Wild West Zone Slot Review

Wild West Zone Slot Review

Wild West Zone is a 2020 slot release by Leander Games that borrows its theme from the wild frontier days, when vigilantes, trappers, and cowboys roamed the American West. The slot uses a lucrative Dynamic Ways payout mechanic, where the number of possible winning combinations changes on each spin.

The base game plays on five reels, but a sixth additional reel appears during the free spins, increasing the winning ways to a whopping 117,649. Also included are several extra features like the Most Wanted Respins and the Something for Nothing Multiplier. The average theoretical return reaches 95.82%, while volatility is high. This makes the release a great option for players who crave substantial, though infrequent payouts.

Wild West Zone Slot Summary
Software Provider Leander Games
Payline Number 243 to 3,125 winning ways in the base game; 15,625 to 117,649 winning ways during free spins
RTP 95.82%
Minimum Bet $0.20
Maximum Bet $100
Wild Symbol Yes, the wanted poster
Scatter Yes, the free spins symbol
Bonus Features Most Wanted Respins, Something for Nothing Multiplier, Canyon Heist Free Spins
Jackpot 7,794x

Symbols and Winning Combinations in Wild West Zone

Winning Combinations The Dynamic Ways payout structure is the biggest peculiarity of this Leander release. The game has an unconventional grid, where the number of symbols appearing per reel fluctuates on each spin. To win, you must match identical symbols in any position on adjacent reels, from the leftmost to the rightmost one. Payouts on winning combos are multiplied by the player’s overall stake.

The number of live icons per reel varies on every round, depending on whether or not the symbols are part of the so-called Dynamic Ways Zone. Symbols outside this zone are easy to distinguish because their colors appear fainter. Each reel can be three to five symbols high, producing anywhere between 243 and 3,125 potential ways to win in the base game.

The main game requires three to five matches to produce payouts. Six-of-a-kind combinations are possible during the free spins round when a sixth reel is also in play. The high-value symbols all match the frontier theme of the slot and include a sheriff’s badge, dynamite sticks, a pistol, a whiskey bottle, and a pair of leather boosts.

The maximum payouts for the badge reach 2x bet in the base game and 5x the bet during free spins. The dynamite can deliver up to 1x in the base game and 2x during the special feature. The pistol returns even money during free spins and half the original bet in the main game.

As for the whiskey bottles and the boots, these can earn you top prizes of 0.75x and 0.6x your total stake in free spins mode. Five-of-a-kind combinations with these symbols pay 0.4x and 0.35x the bet during the main game. The low-value icons A, K, Q, J, and 10 offer maximum returns of 0.4x the stake during free spins.

Bonus Features of Wild West Zone

Bonus image As we previously hinted, this Leander creation comes with several bonus features that aim to increase players’ engagement and make the gameplay more lucrative. For starters, the wanted poster is wild, which allows it to sub for everything except the free spins symbol. There is also the Most Wanted Respins Feature – it triggers each time one or more wild posters land within the above-mentioned Dynamic Ways Zone without creating a winning combination.

What follows is a respin, with all active wilds remaining in position during the feature. The reels keep respinning at no cost until the player scores a win and exits the feature. Each subsequent wanted poster that hits the reels during the respins also sticks in place. More importantly, the feature comes with dynamic multipliers that increase with every respin until the player eventually wins.

Two free spins scatters landing within the Dynamic Ways Zone on the first and third reels unlock the Something for Nothing Multiplier. Said multiplier boosts your profits during the free spins feature and increases by one unit when you land two scatters within the same round. Note that the software saves the multiplier value for every bet level. In other words, adjusting your wager will restore the multiplier to the value previously saved for the given amount staked.

The Canyon Heist Free Spins kick off whenever you land three free spins icons within the Dynamic Zones on the first, third, and fifth reels. You will get 8 initial free rounds with the multiplier you have accumulated during the Something for Nothing feature.

A sixth reel will appear, increasing the Dynamic Zones’ size to a maximum of 7 symbols high. This causes an increase in the number of winning ways, which ranges from 15,625 to 117,649 during free spins. Players can retrigger 8 more free spins during the feature by landing three more special symbols on the second, fourth, and sixth reels.

Verdict

With Wild West Zone, Leander Games deliver their unique take on the Megaways format pioneered by Big Time Gaming. The dynamic payout structure will surely maintain players’ interest as the ways to win change on every spin. The game does not lack in terms of special features, either, boasting sticky wilds, dynamic multipliers, respins, and an exciting free spins round with an extra reel.