Diamond of a slot
Just about everything Hacksaw Gaming rolls out is pure gold. 3 Cursed Chests, however, is a diamond.
magic starts early
The magic starts early with the intro sequence, which the Malta-based studio shared in a screen grab earlier this month on X to preview the slot’s release on Wednesday:
On the 3 Cursed Chests demo live now on VSO, the weather-beaten map transforms into a simple 5×3 grid flanked by animated pirate queen Anne Bonney and her feared vessel Red Revenge.
This rich, pirate-themed artwork sets the haunted treasure island atmosphere perfectly, complete with a top soundtrack including creaking ships, the cries of seagulls, breaking waves, and mysterious cursed tones.
Immersive, yet on-point with minimalist visuals, the slot’s base game is intriguing enough already, but prepare to be blown away by Hacksaw’s fresh new twist on the increasingly popular 3 Pots mechanic.
Twisty chests
While Push Gaming’s 3 Magic Pots slot is shortlisted for an SBC Americas 2026 Game of the Year award and uses three standalone free spins features tied to the titular pots, 3 Cursed Chests is a superior multi-mechanics beast.
The fresh twist on the 3 Pots mechanic centers on the cleverly animated red and blue chests sitting atop the reels. Instead of the cursed trio simply collecting values, each chest unlocks a completely different mechanic. These are activated when pot symbols in the three colors land and charge their corresponding chest. Only one charged chest can activate per spin.
The green chest holds Cursed Wilds Re-spins, and awards a re-spin feature filled with both Wilds and Wild Multipliers – with the latter ranging from 2x to 100x your stake and leading to unusually strong payouts when multiple multipliers land all at once.
The red chest is where the Hold & Win-style re-spin feature emerges from. When the chest is activated, sticky coin symbols with varying values come into play, with the Cursed Coins Bonus payout ranging from small prizes to 1,000x your bet.
The activated blue chest awards Free Spins. Landing a minimum of seven FS symbols here will trigger the Treasure Cove bonus game. A minimum six FS symbols and one FS Upgrade symbol will activate the Ghostly Gallows bonus round, which is where you want to be for the big hits, plus it can be purchased via one of four Bonus Buys.
In Ghostly Gallows, chest activations happen more often, features chain together more frequently, and the 2,500x max win potential rises significantly.
More highs than lows
While the win cap appears low when held up against typical modern slots, the game is highly attractive for casuals and high rollers alike for several reasons.
Namely, the bet range goes from $0.05 to $400, the 96.30% RTP is a whisker above the industry average, and the slot’s medium volatility means bonus rounds trigger more frequently for engaged gameplay.
Ultimately, Hacksaw has brought genuine variety and novelty to the 3 Pots mechanic, introduced an IKEA-like minimalist take on medium-volatility pirate slots, and exquisitely rendered the legendary corsair queen’s haunting maritime world for super-engaged, extended-session gameplay.
