Hacksaw Gaming

Fear the Dark

Slots Video Slots Halloween Horror Darkness Clown Animals Monsters Ghost

Playful graveyard horror driven by temporary symbol multipliers

Reel Modifiers appears on 213 of the 26,645 games in our catalog, Fear the Dark among them.

SlotRanker Score

/ 99

05099

The SlotRanker Score is calculated from the visible data below. It is not affected by affiliate deals, and it cannot be bought.

How this score is built

RTP

94.33%

return to player

Volatility

Medium volatility

variance

Max win

5,000×

top multiplier

Min bet

$0.10

per spin

Reels

6 lines

Player rating

4.2 ★

7 votes

DEMO Play free, no signup

Hacksaw Gaming

Embed on your site

4.2 / 5

7 ratings

User ratings are shown separately from the Slot Score unless stated otherwise.

Five weighted signals shape the composite. Four context signals refine ties. See how we rate for the full methodology.

Payouts & RTP6/10

RTP 94.33% → 6.0/10

Volatility8/10

medium → 8.0/10

Win Potential7.4/10

x5000.00 (5000×) → 7.4/10

Features10/10

18 features → 10.0/10

Game Mechanics8.6/10

f=18 r=6 p=n/a → 8.6/10

Context signals (tie-breakers)

Layout5/10

6x6 → 5.0/10

Bet Flexibility6/10

0.1–100 (×1000) → 6.0/10

Provider Reputation6.6/10

provider avg 6.6 → 6.6/10

Popularity2.5/10

synthetic proxy → 2.5/10

Popularity blends real player search demand (~30 markets) with a catalogue-derived proxy; games without measurable search demand use the proxy alone. Not live play telemetry.

Cite this score

SlotRanker Score: 67 — Fear the Dark by Hacksaw Gaming

https://slotranker.com/hacksaw-gaming/fear-the-dark#score

How to cite

Slot Summary

Fear the Dark fills the space between a graveyard horror slot and Hacksaw Gaming's earlier, more playful Pocketz style. Released in April 2023, it uses cluster wins and Cascading drops on a 6x6 Grid, but the distinguishing turn comes when Random multipliers attach to selected premium symbols. Removing those symbols can restart the drop sequence, while Free Spins eventually contract the playable Grid and force the feature toward an ending.

How It Plays

Cluster Pays replace ordinary paylines. Five or more matching symbols must connect horizontally or vertically, and each successful cluster is removed before new symbols drop into the Grid.

A Scatter Symbol can activate temporary multipliers on selected premium symbols. When the Cascading sequence stops, those multipliers expire individually and remove associated symbols before another drop.

Theme & Atmosphere

Horror, Ghost, Monsters, and Darkness define the abandoned graveyard setting, but the character treatment keeps the tone closer to macabre comedy than severe horror.

The setting does not depend on Halloween alone. Moonlit cemetery imagery and cartoon creatures give the game a recognizable identity throughout the year.

Halloween Horror Darkness Clown Animals Monsters Ghost

Features & Win Potential

Random multiplier values attach to selected high-paying symbols and apply whenever those symbols form a Cluster Pays win. Reel Modifiers therefore affect specific symbol groups rather than every payout.

Remove Symbols works with Cascading after active multipliers expire. Low-paying and associated premium symbols leave the Grid, creating fresh positions without requiring a new paid spin.

Free Spins 6 Reels Multiplier Scatter Symbol Wild Symbol Cascading Cluster Pays Medium volatility Reel Modifiers Bonus Buy Symbol Swap Additional Free Spins RTP range Avalanche Colossal Reels Grid Random multiplier Remove Symbols

Bonus & Free Spins

Free Spins increase the chance of activating the Random multiplier sequence, while Additional Free Spins can extend the round when the required Scatter Symbol lands.

After the standard Free Spins are consumed, the Grid contracts in stages. Bonus Buy options can provide direct access to the feature or change the likelihood of its triggers.

Spec sheet

Fear the Dark at a glance.

Identity

Slot nameFear the Dark

StudioHacksaw Gaming

Released4/13/2023

Math

SlotRanker Score67

RTP94.33%

VolatilityMedium volatility

Max win5,000×

Bet range$0.10 – $100.00

Player rating4.2 / 5 · 7 votes

Format

Reels6

Paylines6

Layout6x6

Expected average based on this slot's 94.33% RTP — individual sessions vary with volatility.

Bet per spin

Spins per hour400

Session length (hours)

Cost per hour$2.27

Cost per session$2.27

Estimate only, for entertainment purposes — treat gambling as entertainment, not a way to make money, and set a budget you can afford to lose.

How long could a bankroll last on Fear the Dark? We simulate thousands of sessions from this game's published RTP and volatility — the long-run math, not a prediction of your next spin.

Bankroll ($)Bet per spin ($)Speed

Volatility tier: Medium

Running simulation…

How this works

Each simulated spin either misses or returns a win drawn from a log-normal distribution, with the hit rate and spread set by the slot's volatility tier (Medium). The model is calibrated so the average return equals this slot's published RTP (94.33%), with wins capped at its top multiplier (5,000×).

This is a simplified, parametric model of the game's math — not its real paytable. It exists to make the house edge visible over many sessions, so the numbers above are averages across thousands of runs, never a forecast of one.

This is math, not a prediction. Real sessions vary wildly, and no strategy changes a game's built-in house edge. Play for fun, set limits, and never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Where to play Fear the Dark

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Compare Fear the Dark with other games

	Fear the Dark Score 67This game	Phantom Multiplier Score 83	Haunted House Score 82	House of Fun Score 66	Halloween Wins 2 Score 66
Identity
Studio	Hacksaw Gaming	Advant Play	Habanero	Betsoft	Red Rake Gaming
Released	4/13/2023	9/2/2024	3/15/2014	8/15/2011	10/7/2024
Math
RTP	94.33%	97.07%	96.14%	94.96%	95.3%
Volatility	Medium volatility	Medium/High	Medium/High	Medium volatility	Medium volatility
Max win	5,000×	—	—	—	2,585×
Format
Reels	6	5	5	5	5
Layout	6x6	5x3	5x3	5x3	5x3
Paylines	6	9	25	30	50
Min bet	0.1	0.1	0.01	0.02	0.2
Max bet	100	100	5000	150	35
Features
Progressive	—	—	✓	—	—
Wild symbol	✓	✓	✓	—	✓
Free spins	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Scatter symbol	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Multiplier	✓	✓	✓	—	—
Bonus game	—	—	—	✓	✓
Respins	—	—	—	—	✓

Every number is shown as a delta against Fear the Dark.

Comparing against

Fear the Dark

Hacksaw Gaming

RTP

94.33%

Max win

5,000×

Score

+ Bonus Game− Wild− Multiplier

+ Bonus Game+ Respins− Multiplier

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01How are wins formed in Fear the Dark?

Matching clusters of at least five symbols pay when their positions touch horizontally or vertically, after which winning symbols are removed through Cascading.

02What does the Random multiplier feature do?

Selected premium symbols receive multipliers that apply to matching wins. As multipliers expire, related symbols are removed and replacement symbols fall into the Grid.

03What happens after the regular Free Spins end?

The Grid contracts through smaller configurations, giving the Scatter Symbols limited chances to restore the main Free Spins state before the Bonus Game ends.

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