Hacksaw Gaming Experiments with Progression in Circle of Life

Hacksaw Gaming Experiments with Progression in Circle of Life

Hacksaw Gaming

Rated 95.07/100%

479 Casinos | 235 Games

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Number of games

235

Country

Malta

Founded

2018

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Hacksaw Gaming has released Circle of Life, a slot that leans heavily on continuity rather than isolated outcomes. Instead of presenting its mechanics as separate features, the game is structured around systems that develop, recede, and return, often within the same round. The design emphasizes how symbols evolve and how earlier actions influence later outcomes, creating a format that feels closer to a sequence than to a collection of spins.

The central element of the game is the Tree symbol, which serves multiple roles. On the surface, it functions as a Wild, substituting for other symbols on the grid. At the same time, each Tree carries a numerical multiplier that directly affects any winning combination it becomes part of. When more than one Tree contributes to the same win, their values are combined before being applied, shifting the focus from individual symbols to cumulative interaction.

96.75/100%

New

Play for free Play for real

RTP%

96.33

Volatility

High

Layout

5×4

Max Win

Circle of Life

Gold

0 plays

15/01/2026

Hacksaw Gaming

Wins involving a Tree symbol do not end with a payout. Instead, they trigger a Respin, during which the Tree becomes fixed in place and begins to grow vertically. This transformation turns the symbol into a Tree of Life, expanding upward one row at a time while the rest of the grid refreshes. Each additional win connected to the Tree of Life prolongs this process, allowing the symbol to continue growing until it reaches the top of the grid. The mechanic introduces a sense of direction, with progression moving visibly upward rather than resetting immediately after a result is settled.

Once the Tree of Life has fully expanded, the game introduces another layer through the Circle of Life feature. This stage activates before the grid finalizes, temporarily shifting attention away from symbol placement to the multiplier itself. A rotating selector lands on either numerical values or a terminating Skull symbol. Depending on where it stops, the existing multiplier attached to the Tree of Life is either increased by a set amount or doubled. This sequence can repeat several times, altering the final value before the Skull appears and brings the feature to a close. Only then are the resulting wins calculated, using the final multiplier total, followed by the removal of the Tree from the grid.

Free spins are accessed through FS scatter symbols, which behave differently from standard scatters. When three or more appear at the same time, each expands to cover its entire reel after wins are resolved. Every covered position contributes a small numerical value, and the total number of free spins is determined by adding these figures together. The approach avoids fixed bonus lengths and instead introduces variability based on reel coverage rather than symbol count alone.

Some of these expanded positions may convert into Upgrade symbols, which shift the bonus into more advanced forms rather than lengthening it. The structure allows the game to move from the initial free spins mode into deeper variations, depending on how these symbols align at the moment of activation.

The first of these modes, Origin, largely mirrors the base game while adjusting how progression unfolds. Tree symbols can still form Trees of Life, but Respins are no longer part of the equation. Instead, Trees that contribute to wins become sticky on subsequent free spins and remain in place as long as they continue to generate results. Fully grown Trees are removed on the following spin, maintaining movement without introducing additional cycles. Extra FS symbols can appear during the bonus, extending the session by a variable number of spins.

Eternal builds on this framework by introducing reel activation. When a Circle of Life occurs on a reel during this mode, that reel becomes active for the remainder of the bonus. An active reel guarantees the appearance of a Tree symbol on every spin, unless one is already present. This change does not alter the core mechanics but increases the frequency of Tree interactions, reinforcing the game's reliance on accumulation and persistence rather than sudden shifts.

The final stage, Rebirth, is presented as a hidden bonus and requires a higher threshold to access. It carries over all Eternal mechanics while activating additional reels from the outset. Unlike the other free spins modes, expanding FS symbols do not appear here, narrowing the focus to Tree placement, reel activation, and multiplier development.

Throughout Circle of Life, certain constraints guide how these systems interact. Tree symbols and FS symbols cannot appear on the same reel to prevent overlap between core mechanics. In the Origin and Eternal bonuses, limits are placed on how many expanding FS symbols can land in a single spin, keeping the progression measured rather than open-ended.