Wild Symbols

Types of Wild Symbols

Being among the most commonly featured bonus feature in slot games has prompted the development of wilds in various shapes and sized to serve different purposes. However, even with additional purposes, the different wild symbols carry the basic element of replacing all other characters on the reels.

Some of the various wild symbols types one is bound to run into in both old and new casinos online include:

• Regular wilds

These are the most common type of wilds and are found in almost all online slots. They only carry the purpose of replacing other icons to complete winning combinations. In most cases, they also stand as the highest paying icon when three or more of them are matched on an active bet line.

• Multiplier wilds

These wilds act as multipliers when they are used to substitute another icon that results in a winning combination. The payout that is presented is multiplied by the number of times specified in the gaming rules.

• Reel specific wild icons

These wild slot symbols serve the same purpose as regular wilds, but they appear and can only function as wild characters in specific reels. For instance, if a wild is specified to appear in the third, Grosvenor slots online fourth, and the fifth reel, using it in the first and second reel cannot apply.

• Sticky wilds

As suggested by their name, sticky wilds stay put in the position they are in on the game board once they make an appearance. In most cases, this icon stays in place for one or two more spins in the base game. In free spins, on the other hand, they could stay in place for the whole round until it is done playing. For this reason, they are triggered more in freebies more than in the main game. Staying out allows the gamer more chances to land winning combinations.

• Stacked wilds

Stacked wilds come with the extra feature of being able to substitute all other icons in the reel they fall in or/and adjacent reels with wilds. Therefore, with all three or four icons on a reel as wilds, gamers can use them to collect wins by replacing other icons. In some instances, the entire game screen can be covered with wilds, rewarding the gambler with the highest payout in all win lines.

• Expanding Wilds

These slot game wild symbols are similar to stacked Wild symbols. However, they can only change the icons on the reel they fall on into Wild symbols. Their expanding abilities can also be restricted to a specific reel. Additionally, they mostly appear in bonus rounds rather than the base game. Some online game developers develop expanding wilds with the ability to create their reels during the bonus game to create more winning combo chances.

• Walking wilds

Also known as moving wilds, these icons can move from one reel to the next in sideways motion; this happens with each spin. They keep moving through the reels and exit once they reach the last one. Like expanding wilds, these are quite rare to find in a base game and mostly appear during a free spins round.

• Contagious wilds

These are wilds that replace other characters adjacent to them with wild icons. They carry different names depending on the slot they appear in such as flaming wilds, icy wilds, exploding Wild symbols, etc. The replacing process can be completed by blowing up, freezing, or vanishing the items next to them.

• Trailing wilds

Trailing wilds are similar walking wilds in how they move about the game board. However, in this case, the wild characters move down a row rather than across a reel.

• Replicating wilds

These are among the rarest wild characters featured in slot games. They come with the ability to replace other icons on the reels at random with wild characters, giving the gambler a high chance at landing a winning combination.

• Added wilds

With the demand for online gaming software developers to challenge the boundaries of the norm in slot production, these companies have introduced this unique wild in recent times. The wild does not appear as a character in the reels and can be animated on the side. When a specific combination is acquired, or a bonus triggered, the wild element is activated and joins in the reels to serve its purpose. Once done, it is eliminated, and gameplay continues. An excellent example of such wilds is the one found in the Transformers Battle of Cybertron slot.

• Wild overlays

These types of wild icons serve the same purpose as contagious wilds; however, they are arranged in a specific shape on the reels rather than replace icons next to them randomly. Additionally, they appear after the reels have come to a halt.

Slot Games with Wild Symbols

As stated above, hundreds of thousands of slots on the wide web come with wild characters. Out of a large number of games, a few of them have stood out in the lot like some of the best in the business in terms of presentation and winning chances.

Some of them include:

• Avalon II Slot

This slot was released as a sequel to the Avalon Slot after the latter garnered huge success in the gaming business. The game features the medieval age tale of King Arthur and Merlin the Magician. With five reels and two hundred and forty-three ways to win gamblers can play for real money wins as well as for free. The game bears an expanding wild that falls also carries specific reel wild properties since it only appears on the third reel. It can replace any icon aside from the scatter.

• Girls With Guns: Jungle Heat Slot

Girls with Guns: Jungle Heat Slot is part of a slot sequel labelled Girls With Guns. It is based on a Youtube series bearing the same name featuring pretty women engaging in war in different territories. This slot has stacked and expanding wilds, which makes it widely sought after for the numerous winning chances presented to gamblers. Like in most other Microgaming games, which is the slot’s developer, the expanding wild is restricted to the third reel and expands to cover all the icons on the said reel.

• Black Widow Slot

International Game Technologies is the online gaming software developer behind this slot game. It is developed around the theme of crime and murder and carries an RTP rate of ninety-six percent. The logo of the game appears on the reels as the wild and can be used to replace all icons aside from the green poison item since it is the scatter. The wild in the game is also the highest paying icons.

These and other slot games that feature wilds can be played for free, and real money wins in numerous mobile casinos. When playing for actual cash, gamers should study up on the payment methods provided. That way, they can establish the best one to use when making deposits.

Slots with wild icons qualify as some of the most enjoyable ones to engage in due to the added special feature. Gamers should ensure they play wild slots in casinos that have been passed as legitimate. Additionally, one should note that when gambling, addictive play is possible. Therefore, it is healthy to play these games in a controlled environment to avoid dependency.