Deadwood
Deadwood brings Nolimit City’s bounty hunters to a lawless frontier town, with quick-draw gunslingers and sheriff badges at the centre of the action. Released in May 2020, it was built around the studio’s xNudge mechanic: tall Hunter Wilds that nudge into view and gain a bigger multiplier with every step.
Compared with Nolimit City’s later titles, Deadwood hits more often. Nolimit City gives it an Extreme volatility rating (one step below Insane), a hit frequency of over 40% and a maximum win of 13,950x the bet. This review explains the base game, the Shoot Out feature and the free spins choices, using the figures published on Nolimit City’s official game page.
Where to Play Deadwood
Deadwood is available at casinos that carry the Nolimit City catalogue. The casinos below list Nolimit City among their providers, accept Australian players and are reviewed on BetsAuthority. Confirm the RTP in the game info before you deposit.
Quick Facts About Deadwood
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Slot | Deadwood |
| Provider | Nolimit City |
| Release | 6 May 2020 |
| Layout | 5 reels in a 3-4-4-4-3 shape |
| RTP | 96.03% (provider figure; lower versions may exist) |
| Volatility | Extreme (Nolimit City rating) |
| Hit frequency | 40.17% |
| Minimum bet | 0.20 per spin (maximum set by the casino) |
| Maximum win | 13,950x the bet |
| Free spins frequency | About 1 in 197 spins |
| Mechanics | xNudge Hunter Wilds, Shoot Out |
| Bonus buy | Yes, where allowed |
How Deadwood Works
Deadwood uses five reels in a 3-4-4-4-3 layout, and wins are formed by matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left. The low-paying symbols are card ranks from 10 to A, while the premium symbols follow the western theme. With a hit frequency of 40.17%, wins land on roughly two spins in five, which is high for a Nolimit City game and makes the base game feel steadier than many of the studio’s titles.
Hunter xNudge Wilds
The bounty hunters appear as Hunter Wilds, four rows tall. When part of one lands, it always nudges until it is fully visible, and every nudge adds 1 to its multiplier. If more than one Hunter Wild contributes to the same line win, their multipliers are added together to form a total wild multiplier. Two wilds that each nudge three times, for example, combine into a meaningful multiplier on that win.
The Shoot Out Feature
Landing two Sheriff badges activates Shoot Out. All low-paying symbols, A through 10, on the middle reels become wilds for that spin, which can fill the centre of the grid with substitutes. In the base game this is one of the main sources of bigger wins outside the bonus.
Free Spins: Hunter or Gunslinger
Three scatters award a choice between two bonus modes, each with 8 free spins:
- Hunter Spins guarantee that at least one Hunter Wild lands on every spin, with the multiplier rising for each nudge. This is the steadier option.
- Gunslinger Spins are the more volatile route. Every nudge increases a win multiplier that has no upper limit and stays for the entire bonus, so late spins can be worth far more than early ones.
If you land the two Sheriff badges together with three scatters, you get Shoot Out free spins in the mode of your choice, with all low symbols on the middle reels acting as wilds. Two Sheriff badges landing during a normal free spins round also upgrade it to the Shoot Out version.
Bonus Buy
Where permitted, the Nolimit Bonus lets you buy straight into free spins. Review sites list the regular bonus at about 71x the bet and the Shoot Out version at about 750x. The option can be removed in some regulated markets, and prices are shown in the game’s buy menu, so check there before you buy.
RTP Versions: Check Before You Play
Nolimit City publishes an RTP of 96.03% for Deadwood. Like most of the studio’s games, lower configurations are available to operators, with versions around 94% reported. The only reliable check is the RTP line in the game info at your casino.
Worked Example: Hunter vs Gunslinger
Picture a free spins round at A$1 per spin. In Hunter Spins, a wild nudging three steps gives a 3x multiplier on that spin’s win, but the count starts again on the next spin. In Gunslinger Spins, those three nudges are added to a running multiplier that stays. If another wild nudges twice on spin five, the total rises to 5x for every win after that. Gunslinger can therefore produce much bigger rounds, but also more rounds that end with little, because the multiplier only matters if later spins actually win.
Bankroll Tips for Deadwood
- Deadwood’s higher hit rate stretches a budget further than many Nolimit games, but free spins still land only about once every 197 spins.
- Pick Hunter Spins if you prefer steadier bonus results and Gunslinger if you can accept more variance.
- Treat the Shoot Out bonus buy as a high-cost, high-risk purchase.
- Set loss and time limits and use your casino’s deposit limit tools.
Deadwood Compared With Other Nolimit City Westerns
Nolimit City has returned to the Wild West several times, and the differences show how the studio’s maths has changed. Deadwood, from 2020, has a 40.17% hit frequency, Extreme volatility and a 13,950x cap. Tombstone RIP, released in 2022, goes to the other extreme: a hit frequency of just 9.08%, an Insane volatility rating, the xRIP rule that voids wins below the stake, and a 300,000x maximum. If you like the setting but want shorter gaps between wins and less dramatic swings, Deadwood is the gentler choice. If you are chasing the largest possible result and can accept very long losing runs, the later game is built for that.
Pros and Cons of Deadwood
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| High 40.17% hit frequency | Lower 13,950x max win than newer Nolimit games |
| Choice of two free spins modes | Free spins still take around 200 spins on average |
| Unlimited multiplier in Gunslinger Spins | Gunslinger rounds can pay very little |
| Shoot Out wilds in base game and bonus | Bonus buy not available everywhere |
| Good entry point to xNudge | Lower RTP versions exist |
Demo Play vs Real Money
Nolimit City offers a free Deadwood demo on its own site, using the same maths as the real game. At the time of writing, the official demo did not load from an Australian connection. If a demo is available to you, try both free spins modes to see which suits your style before staking money.
For real-money play, choose a casino that shows the RTP clearly, pays out on time and provides limit tools. See our casino reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nolimit City lists the RTP of Deadwood at 96.03%. Some casinos use lower configurations, so check the game info before you play.
The maximum win is 13,950x the bet.
The Hunter Wild is four rows high and always nudges until it is fully visible. Each nudge adds 1 to its multiplier, and multipliers from several wilds in the same win are added together.
Both give 8 free spins. Hunter Spins guarantee at least one Hunter Wild per spin, while Gunslinger Spins use a win multiplier that has no upper limit and stays for the whole round.
Two Sheriff badges turn the low-paying A to 10 symbols on the middle reels into wilds. Landing them with 3 scatters gives Shoot Out free spins.
Responsible Gaming Note
Deadwood is a game for entertainment. Only play if you are 18 or older, set limits before you start and stop when you reach them. If gambling is no longer fun, free and confidential support is available 24/7 from Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858.
Final Verdict
Deadwood is one of the more accessible Nolimit City slots. The Hunter xNudge Wilds are easy to understand, Shoot Out adds a second feature to the base game, and the choice between Hunter and Gunslinger Spins lets you pick your own level of risk. The 13,950x cap is modest by the studio’s later standards, but the high hit rate makes sessions less punishing. Check the RTP at your casino and play within a set budget.
