In the online casino industry, the wild symbol is one of the most popular bonus features, used by developers since the early years of casino slots games. Over the years, the wild symbol has evolved significantly, with developers adding small tweaks to the symbol. That said, its core mechanics have remained similar to when it was first introduced.
In recent years, many developers have added additional mechanics to the wild symbol, adding flexibility to gameplay. Sometimes, developers design these wild symbols to restrict the positions in which the wild can land, or even allow these symbols to expand to cover multiple positions on the reels. Their role in the iGaming space remains incredibly important for online slots, with a large percentage of releases out there adding the symbol to their titles.
What is a Wild Symbol?
Almost all online casino releases that use wild symbols in gameplay operate with the same core function. The wild symbol is one that specifically acts as a substitute for any base game symbol that appears on the reels in the same spin. The wild will only step in for others if it creates or extends a matching combination along one of the payline patterns. The base game prize awarded for a matching combination with the wild will not change from its value as if it were three symbols of the same kind. The slot’s paytable usually shows the wild’s exact role and its design.
The design of a symbol will differ depending on the slot game, though it usually contains distinctive imagery that separates it from the value symbols. Commonly, developers design the wild symbol to match the game’s theme; for example, a cowboy in a Wild West-themed slot.
How Wilds Help Create Matching Combinations
As mentioned, the main role of the wild symbol is to create opportunities to land matching combinations, which can trigger base game prizes. The wild symbol can substitute for any value symbol, which gives players a better chance of landing a matching combination on a spin where the wild appears. By landing wild symbols on the reels, matching combinations no longer need the exact same symbol; instead, they can be achieved with these wilds alongside identical symbols.
Paylines are the most common system in the online slots industry, and wilds work well with them. That said, many developers have added cluster or pays-anywhere mechanics to their slot releases and adapted the wild symbol to suit them.
The pays-anywhere mechanic lets matching combinations occur if a set number of identical symbols appear anywhere on the reels. The wild symbol works well in this system; if it appears, it can substitute for any symbol to help reach the required number of symbols to form a combination.
The cluster pays mechanic works differently, as it refers to a group of identical symbols connected horizontally or vertically. In cluster-pays slots, the wild symbol may appear and act as a substitute to create a matching group and trigger a base-game prize.
Different Types of Wild Symbols
Over the years, many developers have added additional gameplay mechanics to the wild symbol to help it stand out from other releases in the industry. Standard wilds, with their regular substituting ability, are the most common wild symbol in online slots and the benchmark for any wild bonus. While their substituting ability remains the core mechanic, some developers have freshened up the symbol by adding additional mechanics that can trigger when it appears
The expanding wild is one of the most popular wild mechanics in the online casino industry, allowing the symbol to cover multiple reel positions when it appears. Expanding wilds often cover the entire reel where they land, increasing the potential to create or extend a matching combination.
Another popular additional mechanic added to wild symbols in the online casino industry is an ability for the wild to travel between reel positions in successive spins. This is often referred to as a walking wild, and commonly triggers a set of respins if it lands. If these walking wilds appear, they usually nudge one position to the left, triggering respins until the symbol leaves the playgrid.
Wild Symbols in Free Spins Features
Many developers make wild symbols more meaningful during free spins bonuses by adding extra mechanics if they appear. Many developers add sticky wilds to the reels in free spins bonuses, which will lock the symbol in place for the entirety of the feature. These locked wilds commonly remain in place for the entire free spins feature, potentially contributing to matching combinations throughout.
Some developers add multipliers to wild symbols in free spins bonuses, which will be added to any base game prizes triggered with the wild participating in the combination. If the wild symbol substitutes to create or extend a combination, the base game prize as found in the paytable will be multiplied by the value shown on the wild.
