Life and Death (Hacksaw Gaming) – Review & Demo Play

Life and Death - Overview

I took Life and Death for a spin and got a stark 6x5, 19-payline setup with a bet range from 10p up to £100 per spin, though some sites cap the top stake. It plays medium-high, marked 4 out of 5 on volatility, with a 96.36% RTP and a 27.93% hit rate on the top config. The Four Horsemen drive the action through wild multipliers and expanding wild reels, and both free spins modes can reach the same 15,000x cap as the base game.

Theme, Audio + Symbols in Life and Death

Life and Death runs with a monochrome gothic look where faint colour highlights mark the Horsemen. The reels sit in a vast cathedral, flanked by hooded spirits, while a choral soundtrack sets a cold, tense mood. On mobile or desktop it stays sharp, and the pared-back palette makes the important bits stand out. I like how the stained glass bands above reels two to five flag the linked wilds, so you can track when an expansion might change a spin.

The paytable sticks to royals 10 to A for lows, then an eye in a heart, a chalice, a sun face, a hand with an eye, and a three-faced head for highs. Six of a kind royals pay 3x to 10x, while six highs pay 15x to 50x the bet, with the three-faced head on top. FS scatters are the entry to free spins. Wild multipliers appear on reels two to five and substitute, with their values applied when they take part in a win.

Life and Death Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	6	x50
	5	x15
	4	x5
	3	x2
	6	x25
	5	x7.5
	4	x2.5
	3	x1
	6	x25
	5	x7.5
	4	x2.5
	3	x1
	6	x15
	5	x5
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.5
	6	x15
	5	x5
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.5
	6	x10
	5	x3
	4	x1
	3	x0.3
	6	x5
	5	x1.5
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	6	x5
	5	x1.5
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	6	x5
	5	x1.5
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	6	x3
	5	x1
	4	x0.3
	3	x0.1
	Scatter
	Wild

Bonus Features in Life and Death

I rate the Four Horsemen wild multipliers as the core. Blue Pestilence is linked to reel two with x2, x3, or x4. Red War ties to reel three with x5 to x9. Yellow Famine links to reel four with x10, x15, x20, or x25. Green Death ties to reel five with x30, x40, x50, x75, x100, or x200. Any wild can land on reels two to five, and when a linked wild helps a win it expands to a full wild reel.

Three FS scatters bring Devastation with ten free spins and a higher chance to land wild multipliers. Four scatters start Reckoning on ten free spins and add persistent Death Reels. Hit a wild multiplier on its matching reel during Reckoning and that reel becomes activated, so that Horseman will expand wherever it lands on the four central reels if a winning line can be formed. In both bonuses, landing two or three scatters adds two or four extra spins with no set limit.

For non-UK play, the feature buy menu keeps things simple. Bonushunt FeatureSpins cost three times the bet and make a bonus five times likelier. Four Horsemen FeatureSpins cost sixty times and guarantee at least three wild multipliers, though scatters do not land in that mode. You can also buy Devastation for one hundred times the bet, or Reckoning for two hundred times. The top RTP on buys sits around the same 96.29 to 96.32 per cent bracket.

Bonus Buy Feature

BONUSHUNT FEATURESPINS Each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger a bonus game.
Feature Cost:	x3 Bet
RTP:	96.29%
Volatility:	High
FOUR HORSEMEN FEATURESPINS Each spin guarantees that at least 3 Wild Multipliers land.
Feature Cost:	x60 Bet
RTP:	96.29%
Volatility:	Extra
DEVASTATION 10 free spins with enhanced base game features and increased chance of landing Wild Multipliers.
Feature Cost:	x100 Bet
RTP:	96.32%
Volatility:	High
RECKONING 10 free spins with activated Death Reels that guarantee Wild Reel expansion after being activated.
Feature Cost:	x200 Bet
RTP:	96.31%
Volatility:	Extra

Life and Death - Expert Verdict

I like what Life and Death does with a simple idea. Expanding wild reels tied to colours tease hard in base, and Reckoning is the mode I chase because activated reels turn those teases into proper chances. The monochrome art and choir lend weight without shouting. It is volatile and the features can take a while, but the 15,000x cap is reachable in any phase. I’ll happily grind this at 10p spins and step up when the balance can carry it.