Beast Below

A dive into danger, with just the right amount of cartoon menace

Picture yourself drifting over a dark, moody ocean, a lone boat rolling on the surface. The water below isn’t just deep — it’s downright menacing, filled with the sort of creature designs that only get sketchier and more menacing the longer you look at them. Beast Below lives up to its name, but instead of pure horror, it leans into a strange, adult-friendly cartoon style. It’s got a twisted, almost comic flair but with enough grit that it clearly isn’t for kids.

Hacksaw Gaming is behind this one, and if you know their style — think Cursed Seas or Stormforged — you’ll recognize the darker palette and quality finish. The grid itself is semi-transparent, looking like it’s held together by strands of seaweed, with high-end animation details. You’d expect a murky soundtrack in this setting, and you get exactly that; an intense, suspenseful score rolls under the action, adding tension without ever really letting you relax.

Beast Below first appeared in 2023, and it feels up to par with what you'd expect from modern slots — slick design, strong thematics, solid technicals, and a developer that knows what it’s doing with moody sea monsters.

Getting a feel for the reels

Getting started on Beast Below slot is simple. You’re working with a classic 5x4 grid — five reels, four rows — and 14 fixed paylines. There’s no fiddling with how many lines you want active; it’s straightforward, matching symbols up from left to right, just how most players like it for quick spin sessions.

Betting starts at just €0.10 a spin, perfect for getting your feet wet. You can push it much higher if you’re feeling brave or chasing those bigger multipliers. It rides right on the edge between medium and high volatility — about a 4 on a 1-to-5 scale — so sometimes you'll run cold, but there’s always that sense that something wild could drop in.

The base RTP on Beast Below is 96.29%, ticking above the industry average and giving players a fair deal on paper. Just keep an eye on that though, because on some versions the RTP can dip much lower, which is worth double-checking wherever you play. That extra volatility means the game can go quiet, then suddenly rip off a big win with just a spin or two, which keeps things exciting and tense.

Bonus rounds worth sinking your teeth into

It’s the special features where Beast Below really flexes a bit of muscle. First off, the anchor symbol acts as your regular wild — it helps complete winning lines and even pays out itself if you catch five, up to a tasty 20x your stake. But the real game-changer is the Siren Wild. When she lands, she grows to fill her whole reel, and she never shows up empty-handed; there’s always a multiplier, from a modest 2x all the way up to 200x, tagging along.

Get lucky with more than one Siren at once, and the multipliers combine, ramping up the payouts fast. Land three scatter symbols — marked ‘FS’ — to unlock the Siren’s Call Free Spins. You get 10 spins to start, and suddenly the potential for Siren Wilds goes way up. Keep an eye out for the Pink Siren, too. She’s sticky; rather than leaving after one spin, she stays and nudges her way up a spot after every round, keeping those multiplied wins alive as long as possible.

If four scatters hit, you’re headed to the Down Below Bonus Game, another 10-spin round but with a twist — now you’ve got Diver Wilds in the mix. These expand like the Siren, but with a limited three-spin battery (called Oxygen Charges). As long as they’ve got charge, they’ll move reel-to-reel, sticking around for as long as possible, bringing their own massive multipliers. This layer of moving parts brings unexpected hits and wild potential. Scatters during any free spins can retrigger, handing out two or four extra spins, so these bonus games can stretch out longer than you’d expect.

For those who like shortcuts, depending on where you play, there’s an option to instantly buy your way into a bonus feature using the Buy Bonus button — convenient if you want to skip the grind and head straight to the big stuff.

Symbols, paytable, and what actually pays

You’re not just matching letters and numbers here. The low-paying end is the usual suspects: A, K, Q, J, 10. Line up five and you’re looking at a return between 2x and 3x your stake, not groundbreaking but steady. The higher-paying symbols are all nightmare fish — angry sharks, bug-eyed pufferfish, giant eels — each boosting your wins between 5x and 10x your stake for five on a bet line.

Of course, the real juice comes from the wilds and expanding wilds with their attached multipliers. It’s possible for multipliers to combine on a single line when multiple Sirens expand, creating that classic Hacksaw Gaming potential for explosive, unexpected payouts. Animation-wise, things look sharp and polished, with even small wins popping with a bit of animation flair that never gets old.

Trying out the Beast Below demo and how to jump in

If you’re curious but don’t want to risk cash, the Beast Below demo or Beast Below free play versions let you see all these features without any commitment. All you need to do is pick your stake using the arrows next to the spin button, and click away. If you want to let it run, there’s an autoplay mode, and speed demons can use turbo spins. The paytable — covering all symbols, features, and rules — is one tap away via the info (‘i’) button near the controls.

Give it a few spins and don’t be surprised if you hit a dry spell early on; this slot is unpredictable by design, but when the sirens start landing, things can escalate fast.

How it stacks up to other dark waters slots

Players who’ve tried Razor Shark or Atlantis Megaways will spot some similarities here, but Beast Below definitely leans more into the menacing and mysterious, thanks to Hacksaw Gaming’s signature art style. If you liked the expanding wilds from Razor Returns and similar multiplier-heavy games, you’ll appreciate how high the ceiling is in Beast Below slot — but with its own original twists, especially the diver and siren mechanics.

Unlike the more playful mood of Big Bass Bonanza, this one never lets you fully relax. It's a darker take on the underwater slot formula that stands out. Fans of other Hacksaw titles like Cursed Seas or Stormforged will find familiar mechanics, but there’s just enough new here to feel different.

Final thoughts and where to swim next

Beast Below has that signature Hacksaw feel — mature, moody, and more likely to bite than float by harmlessly. The slot doesn’t bombard you with features, but what’s here packs a punch. The expanding wilds and stacking multipliers mean any spin could turn wild, while the bonus features keep things interesting and can last much longer than you’d expect if the retriggers start dropping.

For anyone who digs ocean slots with a darker flavor, this is an easy recommendation. If you’re looking for something similar, checking out Razor Shark or Cursed Seas makes sense, especially if you enjoy the tension and surprises only Hacksaw seems to deliver.