Densho Slot Review (Hacksaw Gaming)

This 100 Spin test was updated by Steve Madgwick on 22/09/2023

The Spin Test criteria can be found at the bottom of the page

Test Comments

Fist things first, this was not a typical test. In fact, I was thinking about ignoring this one and doing another realistic one, but to stay true to the process over hundreds of reviews I have to take this first exactly the same way as if it had been a disaster!

The first winning spin of this test came on the 7th spin, when three scatter landed and 10 free spins were awarded - The bonus round proceeded to pay a MONSTER 482.1x and set up a guaranteed profitable 100 spin test. And indeed it did, although not a lot happened after as one might expect.

The final session RTP was an incredible 494.1%, and with just 19 wins in total over the test the average winning spin paid 26x stake - However, that number is plainly hugely skewed by he bonus win, so wif we strip that out, and consider the remaining 18 wins, it actually comes out at a below stake 0.66x, a stark reminder of the potential reality of slot games.

bear this mind, when trying this slot out.

Game Data was collected by - Andrej Trajkovski

The word Densho is new to me so after a Google I discovered that it means ‘to pass onto future generations’ or ‘to leave a legacy’ which is a notable concept. This is one of the most stunning-looking slot games I've played and it has been woven in with a great theme and story. 

There are 2 Free Spin rounds available and these include a nifty, new progression tracker which monitors your 3 Densho Symbol activity while you spin. 

Don't go anywhere or you’ll miss all the details of this new release. Right, let's go!

Slot Game Data Table Slot Review

Graphics, Music, and Sound Effects

The designer has done a marvellous job in creating a gorgeous zen-like experience. The imagery is made up of graceful watercolour paintings in hues of gentle pink and grey with a cream-coloured textured paper-style background.

The music and sound effects match the soothing vibe and the music has a meditative effect due to its sounds of nature. Sound effects include percussion and wind instruments played alongside the gentle drums.

Complete slot review by: - Jenny Mason

At OLBG we write slot games reviews that include up-to-date info about essential features such as themes, paylines, reels, bet range, and bonuses. Stay with us to find out about my first impressions and expert opinion.

Theme – Japan

This game really does stand out from the crowd when it comes to design. It scores 10 out of 10 for being aesthetically pleasing. The background image shows various recognisable images of Japan such as temples, dragons, and cherry blossom trees that delicately fade in and out of focus. The sound effects include the uplifting sounds of birdsong. When you enter the free spins round the colours change to a more autumnal palette and you can see fallen petals twirling across your screen

On the reels you’ll discover more Japan-inspired imagery. Higher-value symbols include a Samurai, a Geisha, an owl, a crane and a bridge with the moon in the background. The lower-paying symbols are made up of four language symbols.

All of the special symbols contain a gentle nature-themed style. The music and sound effects all relate to the natural world which makes the entire venture almost meditational.

Reels

Densho comes with the traditional 5 reels and 4 rows setup.

Paylines

You can land winning symbols on 10 non-adjustable paylines. It’s worth noting that the Wild Symbol is a paying symbol too.

RTP

Just in case you’re not familiar with RTP, or to give it, its full name, Return to Player, here’s a quick explanation. It’s a way of predicting how much of a player’s stakes will be returned to them over the long term. It’s always a percentage and usually comes in somewhere between 94% and 96%. The Densho slot game RTP exceeds the average at 96.40%.

Like most providers, Hacksaw Gaming offers various RTPs to operator sites. I’ve already mentioned the highest rate of 96.40% but they also offer rates of 94.38%, 92.33% and 88.34%.

You’ll find a range of RTPs at different operator sites.  To save you the task of searching we’ve collected RTPs from some of the top UK online casinos and added them to the table below.

Don’t forget that there’s more than RTP to think about when considering which site to play at. There are many other factors such as welcome bonuses and deals, games, options for payments and customer support. You can read our casino reviews to analyse these factors plus many more.

If you like playing more than one slot game you should check out this page we created with the slot sites we recommend. These sites feature literally hundreds of games that you can play immediately if you’re in the UK.  

Stake Range

The stake range is pretty wide for the Densho game and it starts at £0.10 and goes right up to £100. 

Max Win

The max win for the Densho slot game is a decent 10,000x your total stake which is a significant amount.

Wild Symbol

The Wild Symbol for the Densho game is represented by a relaxing mountain scene in natural browns and oranges. The Wild Symbol substitutes for all other paying symbols. 

