Dark Summoning Slot Review

Dark Summoning Slot Overview

Dark Summoning from Hacksaw Gaming is a horror slot that leans fully into satanic ritual rather than playful Halloween. The game runs on a 5 reel, 6 row, 24 payline layout, launched in December 2023 and built around Super Cascades, wild multipliers and two contrasting free spin modes. As soon as I loaded it, the pairing of cultist skeleton and horned demon flanking the grid set the tone for something properly sinister.

Gameplay-wise, Dark Summoning feels like one of Hacksaw’s more ambitious efforts, closer to their heavier titles than the cute stuff. Everything circles around collecting Unholy symbols, manipulating wilds and chasing those big multi hits. From my perspective as a regular high volatility player, the mix of steady small chains from the cascades and sudden eruptions in the bonuses gives it a very punchy stop–start rhythm.

Dark Summoning Slot Details and Math Model

Dark Summoning is played on a 5x6 grid with 24 fixed paylines, paying left to right from the first reel when you land at least three matching symbols. Stakes start at 10p and climb to £100 per spin, which suits both cautious testing and proper high-roller shells. The default RTP is 96.36%, but there are lower settings of 94.34%, 92.22% and 88.28%, so I always check the paytable first.

Volatility is rated 4 out of 5, so I treat it as a high variance slot even though the hit rate sits around 29% to 29.75%. That means a win roughly every three to four spins, often small chains from the Super Cascade, while the real money tends to come when multipliers line up in the bonus rounds. The max win of 10,666x the bet is reachable in base game, Trial by Hellfire or Rise to Salvation.

Theme, Audio and Symbols in Dark Summoning

The presentation in Dark Summoning is classic Hacksaw horror. The reels are framed by an ancient stone doorway, with hellfire glowing behind and the two demonic hosts looming either side. In the base game the soundtrack leans towards moody rock, then kicks into heavier metal during Trial by Hellfire and goes almost otherworldly during Rise to Salvation. Creepy gongs, demonic laughter and distant screams tie it all together very neatly.

Symbol-wise, the low pays are 10, J, Q, K and A, paying 0.2x for three, 0.5x for four and 1x for five of a kind. Premiums are bloody scissors, flies, crows, an eye-in-pyramid symbol and the goat skull Baphomet. Five-of-a-kind premiums pay between 2.5x and 10x your stake, with Baphomet at the top. That Baphomet line is the one I always watch for during boosted wild sequences in both base game and bonuses.

Wild symbols sit on all reels and can form their own winning lines worth 30x for five, as well as standing in for any regular pay symbol. There are two wild variants, blue and red, tied to the different bonuses rather than any real behavioural change. The slot runs on HTML5, so on my phone and tablet it keeps the same sharp artwork and animation, with the 16:9 desktop layout scaling down cleanly to portrait or landscape.

Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	5	x10
	4	x2
	3	x1
	5	x5
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.8
	5	x5
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.8
	5	x2.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.5
	5	x2.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.5
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	5	x1
	4	x0.5
	3	x0.2
	Wild
	5	x30
	Scatter

Bonus Features in Dark Summoning

Dark Summoning leans heavily on its features. Super Cascade removes every instance of a winning symbol type, not just those in the line, then drops new symbols in and can chain multiple times. Wild Multipliers are central to the slot, with blue wilds in base game and Rise to Salvation, red wilds in Trial by Hellfire, and potential multipliers ranging from 2x up to 100x, summed together when several join the same winning combo.

Will of the Order triggers when an Order symbol lands, turning itself and 1 to 9 random positions into wilds, sometimes with multipliers. Unholy symbols are collected when they land with a win, or instantly if three hit at once. Three collected starts Trial by Hellfire with 10 free spins where wins mark Hellfire positions, then an Unholy symbol converts every marked spot into wilds in a Fires of Hell sequence. If the third Unholy arrives while an Order symbol is present, you instead get Rise to Salvation, also 10 spins, with cascades running upwards and persistent Lost Soul symbols that either build a global multiplier or award 10x to 666x cash prizes. Outside the UK there is a Bonus Buy menu for FeatureSpins, direct Hellfire entry and direct Salvation entry.

Bonus Buy Feature

BonusHunt FeatureSpins Each spin is 5 times more likely to trigger a bonus game.
Feature Cost:	x3 Bet
RTP:	96.33%
Volatility:	High
Trial By Hellfire 10 free spins in the Trial by Hellfire bonus game.
Feature Cost:	x130 Bet
RTP:	96.36%
Volatility:	High
Rise To Salvation You can buy 10 Rise To Salvation spins for 250x your bet.
Feature Cost:	x250 Bet
RTP:	96.42%
Volatility:	High

How to Play Dark Summoning for Real Money

When I sit down with Dark Summoning for real money, I first check the RTP version in the info panel and make sure it is the 96.36% setting. Then I pick a stake that lets me ride out dry spells, usually somewhere between 0.20 and 1% of my bankroll per spin. From there it is a case of spinning, letting the Super Cascades do their work, and deciding whether to grind into bonuses naturally or, where allowed, use BonusHunt or direct buys.

Dark Summoning Slot Verdict

From my time with Dark Summoning, this feels like one of Hacksaw’s stronger horror efforts, both visually and mechanically. The split between Trial by Hellfire and Rise to Salvation works well, with Hellfire giving explosive wild screens and Salvation offering that slow build with Lost Souls and a climbing multiplier. It will not suit anyone who dislikes high volatility, but if you enjoy tense sessions with 100x multipliers in play, it is well worth a spin.

Screenshots