Released: 13 Apr 2023

★★★★★

Nothing says vintage better than 1930s animation combined with a horror theme. That’s exactly the atmosphere you can enjoy in the brand-new Fear the Dark slot. Offering staple Hacksaw Gaming visuals, exciting gameplay, and a maximum win potential of up to 5,000x the stake.

I loved how simple yet entertaining the Fear the Dark slot is, so claim an incredible bonus offer below and check it out first-hand!

Fear The Dark Slot Review

Hacksaw Gaming is no stranger to unique design styles. This vintage one used in the Fear the Dark slot can also be seen in some of its other releases, like the Canny The Can And The Book Of Time slot and the RIP City slot. Moreover, this latest release comes with exciting extras, including Avalanches, a Full Moon feature, Alone in the Dark, Darkness Spins, and more!

About Fear the Dark Slot

Hacksaw Gaming has decided to take a more elaborate route when creating the Fear the Dark slot’s structure, with a larger grid of 6 reels and 6 rows. The game employs the Cluster Pays mechanic, requiring 5 or more matching symbols to land on the grid on the same spin.

Additionally, I was also pleasantly surprised by the betting range of the Fear the Dark slot. The options range from as low as £0.10 and as high as £100 per spin, making the game suitable for all types of players.

Design, Symbols, and Graphics

Granted, “fear” is a strong word, but the spooky visuals and creepy atmosphere are wonderfully presented in the Fear the Dark slot. The black and white cemetery shown in the backdrop is a nice creepy touch, depicting gravestones, iron-wrought fences, and dead trees. However, I loved the excellent graphics and the splash of colour coming from the symbols.

Speaking of symbols, I love that the game doesn’t resort to the typical card royals but instead utilises stairs, tombstones, cups, boxes and crosses as low-paying symbols. These are worth up to 28x the stake for a cluster of at least 14. Alongside them are the high-paying ones, presented as a green ghost, a slime monster, a pig head, a zombie clown, and a blue zombie. These ghouls are worth up to 120x for a cluster of 14 or more symbols.

As is often the case with the Cluster Pays mechanic, no wild symbols are included in the Fear the Dark slot. However, there are two different scatters - the Moon Man scatter, which triggers the Full Moon feature, and the Candle scatter, which may trigger the Alone in the Dark feature.

RTP, Variance, and Payouts for Fear the Dark Slot

On the technical side of things, I liked that the Fear the Dark RT is capped at 96.25%, even though there are lower options also available for operators. Moreover, the game’s medium volatility model is paired with a maximum win potential of up to 5,000x the stake, which is a fitting combo.

You can learn about these terms in more detail in our Variance, Volatility, and RTP Guide!

Gameplay and Features on Fear the Dark Slot

And now, it’s time to take a closer look into the many features included in the Fear the Dark slot and how they work.

Avalanche Feature

Starting off with the Avalanche feature, which will be triggered after every winning combination, removing the participating symbols from the grid and replacing them with new ones. This may lead to new winning combinations and consecutive wins.

Full Moon Feature

Whenever a Moon Man scatter lands, the Full Moon feature is triggered. Random high-paying symbols will receive multipliers between 2x and 100x, and they will be shown above the grid. A win with the selected symbol(s) will apply the multiplier. Once no more wins occur, the corresponding high-paying symbols and all low-paying ones will be removed from the grid.

Alone in the Dark Feature

Landing 3 candle scatters on the same spin allowed me to trigger the Alone in the Dark feature with 10 free spins. However, activating it with 4 scatters will award you 15 free spins respectively. During the feature, the Full Moon feature has a higher chance of occurring, and you can win an additional 4 spins when you land a candle scatter.

Darkness Spins Feature

The Darkness Spins feature is triggered at the end of the Alone in the Dark feature. Once triggered, you will be given two additional spins on a shrinking grid. Landing a Moon Man will reset the grid to its full size for the duration of the Full Moon feature while landing a candle scatter will give you an additional 4 free spins on the full grid. If none of these symbols lands, the feature ends, and you’ll be transported back to the base game.

Bonus Buy Feature

The Bonus Buy feature is not available in the UK, but players in certain other jurisdictions can use it to enter a bonus feature directly for a price.

BonusHunt FeatureSpins - 3x the stake;
Moon Man FeatureSpins - 40x the stake;
10 Free Spins - 100x the stake;
15 Free Spins - 150x the stake.

Other Hacksaw Gaming Slots

Hacksaw Gaming is a studio that has produced great online slots. In fact, the Fear the Dark slot isn’t their only horror-inspired adventure, as they’ve also given us the Rotten slot and the Bloodthrist slot, but its portfolio also has some colourful releases, such as the Frank’s Farm slot.

Our Verdict

Well, I can safely say that the Fear the Dark slot offers a great gaming experience and that there isn’t anything to fear when you play it. The symbols are unique, and the overall look of the slot is excellent. Moreover, even though the maximum win potential may seem a bit low, it makes sense when considering the game’s medium volatility.

I also like how all the bonus features work together, especially the Alone in the Dark and Darkness Spins features. All in all, if a spooky reel adventure with a vintage comic twist is what you’re craving, then the Fear the Dark slot can be a perfect choice!