Free Spins

You have two Free Spins Bonus Features for this game. Firstly, there’s the Free Spins round which introduces the idea of Progression Trackers which you’ll find at the top of each reel.  Here you’ll see 3 circles representing the 3 types of Densho Symbols available. These are the Common Densho, the Rare Densho and the most lucrative - the Legendary Densho.  Your current level displayed shows the minimum quality of Densho Symbols that can land on the reel. If you trigger something called the ‘Upgrade Symbol’ this fills up the corresponding Progress Tracker which is fantastic. Plus, this increases the minimum value Densho Symbol that is possible on that particular reel. You can also score retriggers here. If you land 2 FS symbols you’ll get an extra 2 spins, 3 FS Symbols will give you 4 extra spins. 

Next up, is the Super Free Spins round. Here your Progression Trackers will already be set at level 2 to give you a leg-up. This guarantees you Rare Densho symbols at a minimum. Like the Free Spins round, retriggers can be earned by landing the relevant number of FS symbols.

Jackpot

Densho, like most modern-day slot games, doesn't have a jackpot. However, if jackpots are what you're into you should visit our page with the best jackpot slot games.

Play Experience & First Impressions

This game certainly gives the wow effect when you play it for the first time. Visually, it’s a lovely-looking slot. 

Expert verdict by: Jenny Mason

The Densho game was a joy to review due to the graceful graphics and sounds. The stunning watercolour design makes it one of the most original slots I’ve played in a while. It was certainly my most relaxing slot-playing experience to date, the calm experience matches well with the design. It definitely ticks the box of being something different and is miles away from the many Asian-inspired games currently on the market. I’m usually a fan of Hacksaw Gaming’s more gothic, darker slots such as Rotten, Bloodthirsty or Cursed Seas. Densho is completely different in design and is very innovative.

With an RTP at the higher end of the range at 96.40% this is the highest I've seen in a while which is great if find a site you enjoy with this top rate. Also, the 10,000x max win is a decent number and stands out well amongst other games out there.

Now I’ll cover the biggie i.e. the features. The Wild Mulpiter Reels are fun and are something Hacksaw Gaming is well-known for. In this game, any Densho Symbols that pop up expand into Wild Multiplier Reels if they pass through one or more win lines upon expanding. These are great when they get triggered. The 3 Densho Symbols have the following values - Common Densho multiplies wins by 2x-10x,  Rare Densho multiplies between 5x and 50x. And finally, the Legendary Densho boosts payline wins by up to 100x which is pretty impressive. If you manage to trigger more than one Densho symbol as part of the same winning combo, their values are added up before a payout calculation. It’s worth noting that during the Free Spins round, I really enjoyed triggering the Upgrade Symbol as it then increased the Multiplier Reel multipliers which was exciting.

This slot tells a lovely story albeit one with a much softer tone than other slot games on offer. It was certainly beautiful but the features didn't really stand out - although elements of them were fun. The big question is would I play it again? And this is a definitive yes. I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing experience so I will be playing again soon.

Densho slot review was written by the OLBG Slots Content Team, beginning with Andrej Trajkovski, who has worked in the online gambling industry since 2013, playing and reviewing online slots and casinos daily for the past four years. 

Contributing to the review was Jake Ashton, a slots fan who is also part of the casino and sports betting team here at OLBG and Jenny Mason with Online Casino, Bingo and Slots Experience from over 15 years in the industry. 

The review is Fact Checked by William Westerlund, an online casino expert reviewing casinos and slots for over five years, and published by Steve Madgwick, our Editor-In-Chief with over 18 years of experience creating and managing high-quality sports betting and Casino content for OLBG & multiple other publications and a self-confessed online slots fans who has played at 100's of the best slot sites online and completes the Spin tests.

100 Spin Test Criteria

The 100 Spins test is undertaken on a demo slot, staking 100 spins at £1 per spin

Session RTP - Return to the player after 100 spins - Eg, A return of £45 from 100 spins is 45%, or a return of £107 is 107%

Win Frequency - A winning spins to spins frequency, higher frequency regardless of prize, is often more entertaining.

• 0-10 Very Low
• 11-15 Low
• 16-30 Medium
• 21-35 High
• 36+ Very High

Biggest Base Game Win  - Highest single base game spin winning value

Spins to Bonus - How many spins were completed before the main bonus round was achieved

Bonus Paid - Value of bonus once complete

Time Taken  - How long did the 100 spins take to complete?