Pirate Bonanza (Hacksaw Gaming) – Review & Demo Play

Overview of Pirate Bonanza Slot Machine

Pirate Bonanza by Backseat Gaming is a 6-reel, 5-row scatter-paying slot where wins land with 8+ matching symbols anywhere. Every hit triggers the Tumble Win feature, clearing winners so new symbols drop in. Positions from winning combos become highlighted squares, setting up the Cannon feature that can fire multipliers onto the grid. Two Free Spins rounds, Load the Cannons and Fire At Will, build on that core. Stakes run from €0.10 to €100, and the headline win reaches 10,000x.

Theme & Design: Swashbuckling Adventure Quest in Pirate Bonanza

The setting screams pirate slot: skull and crossbones clouds, an undulating sea, a treasure chest and boat, plus a hatted captain standing by a cannon to the right of the grid. The 6x5 frame uses pirate-y wooden carvings that fit the vibe without fuss. Daylight colours keep things bright, and the interface stays tidy. I like how Backseat Gaming has been honing its design, as Pirate Bonanza is easy on the eyes and readable when tumbles and highlighted squares start stacking up.

Audio carries proper sea shanties without going overboard, and the cannon blasts punctuate wins in a satisfying way. On mobile, the minimal UI works well in portrait, with clear buttons and a legible paytable. I had no trouble following cascades or spotting highlighted squares on smaller screens. Animations are smooth enough to keep pace when tumble chains extend, and the captain's idle stance next to the cannon gives the scene a bit of character between spins.

Game Symbols and Payouts in Pirate Bonanza

Right, onto treasure. Pirate Bonanza uses a scatter pays system with nine regulars: six coloured gems at the low end, then a bottle, a map, a compass, and a captain's hat as the premiums. There are no wild symbols. Payouts start when 8 or more matching symbols land anywhere. At the 8-symbol mark, returns range from 0.1x for gems to 1x for the hat or compass, and tumble chains can raise that total before any multipliers apply.

Hit 19 or more and the slot pays out properly: gems are worth 50x, bottle and map reach 200x, while compass and hat top the table at 400x your bet. Mid tiers scale through 9-18 symbols in steady steps, so bigger clusters matter. Because it's Pay Anywhere, screen coverage is king, and the tumble win meter keeps tallying as long as cascades continue, giving the Cannon feature more highlighted squares to work with when it appears.

Specials keep it simple. The Cannon symbol can trigger after a tumble sequence to place Multiplier Bombs on highlighted squares. Additive bombs reveal x2, x3, x4, x5, x10, x15, x20, x25, x50, x75 or x100, while Golden Multipliers apply x2, x3, x5 or x10 multiplicatively at the end. The Bonus symbol is your scatter, landing 4 or 5 to trigger Load the Cannons or Fire At Will respectively, with chances for +5 extra spins from three scatters during either round.

Pirate Bonanza Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	19+	x400
	17+	x120
	10	x2
	9	x1.5
	8	x1
	19+	x400
	17+	x120
	10	x2
	9	x1.5
	8	x1
	19+	x200
	17+	x60
	10	x1.5
	9	x1
	8	x0.5
	19+	x200
	17+	x60
	10	x1.5
	9	x1
	8	x0.5
	19+	x50
	17+	x20
	10	x0.5
	9	x0.2
	8	x0.1
	19+	x50
	17+	x20
	10	x0.5
	9	x0.2
	8	x0.1
	19+	x50
	17+	x20
	10	x0.5
	9	x0.2
	8	x0.1
	19+	x50
	17+	x20
	10	x0.5
	9	x0.2
	8	x0.1
	19+	x50
	17+	x20
	10	x0.5
	9	x0.2
	8	x0.1

How to Play Pirate Bonanza

Set your stake with the arrows next to the bet display, anywhere from €0.10 to €100. Hit Spin to get the reels moving, or use Autoplay if you fancy hands-off sessions, and open the paytable via the i button. Wins form with 8+ matching symbols in view, trigger tumbles that refill the grid, and may mark highlighted squares for the Cannon. I like to watch the tumble win meter, as it's the value that gets multiplied if the cannon lands.

Free Spins and Bonus Rounds in Pirate Bonanza

After any win, each position that held a winning symbol becomes a highlighted square. If a Cannon symbol is present when tumbles end, the Cannon feature fires and drops Multiplier Bombs on those squares. Additive bombs stack into a total multiplier, and Golden Multipliers then multiply that total. When all bombs are revealed, the game applies the final multiplier to the tumble win. It's a punchy mechanic that can flip a modest screen into a serious payout.

Free spins come in two flavours. Load the Cannons awards 10 spins for 4 scatters, with a higher chance to land cannons; 3 scatters add +5. Fire At Will also starts on 10 spins from 5 scatters, raises cannon frequency again, and keeps highlighted squares persistent for the full feature; 3 scatters add +5. Bonus Buy options include BonusHunt FeatureSpins at 3x bet, BroadSide FeatureSpins at 50x, Load the Cannons for 100x, and Fire At Will for 250x.

Betting Volitality and RTP (Return to Player) in Pirate Bonanza

Pirate Bonanza sits in the high volatility bracket, so sessions can swing: dry spells, then bursts when multipliers stack. The default RTP is 96.31% in standard play. With Bonus Buy, it shifts slightly between 96.30% and 96.35% depending on the option. Some operators deploy a 94.26% configuration, so I always check the info page first. The max win is 10,000x your bet, achievable across base game and bonuses when the Cannon feature lands just right.

Is Pirate Bonanza Worth Your Time?

The mix of cascading reels and a pay-anywhere engine is tried and tested, and it works nicely here. Every win matters because highlighted squares can stack up before a cannon turns up, and the multipliers can turn a tidy tumble into something big. The free spins aren't wildly different to the base, but you do get more cannon sightings, and the persistent highlights during Fire At Will give you a clear focal point from spin to spin.

The Bonus Buy menu adds flexibility without fuss, which I rate for testing both free spins modes. My sessions did mirror the stats: patience needed, then a cannon salvo lands and the total jumps. If you like high-stakes swings with above-average RTP and a 10,000x ceiling, this one is worth a spin. I keep it in my rotation for when I fancy marked cells, bomb multipliers and a shot at that big total multiplier rolling over a chunky tumble.