Our rating:
Developer: Hacksaw Gaming
Release date: 7th Sep 2023
Densho Slot - Screenshot
RTP: 96.33%
Max Payout: 10,000x stake
Volatility: Medium-High
Min Bet: 0.10
Max Bet: 100.00
Reels: 5
Paylines: 10
Theme: Oriental
Jackpot: No

Densho

Paul Clare
Reviewed by Paul Clare Last updated:

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to combine traditional Japanese watercolour art with slot machines? Me, too! Well, it looks like Hacksaw Gaming has pulled it off with Densho. Through dreamy red, pink and purple hazes, this 5x4 slot takes you on a journey through ancient Japan. With an RTP of 96.33% and a 10,000x max win, you might never want to come back.

Full review continued below ↓

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Our Rating

“A masterpiece of a slot. Arigato, Hacksaw Gaming.”

4.1 out of 5

Features
7/10
Design
10/10
Gameplay
8/10
Win potential
7.5/10

Densho Screenshots

  • Densho Slot - Screenshot 1
  • Densho Slot - Screenshot 2
  • Densho Slot - Screenshot 3
  • Densho Slot - Screenshot 4

Densho Features

It’s worth mentioning right off the katana that the max win could be within reach, both in the base game and bonus games and your quest starts off with staking between 10p and £100. My Japanese is too rusty to explain the literal meanings of the low-pay symbols, but it doesn’t matter as these Japanese alphabet symbols all pay out the same. 

Your high pays consist of different watercolour symbols. The Bridge and Stalk symbols are both worth the same, then it’s the intimidating owl, followed by the Geisha and then finally the Samurai symbol. 5 of a kind can pocket you anywhere between 10 to 20 times the stake. 

Wilds come in the form of a three-mountain watercolour symbol, and they can substitute for any paying symbol on 1 of the 10 paylines, and if 5 Wilds land, players win 20x their stake. 

Densho Multipliers

Provided it’ll form part of a winning combination, when a Densho symbol lands, it expands to cover the entire reel and serves as a wild multiplier. 

There are 3 types of Densho Multiplier. There’s the Common Densho symbol—a crow with a single dot beneath it, which can multiply players’ wins by up to 10x. The Rare Densho symbol is a crow with 2 dots beneath it—can be worth between 5x - 50x your bet. Finally, the Legendary Denshos take the form of a crow with 3 dots and these can multiply players' wins from 10x to 100x.

Bonus Game & Free Spins

Scatter symbols consist of two fish that form what seems to be a letter ‘S’. 3 of them need to land for you to gain entry to the Bonus Game, which starts you off with 10 free spins

During the standard bonus round, you’ll notice there are dots above each reel. These are the Densho Symbol Progression Trackers, and the number of dots corresponds to the minimum value of Densho symbol permitted to land on that reel. 

For instance, if a reel has been upgraded to having two dots, it won’t see any Densho symbols less valuable than the Rare Densho, and any Upgrade symbols—looks like a cross or lower-case ‘T’—that land on a reel will upgrade the Densho Symbol Progression Tracker above it.

If you land 2 or 3 more Scatter symbols, you’ll be given 2 and 4 extra spins, respectively. It’s worth noting that if you enter the bonus game via 4 Scatter symbols, you enter the Super Bonus Game, where you start with the same 10 free spins, but your Densho Symbol Progression Trackers start off at level 2!

If you’re outside of the UK, you might be able to buy direct access to the Bonus and Super Bonus games. You can choose to either bet 3x your stake to increase your chances of triggering the bonus by 5x, or you can increase your bet by 100x to automatically trigger the standard Bonus Game. You can even bet 250x to guarantee access to the Super Bonus round. There’s also the option to increase your bet by 50x to guarantee 2 Densho symbols.

Densho - Densho Multipliers

Densho Multipliers

As long as they’ll form part of a winning combo, falling Crow symbols expand to cover entire reels and transform into Geishas, potentially multiplying players’ wins by 100x!

Densho - Free Spins & Super Free Spins

Free Spins & Super Free Spins

Land 3 or 4 Scatter symbols to gain access to the Bonus and Super Bonus Games, where players benefit from 10 free spins and can potentially increase the value of any Densho multipliers via the Densho Symbol Progression Tracker.

Densho - Densho Symbol Progression Tracker

Densho Symbol Progression Tracker

Look out for Upgrade symbols and watch the value of any potential Densho symbols increase, upping your chances of hitting that massive 100x multiplier.

Densho Review

Hacksaw Gaming will certainly be turning a few heads with this slot. Even if traditional Japanese watercolours aren’t your thing, you won’t be able to deny that this is one of the most visually impressive slots you’ve seen for a while. The fact that you can potentially win the 10,000x max within both the base and bonus games has us thinking Densho might be more than just a pretty face.

Design

The 5x4 layout is nice and simple, but the traditional Japanese watercolour motif is absolutely stunning. Watching the hazy everchanging backdrops is like being taken around a Japanese art gallery while on valium. The music is in keeping with the visuals and is as exotic and relaxing as you’d expect. Moreover, players will be treated to random changes in tempo just to make sure they don’t drift off and start dreaming of Samurais and Geishas.

Game Play

In contrast to the visuals, the gameplay isn’t particularly original. Hacksaw Gaming fans will find Densho’s mechanics similar to Beast Below and Temple of Torment. That isn’t to say the gameplay is boring, though. The developer’s approach seems to be one of ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’. The allure of the Geishas of the expanding Densho multipliers makes it hard to disagree with that sentiment.

Win Potential

Another aspect that stands out is the win potential. Whether you’re in the base game, Free Spins or Super Frees Spins Bonus rounds, you’re always in with a chance of landing that max win of 10,000x your stake. With a decent RTP of 96%, further spins are hard to resist but watch out for that medium-high volatility.

Our Verdict

With Decent gameplay and incredible presentation, Hacksaw Gaming is on to a winner with Densho. Hopefully, you will be too. Apart from a lack of originality with respect to the gameplay, there’s little one can hold against this fantastic slot

Play Densho at these slot sites

Jump straight into the action and play Densho now at the following fully licenced UK slot sites. These slot sites have been thoroughly audited and reviewed by the team here at Slot Gods to ensure they offer an exceptional user experience, are trustworthy, safe, secure, and boast the best selection of online slots in their portfolio including Densho...