Fear the Dark

When you’re lying safely in your own bed, is it really so frightening not to be able to see? Somehow, for children, it is. Maybe it’s the thought of monsters under the bed or hiding in the closet, but whatever the reason, countless children around the world refuse to sleep without a light on. Hacksaw Gaming taps into this childhood fear with Fear the Dark, stepping away from the tropical vibe of Keep ’em Cool to explore a darker theme.

In Fear the Dark, Hacksaw invites us to face these fears in the company of friendly monsters. Set in a shadowy cemetery—just the kind of place most people would find unsettling at night—we’re surrounded by gravestones and iron railings barely visible through thick, gray fog. Trees stretch across the screen, while little ghosts pop up here and there, adding to the atmosphere. On the grid, we meet a variety of these supposed “friendly” monsters, accompanied by an upbeat but eerie soundtrack to tie it all together.

Fear the Dark Base Features

Fear the Dark is played on a 6×6 grid, where wins are created by matching clusters of 5 or more symbols, connected either horizontally or vertically. Symbols pay for clusters of 5, 6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-13, or 14+, starting with non-premium symbols, which are five bright white, clipart-styled icons. Clusters of 5 non-premiums pay between 0.10x and 0.30x, while clusters of 14+ pay between 12.80x and 28x the bet. Premium symbols, which include a ghost and four different monsters, pay between 0.50x and 1.50x for clusters of 5, increasing up to 40x and 120x for clusters of 14+.

The game’s main feature is Full Moon Mode, but it’s helpful to understand cascades first. After each spin, symbols in winning combinations are removed from the grid, with the remaining symbols dropping to the lowest available position on each reel. New symbols then fall from above to fill the empty spaces, and cascades continue until no new wins are formed.

Now, let’s get into Full Moon Mode. When a Moon Man Scatter symbol lands, it triggers this mode. During Full Moon Mode, between 2-5 symbols above the grid are activated and given multipliers, which apply to any wins involving those symbols while they remain active. Only high-paying symbols can be activated.

Once the grid settles with no more cascading wins, the symbol multipliers deactivate one by one from left to right. As each multiplier deactivates, all instances of that symbol are removed from the grid along with any low-paying symbols. This process continues until all symbols are deactivated, ending Full Moon Mode. A new Moon Man Scatter landing during Full Moon Mode can activate additional symbols or increase the existing multipliers.

Multiplier values in Full Moon Mode range from 2x up to 100x, including possible values like 10x, 25x, 50x, and 100x.

Fear the Dark Bonus

Landing 3 or 4 FS Scatter symbols triggers the Alone in the Dark Bonus, awarding 10 or 15 free spins. During this feature, there’s a higher chance of landing Moon Man Scatter symbols to trigger Full Moon Mode. Each FS Scatter that lands also adds +4 spins.

After all free spins are used, players enter Darkness Spins. Each time Darkness Spins begins or resets, +2 spins are awarded. Before the first Darkness Spin, the grid shrinks to 4×4, and before the second, it reduces further to 2×2. If a Moon Man Scatter symbol lands in the new grid size, Full Moon Mode activates, and Darkness Spins reset with an extra +2 spins.

If an FS Scatter symbol lands during Darkness Spins, the grid returns to its original 6×6 size, granting +4 additional spins. After these extra spins end, Darkness Spins resume until no more FS or Moon Man Scatter symbols land, at which point the feature concludes.

First Impression

Hacksaw Gaming is known for having two distinct styles. On one hand, there are titles like Keep ’em Cool, Frank’s Farm, and Pug Life. On the other, there’s the darker side, with games like Bloodthirst, RIP City, and now Fear the Dark. Both styles showcase Hacksaw’s excellent audiovisual work, though the contrast is striking.

With all the excitement focused on Full Moon Mode, the feature does a great job of keeping the base game engaging, especially with multipliers reaching up to 100x. In the bonus round, although the multipliers don’t increase, there’s a higher chance of activating the feature along with retrigger opportunities in Darkness Spins. With the right combinations, players can win up to 5,000x their bet, although remember, this is only achievable during the bonus.

Finally, Fear the Dark offers medium (3/5) volatility, with RTP options up to 96.25%, so it’s worth checking. For fans of Hacksaw Gaming, especially those who enjoy their darker side, Fear the Dark is a simple yet enjoyable experience.