Dead Man's Broadside: Pay-Anywhere Pirates

Dead Man's Broadside is a pirate slot from Backseat Gaming, whose game page opens with "Avast Mateys!". It plays on a 6x5 grid with no paylines: a win needs 8 or more of the same paying symbol anywhere on the grid.

Backseat Gaming describes three features, all triggered by special symbols: multiplier zones, wild blocks and transforming symbols. It rates the volatility Very High, puts the hit frequency at 18.49% and confirms a Bonus Buy.

The provider's page is short. It does not publish a release date, a bet range, a paytable or the detailed rules of each feature, so this page covers what Backseat Gaming has stated and what those figures mean in practice.

Backseat Gaming lists the RTP as 96.01 % / 94.01 % / 92.01 % / 90.01 %, so the game exists in four versions, each two percentage points apart. The gap between the highest and the lowest version an operator can run is six points.

As an illustration of what that gap means in theory, over a very large number of spins the 96.01% version is built to return about €96.01 for every €100 staked, and the 90.01% version about €90.01. Single sessions swing far more than that, but the version in use is fixed by the operator, so check the RTP stated in the game's own rules.

Volatility is listed as Very High. The max win is listed as 15,000; the provider's page gives no unit, so this page does not convert it into a multiple of the stake or a cash figure.

Hit frequency is 18.49%. Read as a long-run average, that is roughly 18 or 19 winning spins in every 100, or about one in five and a half, which leaves a little over four spins in five without a win.

A win pays when 8 or more of the same paying symbol land anywhere on the grid. Position does not matter: there are no lines to follow, and the matching symbols do not have to touch.

The grid has 30 positions, so the minimum win needs one symbol on just over a quarter of them. Set against the 18.49% hit frequency, most spins fall short of that 8-symbol mark.

Backseat Gaming does not list symbol values on its game page. The paytable inside the game is where the payout for each symbol and each count is shown.

Backseat Gaming names three features and says all of them are triggered by special symbols. Its page gives the names only, so the descriptions below go no further than what the names state.

Multiplier zones: the name describes multipliers tied to zones of the grid. The provider does not publish the multiplier values, the size of a zone or how a zone combines with a win.

Wild blocks: Wilds that arrive as a block rather than as single symbols. The block size and where a block can land are not published.

Transforming symbols: special symbols that change other symbols. What they turn into and how many symbols are affected are not published. On a grid that pays for 8 or more matching symbols, any feature that makes more symbols match moves a spin closer to a win.

Backseat Gaming lists Bonus Buy: Yes for Dead Man's Broadside. Its game page does not say what the buy feature purchases, what it costs as a multiple of the stake or whether there is more than one buy option.

The figures that are published describe the game as a whole: Very High volatility, an 18.49% hit frequency and four RTP versions from 96.01% down to 90.01%. The page does not say whether the buy feature has an RTP of its own, so the game's rules are the place to check before reading anything into the purchase price.

The free demo on this page is the most direct way to fill the gaps the game page leaves. Four things are worth checking there: which special symbols start each of the three features, the paytable values for 8 or more symbols, the RTP version stated in the game rules, and what the Bonus Buy offers.

Count matching symbols rather than looking for lines. With 30 positions and an 8-symbol minimum, a spin with seven of one symbol pays nothing, however they are spread across the grid.

A demo session cannot show the long-run figures. The 18.49% hit frequency and the four RTP versions describe a very large number of spins, not the few hundred a demo session covers.

Provider: Backseat Gaming. Grid: 6x5. Wins: 8 or more of the same paying symbol anywhere on the grid. RTP: 96.01 % / 94.01 % / 92.01 % / 90.01 %. Volatility: Very High. Hit frequency: 18.49%. Max win: 15,000. Bonus Buy: Yes. Features: multiplier zones, wild blocks and transforming symbols, all triggered by special symbols.

Other Backseat Gaming titles covered on Slotscritic: Kamo Insect Hunter, Moon Dynasty, Hades Domain, Strawberry Land, De Rat Heist and Monster Munch Stacks.

What is the RTP of Dead Man's Broadside?

Backseat Gaming lists the RTP as 96.01 % / 94.01 % / 92.01 % / 90.01 %, so there are four versions of the game, each two points apart. The difference between the top and bottom version is six percentage points, so check the RTP stated in the game's own rules.

What is the max win in Dead Man's Broadside?

Backseat Gaming lists the max win as 15,000. Its game page gives the figure without a unit, so it does not say whether that means 15,000 times the stake or something else, and the game's own rules are the place to confirm it. The provider rates the volatility Very High, with a hit frequency of 18.49%.

Does Dead Man's Broadside have a bonus buy?

Yes. Backseat Gaming lists Bonus Buy: Yes on its Dead Man's Broadside game page. The page does not give the buy price, what the purchase starts or whether several buy options exist, so those details need checking inside the game. The game's other published figures are Very High volatility and an 18.49% hit frequency.

How do you win in Dead Man's Broadside?

Land 8 or more of the same paying symbol anywhere on the 6x5 grid. There are no paylines and the matching symbols do not need to sit next to each other. Backseat Gaming adds three features triggered by special symbols, multiplier zones, wild blocks and transforming symbols, but does not publish their detailed rules on its game page.

Is Dead Man's Broadside high volatility?

Yes. Backseat Gaming rates the volatility Very High and lists a hit frequency of 18.49%, which as a long-run average means roughly 18 or 19 winning spins in every 100. By the provider's own rating, results come in fewer and larger swings than in a lower volatility game, and most spins pay nothing.

Can I play Dead Man's Broadside for free?

Yes. The demo on this page runs Dead Man's Broadside with play credits, so you can see the 6x5 pay-anywhere grid, the special symbols and the three features without staking money. It is also the place to read the paytable and see which of the four RTP versions, from 96.01% down to 90.01%, the rules state.