Hacksaw Gaming has delivered something genuinely fresh with 3 Cursed Chests, a pirate-themed Hold and Win slot that moves beyond the increasingly familiar 3 Pots formula by giving each chest its own distinct mechanic. It’s the kind of innovation that reminds you why the studio has built such a solid reputation in the market.

Atmosphere and Design

The presentation hits immediately. The game centres on a weathered 5×3 grid flanked by the animated figure of pirate queen Anne Bonney and her vessel, the Red Revenge. That’s the sort of thematic grounding that elevates what could be a generic treasure-hunt narrative into something with genuine character. And the soundtrack does the heavy lifting here, layering creaking ships, seagull cries, and ominous cursed tones over the action. It works because Hacksaw has resisted the temptation to overcomplicate the visuals. There’s a minimalist quality that keeps the reels readable while maintaining atmosphere.

The Mechanic That Sets It Apart

Where 3 Cursed Chests truly distinguishes itself is in how it handles the three-pots concept. Rather than having each pot simply collect values like we’ve seen elsewhere, each of the three coloured chests unlocks a completely different bonus feature. Only one activates per spin when matching pot symbols charge it up. That creates genuine decision-making around which feature might be most valuable in any given moment.

The green chest delivers Cursed Wilds Re-spins packed with both Wilds and multipliers ranging from 2x to 100x, creating the potential for unusually strong payouts when multiple multipliers stack. The red chest triggers a Hold and Win style feature with sticky coin symbols valued up to 1,000x stake. The blue chest awards free spins, with Treasure Cove and Ghostly Gallows bonus rounds available depending on symbol combinations. Ghostly Gallows is where features trigger more frequently and chain together, which is where the 2,500x potential sits.

The Numbers

The bet range spans $0.05 to $400, making it genuinely accessible regardless of your staking preference. The 96.30% RTP sits just above industry average, and medium volatility means bonus rounds trigger regularly enough to keep momentum going without overstating the variance. That last point matters more than it might sound. Extended play sessions are where many players find their entertainment value, and this design philosophy reflects that.

Hacksaw has managed something worth noting here. They’ve taken a mechanic that’s become increasingly commonplace and introduced enough genuine variety that it feels like progress rather than iteration. That’s the sort of creative thinking that keeps the market moving forward.