich as others in their catalogue.
We’ll admit, ELK Studios’ games can take time to wrap your head around due to their complex features and mechanics, so having less available may be a blessing to some, but not to those hoping for high-end action found in the Nitropolis series, for example.
When playing Deadeye, we were quickly reminded of Hacksaw Gaming’s Bullets and Bounty, with VS symbols having a similar effect to the Duel Feature available here. Only, this release comes with a unique row of steel plates & saloon doors that upgrade high-paying symbols to Wilds, with the chance to reveal Multipliers.
All of these features, including the Free Spins & Super Free Spins modes, can be purchased through the X-iter Features, including a Bonus Hunt option for triple your chance of triggering the Free Spins mode. Our only dispute is that the Super Free Spins mode is not accessible in the base game.
While most of the X-iter features are not available for UK players, ELK Studios has granted all regions (where allowed) access to the Bonus Hunt option. On a good day, Deadeye can produce wins of up to 10,000x your bet, which aligns with the majority of ELK Studios’ games.
*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.
