How Do Wilds Work In Slot Games?

You can never guarantee you’ll see wild symbols in a slot game. However, they are among the most common symbol to appear in these titles. There are several varieties of them – some of which we’ll come to shortly – and they can be very useful for you when playing a slot.

Let’s see how they work, so you’ll know what to expect when you next see a game that features one or more of them.

They substitute for most of the other game symbols

Notice we say most, not all. If you’re lucky, they will replace everything else, but most often you will see one or two exceptions. These are almost always the other special symbols in the game – scatters, bonus symbols, and jackpot symbols. This makes it easier for you to find a winning line, since a wild could replace another symbol to score a win.

There are several different types of wild symbol

A basic wild is one that appears in one position on the reels. Wilds can appear one or more reels depending on the rules of the game. You can also spot other wilds though. Some expand to fill the reel they appear on. Others copy themselves to other positions on the reels. Some expand horizontally, others move one position to the left or right once they’ve appeared, before disappearing altogether. These are just a few of the ones you might see. New versions are being created too.

Wilds might also trigger special features

Normally, you can rely on the bonus or scatter symbols to trigger features. However, some games allow the wilds to trigger special elements. For instance, a wild might appear and freeze in position for one or more respins. The respins are free and provide additional chances for you to win prizes. If another wild appears in the respin, that remains where it is as well, and so it continues until the wilds run out.

In short, wilds are great to find on the paytable of a slot game. Sometimes, they’ll be labeled as wilds but in many cases, they are not. If not, the paytable will clarify which symbol you need to look for. We’ve played great slot games that don’t have a wild, but there are many others that are made better by having one or more of them present. How many will you try today?