Dead Man’s Trail

Dead Man’s Trail is a pirate slot from Relax Gaming that replaces the usual free spins with a board-game bonus. Three bonus symbols unfold a treasure map, and your pawn moves from tile to tile collecting cash, triggering modifiers and trying to avoid the tiles that end the hunt. With high volatility and a maximum win of 50,000x the stake, it sits alongside the Money Train games as one of the studio’s more ambitious feature designs.

This review covers the 40-line base game, the Coin Feature, how the Trail Bonus board works, what each modifier does and the RTP versions to look out for. Figures come from Relax Gaming’s official game page and independent game databases; confirm the RTP in the rules at your own casino, because more than one version exists.

Where to Play Dead Man’s Trail

Dead Man’s Trail is available at casinos that carry Relax Gaming titles. The casinos below are reviewed on BetsAuthority, accept Australian players and list Relax Gaming among their providers. Check the RTP version in the game info before depositing.

Quick Facts About Dead Man’s Trail

Parameter	Details
Slot	Dead Man’s Trail
Provider	Relax Gaming
Release	September 2021
Layout	5 reels / 4 rows
Paylines	40 fixed lines
RTP	96.29% (90% German version exists)
Volatility	High
Bet range	0.10 to 20 per spin (casino limits may differ)
Maximum win	50,000x the stake
Main feature	Trail Bonus (3+ bonus scatters)
Extras	Coin Feature, wild, Buy Feature where allowed

How Dead Man’s Trail Works

The base game runs on a 5×4 grid with 40 fixed paylines that pay from left to right. Card suits are the low-value symbols, and the premiums are pirate characters and items. According to independent paytables, premium symbols pay 5x to 30x the stake for five on a line, and a line of wilds pays 60x. The wild substitutes for all regular pay symbols.

The Coin Feature

The base game has its own small bonus, the Coin Feature. Coin symbols carry random cash values. If coins land on at least three different reels on the same spin, you win the total of all coin values in view. Coins on only one or two reels pay nothing, so most coin landings come to nothing, but the feature adds some extra value to otherwise quiet spins.

The Trail Bonus

Landing 3 or more bonus scatters opens the Trail Bonus. The screen changes to a pirate map made up of tiles, and your pawn starts at the beginning of the trail. On each turn a random number from 1 to 9 decides how many steps the pawn moves. Each tile triggers a reaction when the pawn lands on it.

• Normal tiles award a random cash prize.
• Mystery chests award one random modifier.
• The start tile triggers a reset.
• End tiles finish the bonus if the pawn lands on one.

The twist is that the board changes as you play. When the pawn leaves a normal tile or a mystery chest, that tile can become an end tile. The longer the bonus runs, the more dangerous the board becomes, until a move eventually lands on an end tile and the round is over.

Trail Bonus Modifiers

Game databases list eleven modifiers that can appear from mystery chests:

• Scout, One-Eye and Commander, characters that boost or collect tile values in different ways, each also available as a persistent version that keeps working for the rest of the bonus.
• Collector and Collect and Command, which gather values from the board.
• Reset and Super Reset, which reset the trail in the player’s favour and help extend the bonus.
• Coin Win, an instant prize of 25x to 50x the stake.

Persistent modifiers and resets are the key to big results. A persistent character found early keeps adding value on every move, and resets keep the board open so the pawn can collect more. Rounds without them can end within a few moves.

The full rules, including exactly how each character interacts with tile values, are set out in the game’s info screen. Because the bonus has so many moving parts, it is worth reading those rules once before playing, so that each modifier makes sense when it appears on the map.

Buy Feature

Where permitted, the Trail Bonus can be bought for 100x the stake. Independent reviews report a higher theoretical return of around 98% for bought bonuses. That does not reduce volatility: a bought bonus can end in a few moves and return a fraction of its cost. Bonus buys are not offered in every jurisdiction or at every casino.

RTP Versions: Check Before You Play

The standard RTP is listed at 96.29%, and Relax Gaming also publishes a 90% version for Germany. Other operators may use different settings. Because the game looks identical in every version, open the rules or info screen inside the casino and check the RTP line before playing for money.

Worked Example: A Short and a Long Trail

Imagine you trigger the bonus at A$1. On the first move the pawn travels four tiles and lands on a cash tile worth 3x. On the next move it rolls a seven and lands on a mystery chest that reveals a Coin Win of 30x. The tiles it has just left can now become end tiles. On the third move it lands on one of them, and the bonus ends with 33x, or A$33.

In a stronger round, a mystery chest might reveal a persistent modifier early, and a Reset could give the pawn more safe ground, letting it travel much further. Each extra move then collects boosted values, and totals of several hundred times the stake become possible. The difference between those two rounds is entirely down to which tiles and modifiers appear.

Bankroll Tips for Dead Man’s Trail

• Budget for at least 250 to 300 spins; the Trail Bonus can take a long time to trigger.
• Expect many bonus rounds to end early with modest totals.
• Treat bonus buys as expensive and set a firm limit before you start.
• Set loss and time limits and use your casino’s deposit limit tools.
• Remember that each spin and each move is decided by a certified random number generator.

Pros and Cons of Dead Man’s Trail

Pros	Cons
Original board-game bonus	No traditional free spins
50,000x maximum win	Bonus rounds can end after one or two moves
Persistent modifiers and resets add depth	High volatility
Coin Feature adds base game interest	Lower RTP versions exist
Buy Feature where permitted	Bonus buy at 100x is costly

Who Dead Man’s Trail Suits

Dead Man’s Trail is best for players who enjoy bonus rounds with a sense of progress and decision-free tension, where every roll of the dice could extend or end the hunt. It suits those who liked the Money Train games and want a different take on a persistent-modifier bonus. Players who prefer simple free spins and steady base game wins may find it frustrating.

Demo Play vs Real Money

Relax Gaming provides a free-play version of Dead Man’s Trail through its demo launcher and partner casinos, although availability depends on your location. The demo uses the same maths as the real game, which makes it a good way to understand how the board changes and how often bonuses end early.

For real money play, choose a licensed casino with clear RTP information, prompt verified withdrawals and responsible gambling tools. You can compare casinos in our casino reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

Responsible Gaming Note

Dead Man’s Trail is entertainment, not a way to make money. Only play if you are 18 or older, set limits before you start and stop when you reach them. If gambling stops being fun or starts to cause harm, free and confidential support is available 24/7 from Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858.

Final Verdict

Dead Man’s Trail offers something different from the usual free spins formula, with a treasure-map bonus that grows riskier with every move and a 50,000x ceiling. The Coin Feature gives the base game a little extra, and persistent modifiers and resets can turn a modest round into a big one. Volatility is high and many bonuses end quickly, so check the RTP version, try the demo first and keep your stake in proportion to your budget.