Dark Spiral Demo Play Free Demo Slot

Slot Overview

Dark Spiral is a high-volatility multi-way slot from Hacksaw Gaming, and it contains an innovative Summon symbols mechanic. The game also boasts Cascading Reels, 3 Free Spins bonuses, and FeatureSpins/Bonus Buy options. With a maximum win potential of 10,000x, it looks to be fairly “straightforward Hacksaw”, but is it any good? Is there enough difference between Dark Spiral and previous Hacksaw releases with similar mechanics? Let’s find out.

Theme & Design

While Dark Spiral holds some similarities to Hacksaw’s Mayan Stackways and Ronin Stackways, the Summon mechanic, which we’ll cover below, actually works in a slightly different way.

Visually, the game is very “Hacksaw”, and it’s fairly detailed, with the reels (and backdrop) rendered in a black and white colour scheme. The high value symbols are coloured, but there’s no denying it; it’s quite a strange, dark, and somewhat gruesome theme, and that works for us!

Dark Spiral Gameplay & Bonus Features

Dark Spiral uses a 6-reel, 4-row layout with a multi-way system offering up to 331,776 betways on every spin. Wins are formed by landing matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right, and you can bet from €0.10 to €100 per spin, with the game boasting a default RTP of 96.22%.

The core mechanic revolves around summon symbols, which can appear in sizes of 1×2, 1×3, or 1×4, and these symbols can land on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5. When they land, each Summon symbol reveals a vertical stack of identical paying symbols or Wilds, with larger symbols revealing bigger stacks. If a Wild lands directly above or below a Summon symbol on the same reel, the Summon expands and absorbs it after the grid settles.

Now, when Summon symbols contribute to a win, they remain on the reels while other symbols are removed via the cascade mechanic, and each time they are involved in a new win, they reveal a fresh set of symbols or Wilds. This process continues until no further wins are possible, after which the entire grid resets for the next spin.

The game’s first Free Spins Bonus is the Shattered Spins, and it’s triggered by landing 3 FS symbols. Doing so awards 10 free games, and in this feature, the base game mechanics are followed, but the frequency at which Summon symbols land is increased.

The Twisted Free Spins are triggered by landing 4 FS Scatter symbols. This feature also begins you with 10 free spins and includes all Shattered mechanics. The key difference is that all Summon symbols become sticky for the entire bonus, so they reveal new stacks on every spin, regardless of whether they form part of a win or not.

Dark Spiral also contains a Hidden Epic Bonus – although unlike in other Hacksaw Gaming titles, here, you can somewhat buy it; more on that later. Otherwise, the Tortured Bonus is triggered by landing 5 FS Scatter symbols. It maintains the Twisted mechanics but guarantees two Summon symbols on the first spin.

Bonus Buy / FeatureSpins

Dark Spiral includes several bonus purchase options, although they may not be available in your region depending on where you live:

• BonusHunt FeatureSpins: Costs 3x for an increased chance of triggering the bonus round.
• Summon the FeatureSpins: Costs 100x for guaranteed Summoning symbols.
• Shattered Free Spins: Costs 100x for 10 free games.
• Twisted Free Spins: Costs 200x for 10 free games with Sticky Summoning symbols. (Buying this feature also has a chance of triggering the Tortured Free Spins.)