Quick answer
Fear the Dark is a Hacksaw Gaming slot (2023) with 96.25% RTP, medium volatility and a 5,000x max win. It uses cluster pays with free spins, multipliers and tumbling reels. An official free demo is available. RTP can vary by casino.
Key specs
- RTP
- 96.25%
- Volatility
- Medium
- Max win
- 5,000x
- Grid
- 6×6
- Pays
- Cluster pays
- Released
- 13 April 2023
- Bet range
- $0.10–$100
Not published by the provider: jackpot
Casinos with Hacksaw Gaming games
- Velmora150 No-Wager Free Spins Keep every winNo wageringCarries Hacksaw GamingPlay at Velmora (opens in new tab)
18+. New customers. Min dep $20. No wagering. 7 days. 150 spins on Big Bass Bonanza at $0.10. Full T&Cs apply.
Key terms
18+. New customers only. Min deposit $20. No wagering on winnings. Free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at $0.10 per spin. Offer valid 7 days. Full T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
Check Fear the Dark is in the lobby in your country.
Themes:
Free demo Members
Try Fear the Dark with play money before deciding whether to play for real. Official Hacksaw Gaming demos are free for GambGenius members.
How to play Fear the Dark (members only)
Wins pay for groups of matching symbols that touch horizontally or vertically. Larger clusters pay more, and winning clusters usually disappear to make room for new symbols.
Fear the Dark is played on a 6×6 grid with cluster pays.
- Set your stake. Choose your total bet per spin between $0.10 and $100. Wins are paid as multiples of this stake.
- Check the paytable. Open the game's info screen to see what each symbol pays and the exact rules for this version.
- Spin. Each spin's result is decided by a certified random number generator, independent of previous spins.
- Trigger the bonus. Land the required scatter symbols to start the free spins feature.
- Optional bonus buy. Where permitted, pay a fixed price to start the bonus directly.
The full Fear the Dark guide: how winnings work, 5 features and 5 strategy tips
- Your stake plan: a $50 budget → about $0.25 a spin (medium volatility)
- What 96.25% RTP costs per $100 wagered: $3.75 on average
- 5 features explained: free spins, multipliers, tumbling reels, bonus buy, cluster pays
- Bonus-buy risk breakdown
- Stake plans for $20 to $250 budgets, checked against the $0.10 minimum bet
- 4 RTP versions compared: 96.25%, 94.33%, 92.36%, 88.25%
- 4 slots with the same style and a higher RTP (up to 98%)
- Strategy tips and a session planner for Fear the Dark
Free · no card · 18+ only
Never sold · export or delete any time · What do members get?
How winnings work (members only)
What 96.25% RTP costs per $100 wagered, the 5,000x max win at a $1 stake
The top prize is capped at 5,000x your stake. On a $1 spin that is $5,000; on $0.20 it is $1,000. When the cap is reached the round usually ends immediately.
Because wins don't depend on lines, every symbol in view can count towards a pay. The paytable lists how many matching symbols each tier needs.
Multipliers are applied to wins as they land; in many games several multipliers add together or multiply each other, which is where the largest wins come from.
Because winning symbols tumble away and are replaced, one paid spin can produce a chain of wins. All of them count towards that spin's total.
What 96.25% RTP means
Expected return = stake × 96.25%
Over $100 of total bets, the long-run average loss is $3.75
RTP is a long-run average across millions of spins. Any single session can finish far above or below it, especially on a medium volatility game.
Features explained (members only)
5 features explained: free spins, multipliers, tumbling reels, bonus buy and more
Free spins
A bonus round of spins played at no cost to your balance, usually triggered by landing three or more scatter symbols. Wins during the round are added to your balance, and many games let you retrigger extra spins.
Multipliers
Multipliers increase a win by a set factor, such as 2x or 10x. They can be attached to symbols, applied to a whole spin, or grow during a feature, and are a main driver of the biggest wins.
Tumbling reels
After a win, the winning symbols are removed and new ones fall into their place. This can create several consecutive wins from a single paid spin. Also called cascades or avalanches.
Bonus buy
Lets you pay a fixed multiple of your stake to enter the bonus feature straight away instead of waiting for it to trigger. It raises variance considerably and is not available in every country (it is banned in the UK).
