Wild symbols – expanding, sticky, shifting and scatters

Wild symbols are popular symbols that replace other symbols on the game screen/wheel. The feature with wilds have become a lot more common over time and you can find them in almost every slot.

History about the wild

Wilds have been around for a very long time and you can also find them in the some card games in the shape of the Joker. The Wild symbols has been more prominent in the latest releases of slots and there is many slot machines that revolves around the famous symbol.

When one of these wilds land on any reel they will replace the other symbols and if you have two or more of the same symbol on any winning line you will win. There is also some other variations of wilds and we will talk more about these down below.

How does the wild work?

A Wild works in combination with other symbols and is usually very well paid. The Wild can appear anywhere on the game screen where other symbols can land. A winning combination with Wild can look like this A-A-Wild-A-A or Wild-A-A-A-A. In both cases your winnings will be big since your got a full line of the same symbols with the help of the wild.

How hard is it to land a wild?

The Wild symbol appears randomly often in a less frequent rate than other symbols. The Symbol is well paid and can come in combinations with other wilds or by it self. In any case, when you manage to land a Wild you will often get rewarded for it and get a one or more winning lines.

Uses of the Wild

There is numerous uses for the Wild, often it will be the highest paid symbol in the game. In some slots it also works as a scatter and will open a free spins mode. Some slots often have jackpots connected to the Wild symbol as well, if you get 5 Wild on the same winning line you will get an extra price or cover the whole screen with Wilds you can win a jackpot. Garden of Riches from GreenTube uses both the functions we mention above. The Wild symbol will both unlock free spins with sticking wilds and if you manage to cover the whole screen with Wilds you will get a hefty Jackpot.

Evolution of Wilds

Game providers constantly come up with new uses for the wild with fun and exciting ideas. The slot machines get more and more advanced.We recommend that you read about the specific slots features to maximize your chances of big win. The wild symbol will almost always play a big role in the best winning combinations.

Different types of wilds

Scatter

Scatter is often referred to as the slot players best friend. A scatter is a wild that can show up on any reel.  It will unlock a bonus, free spin or some other exciting bonus feature. Since the scatter works different on different slot machines, it is recommended that you always read up on what applies to the machine you are playing to make use of the scatter best way possible.

All modern slot machines offers some kind of scatter. Sometimes it is necessary to collect three different scatter on the same spin to trigger a bonus round. Usually two scatters are enough to trigger a bonus opportunity.

Sticky wilds

A sticky wild is a variation of the regular wilds and have a lot of uses. They can often have more than one use and gives you great opportunity to bag a big win. Game providers are always trying to find new ways to evolve the widely popular symbol and this is just one example of it. You can often find Sticky Wilds in free spins mode.

When you enter the free spins / bonus mode in a slot it converts to a sticky wild. When you land a sticky wild it will stick there for the whole duration of the feature mode and this makes them really dangerous for the casinos. If you are lucky enough you can land sticky wilds to cover the whole game screen. Then you will win with every spin. Even if you land 3 wilds on a winning line you will win with every spin.

Sticky Wilds have many functionalities, they can activate jackpots when you get them in combination in the free spins mode. They can also help you increase multipliers and help you get big wins.

Shifting wilds

When you manage to land a wild symbol in a slot that uses the shifting wild function you will often get a mini version of free spins. For example, if you manage to land a Shifting Wild on the fifth wheel it will move to the fourth wheel on the next spin and so on. Until it reaches the first wheel and moves out of the picture. In some slots the shifting wild changes place when it travels through the wheel and other slots it stays in the same position but on the wheel to the left.

Shifting Wilds and the Wild symbol can have many different uses when you are playing a slot. It is often the highest paying symbol that you can land, sometimes it works at the free spins symbol and it can even be connected to a jackpot. There is no limits to what the Wild can be used for and game providers comes up with new ideas for it on every game release. So make sure to read about all the function for your favorite slot and see if there is something you did not know.

Expanding wilds

Expanding wilds are wilds that has got an extra feature that has been implemented in the game itself. When you manage to land a wild, all the symbols on that reel gets replaced by this massive wild. This drastically increases your chances to a winning line. Expanding Wilds have become very popular and will most likely stick around for a while.

Slots with expanding wilds

Hotline

97.04% RTP

Low Volatility

Cyrus the Virus

96.3% RTP

High Volatility

A wild replaces all the other symbols except from scatter and free spins symbols. There are some further exceptions to that. However, the general rule is that they are the only symbols that are not replaced. When you are playing a slot that uses expanding wilds and land a wild it will expand and cover the whole reel where it landed.