NetEnt has made three Dead or Alive slots: Dead or Alive (2009), Dead or Alive 2 (2019) and Dead or Alive 3: Wanted (2026). The first two share a 5×3 grid, 9 lines and an RTP of about 96.8% (96.82% and 96.80%). The third moves to a 5×5 grid, drops to 96.03% and replaces the sticky-wild free spins with multiplier wilds and a menu of paid features.
If you want the lowest cost of play, the first two are the better value. If you want the newest mechanics and the highest stated cap, Dead or Alive 3 is the one, and it costs more per spin on average. Every figure below comes from NetEnt's own game pages.
Dead or Alive 1, 2 and 3 compared
| Slot | Released | Grid | RTP | Hit frequency | Max win | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead or Alive | 10 Nov 2009 | 5×3, 9 lines | 96.82% | 30.00% | 8,600x | One free spins mode with sticky wilds |
| Dead or Alive 2 | 23 Apr 2019 | 5×3, 9 lines | 96.80% | 30.00% | Up to 100,000x (Train Heist)* | Three free spins modes to choose from; feature buy |
| Dead or Alive 3: Wanted | 26 Mar 2026 | 5×5 | 96.03% | 22.99% | 33,333x; 66,666x with the Wanted Wilds buy | Wanted Wilds (x2–x100), Bounty Hunter wilds, five paid features |
Hit frequency is the share of spins that return any win. The first two games pay something on about 30 spins in 100; Dead or Alive 3 on about 23. Over 100 spins at KSh 20, that is roughly 30 against 23 paying spins, and many of those wins will be smaller than your KSh 20 bet. The newer game has fewer hits and keeps more of its return for the bonus.
Our catalogue rates the original as Very High volatility. NetEnt calls Dead or Alive 2 high volatility in its description.
What each version costs per KSh 10,000 staked
Average cost = total staked × (100% − RTP). Over 500 spins at KSh 20 (KSh 10,000 staked):
| Slot | RTP | Average cost | Over KSh 50,000 staked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dead or Alive | 96.82% | KSh 318 | KSh 1,590 |
| Dead or Alive 2 | 96.80% | KSh 320 | KSh 1,600 |
| Dead or Alive 3: Wanted | 96.03% | KSh 397 | KSh 1,985 |
The 0.79-point gap between the original and Dead or Alive 3 makes the third game about 25% more expensive to play over time (3.97% house edge against 3.18%). These are NetEnt's headline RTPs; a casino can run a lower RTP version, so open the game's help screen at your casino to see the one you are playing.
Dead or Alive vs Dead or Alive 2
Both use the same 5×3, 9-line grid and the same 30% hit frequency. The difference is all in the bonus.
- Dead or Alive awards 12 free spins for three or more scatters. Wilds that land stay sticky for the rest of the round, all line wins are doubled, and a sticky wild on every reel adds 5 more spins.
- Dead or Alive 2 also starts with 12 free spins but lets you choose the mode. Old Saloon doubles all wins and keeps the sticky wilds. High Noon Saloon turns two or three wilds on one reel into double or triple multiplier wilds. Train Heist fills a multiplier bar with each wild, up to 16x, and is the mode NetEnt says can reach 100,000x the bet.
Dead or Alive 2 also lists a feature buy, which the original does not. If you like one straightforward bonus, the original is enough. If you want to choose how risky the bonus is, Dead or Alive 2 lets you pick: Old Saloon is the steadier mode, Train Heist the most extreme.
Dead or Alive 2 vs Dead or Alive 3: Wanted
Dead or Alive 3 is a different game built on the same theme and outlaws. On a 5×5 grid, Wanted Wilds land with a random multiplier of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50 or x100. Bounty Hunter wilds cover a whole reel and collect the multipliers of every Wanted Wild in view; two Bounty Hunters on neighbouring reels merge and add their multipliers together.
Two bonus symbols give a respin and three or more start 10 free spins, during which Wanted Wilds turn sticky. A Super Bonus symbol starts Super Free Spins, where a Bounty Hunter lands on every spin. With a Super Bonus among them, four bonus symbols also pay 50x the bet and five pay 2,500x.
The trade-off is clear in the numbers: Dead or Alive 2 has the higher RTP (96.80% against 96.03%) and more frequent hits (30.00% against 22.99%). Dead or Alive 3 has the more modern bonus and a stated cap of 33,333x, or 66,666x with the Wanted Wilds feature switched on.
Dead or Alive 3 paid features in shillings
Dead or Alive 3 sells five paid features, priced as multiples of your bet. Where your casino offers them, here is what each costs at a KSh 20 base bet:
| Feature | Price | At KSh 20 bet | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus Hunter | 2x bet | KSh 40 per spin | At least one bonus symbol on every spin |
| Wanted Wilds | 5x bet | KSh 100 per spin | Wanted Wild multipliers start at x5 and the cap doubles to 66,666x |
| Hunted Spins | 100x bet | KSh 2,000 | Free spins start straight away |
| Bounty Hunter | 150x bet | KSh 3,000 per spin | Two Bounty Hunter wilds land at the end of every spin |
| Dead or Alive Spins | 1,000x bet | KSh 20,000 | Super Free Spins start straight away |
The per-spin options multiply your cost of play by 2, 5 or 150 for as long as they are switched on, and the house edge applies to the higher stake. A KSh 2,000 budget that covers 100 normal spins at KSh 20 covers 20 spins with Wanted Wilds on, or one bought free spins round. See our guide to bonus buy slots before you use them.
Which Dead or Alive slot to play
- Lowest cost of play: Dead or Alive (96.82%) or Dead or Alive 2 (96.80%).
- Choice of bonus risk: Dead or Alive 2 and its three free spins modes.
- Newest mechanics and highest stated cap: Dead or Alive 3: Wanted, at a higher average cost and fewer hits per spin.
All three are high-swing games where most of the return comes from the free spins, so size your bet so the budget covers a few hundred spins. For more Wild West slots and how volatility shapes a session, see our other guides. For deposits by M-Pesa or Airtel Money, check the casino's cashier. Gambling is for adults 18+; read our responsible gaming page and get help at gambling addiction if play stops being fun.