Cluster pays
Wins are formed by groups of matching symbols touching horizontally or vertically, rather than along lines.
Strategy tips (members only)
- Size your stake to the volatility. Medium volatility balances hit rate and win size. Expect dry spells between features, but not extreme swings. A simple rule: bring at least 200 spins' worth of budget, so a $50 budget suggests a stake of about $0.25.
4 more tips and a session planner
- Check which RTP version you're playing. Hacksaw Gaming offers this game at 96.25%, 94.33%, 92.36%, 88.25%. Open the game rules at your casino and prefer sites running the 96.25% version.
- Treat bonus buys as high-risk. Buying the feature concentrates your budget into a few large-variance rounds. Many results return less than the price paid. Read our bonus buy guide first.
- Bonus wagering: at 96.25% RTP, clearing $1,000 of wagering costs about $37.50 on average. Check the bonus terms, as some casinos exclude specific games. Run your numbers in the wagering calculator.
- Set limits before you spin. Decide your loss limit and session time in advance and stop when you reach either. No pattern or betting system changes the outcome of a spin.
More on this in slot RTP and volatility explained and bankroll management.
Does it fit your budget? (members only)
Stake plans for $20 to $250 budgets, checked against the $0.10 minimum bet
For medium volatility we suggest a budget of at least 200 spins. This is what that means for Fear the Dark (bets from $0.10 up to a maximum bet of $100).
| Budget | Stake a spin | Bet range | Average cost of 200 spins |
|---|---|---|---|
| $20 | $0.10 | Fits | $0.75 |
| $50 | $0.25 | Fits | $1.87 |
| $100 | $0.50 | Fits | $3.75 |
| $250 | $1.25 | Fits | $9.37 |
Averages only: a short session can end far above or below them. Set a loss limit before you play.
RTP versions (members only)
4 RTP versions compared: 96.25%, 94.33%, 92.36%, 88.25%
Hacksaw Gaming supplies Fear the Dark in 4 RTP versions and each casino chooses which one to run. Over $1,000 of bets, the 88.25% version costs about $80 more on average than the 96.25% version.
| Version | Average cost per $100 wagered | Extra vs best |
|---|---|---|
| 96.25% (best) | $3.75 | — |
| 94.33% | $5.67 | +$1.92 |
| 92.36% | $7.64 | +$3.89 |
| 88.25% | $11.75 | +$8 |
Open the game's rules or info screen at your casino to see which version it runs.
Seen a different version at a casino? How member RTP reports work
Same style, better RTP (members only)
4 slots with the same style and a higher RTP (up to 98%)
Slots with the same mechanic (cluster pays) and volatility (medium) as Fear the Dark, with a higher published RTP. Casinos can still run lower versions of any of them.
Fly!98% RTP · +1.75 pts
Le Vampire97.57% RTP · +1.32 pts
Monster Pop97.07% RTP · +0.82 pts
Gears of Time96.98% RTP · +0.73 ptsQuestions
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Fear the Dark?
Fear the Dark is developed by Hacksaw Gaming and was released in 2023.
What is the RTP of Fear the Dark?
The default RTP of Fear the Dark is 96.25%. Hacksaw Gaming also supplies versions at 94.33%, 92.36%, 88.25%, so check the game's info screen at your casino.
Is Fear the Dark high volatility?
Fear the Dark is rated medium volatility. Medium volatility balances hit rate and win size.
What is the max win on Fear the Dark?
The maximum win on Fear the Dark is 5,000x your stake, which is $5,000 on a $1 spin.
Can I play Fear the Dark for free?
Yes. GambGenius members can play the official Hacksaw Gaming demo of Fear the Dark free on this page. It uses play money only, so demo wins can't be withdrawn, and it is for players aged 18 and over.
Does Fear the Dark have a bonus buy?
Yes. Fear the Dark includes a bonus buy option, although it is unavailable in some countries such as the UK.
Where can I play Fear the Dark?
Velmora carries Hacksaw Gaming games. Check Fear the Dark is in the lobby in your country before you sign up. 18+ · New customers · T&Cs apply. Availability varies by country.
Where this data comes from
- slotcatalog.com Slot database
Specs come from 1 independent slot database. Casinos can run lower-RTP versions, so always check the game rules before you play.
Game artwork © Hacksaw Gaming, shown to identify the game.
