What is the purpose of wilds in online slots?

If you are new to the world of online slots and have had various terms thrown at you without knowing what they exactly mean, you’re in luck as today we will be delving into the world of wild symbols. Not only can wilds trigger a variety of bonus features, but they also have a variety of purposes that could boost wins.

Wild symbols come in various shapes and forms but are incredibly popular if available on your preferred online slot. When they pop up, welcome them with open arms.

Their main purpose is to substitute for any other symbol (usually with the exception of scatters) with the aim of creating a winning combination.

Over the years, game developers have created a variety of wild symbols with the aim of increasing the entertainment factor. Today we will describe them all in detail for you.

What are the different types of wild symbols available?

When wilds land on the reels, they always bring a thrilling air along. Since they are the only ‘flexible’ symbol available in online slots, they are one of the most cherished and loved symbols of all.

Wilds come fully equipped with a myriad of features and are available as follows:

Stacked wilds

Stacked wilds are exactly what it says on the tin: Wild symbols on top of the other, essentially create an entire column of wilds.

Stacked wilds have the biggest potential out of all wilds, since they increase the chances of creating a winning combo.

Any payline that could pass through these wilds is likely to bring you wins. Furthermore, the biggest advantage of stacked wilds is that since they fill up an entire column, they are bound to hit multiple paylines per spin leading to more tasty wins.

Since they are stacked wilds, there is no way they would crop up horizontally on the reels, although we have seen this happen in the past. More often than not, stacked wilds only crop up vertically.

Sticky Wilds

This type of wild is potentially one of the most popular wilds around. You have probably come across it a few times. Sticky wilds are essentially a wild that stay in place for the duration of an extra spin.

They don’t boost the chances of winning, but since they stay put for an additionally spin, we can’t omit the possibility of winning. They are very similar to regular wilds, but with the added benefit of staying on the reels for an additional spin.

Expanding Wilds

When expanding wilds pop up on the reels, expect magical things to happen. An expanding wild will show up as a regular wild first, before expanding fully across the reels or columns. It is traditionally activated by specific conditions as designated by the slot game.

For example, if there are several regular wilds on the reels, it could trigger an expanding wild. This special type of wild, works similarly to Stacked Wilds, meaning that they will fill up a full reel of wilds, with the aim of bringing home more wins.

Overlay Wilds

Overlay Wilds are not as popular or easily spotted as the others. They pop up on the reels stacked in various shapes and forms. When they land on the reels, they take over a variety of symbols except for regular wilds.

This feature can be experienced on most NetEnt slot games including the NetEnt Rocks series. For example, in the Guns ‘n Roses online slot, the wild overlap is shaped as a cross, taking over 5 symbols.