The world of online slots is constantly evolving to offer players new innovations and features that make gameplay on such gambling platforms as Gam Dom more exciting. While classic slots can still deliver big wins, modern video slots incorporate special wild symbols and mechanics that unlock the game’s full winning potential. Three of the most popular and potentially lucrative wild features are expanding wilds, sticky wilds and walking wilds.
How Do Special Wilds Work?
In slots, wild symbols substitute for other symbols to help complete winning payline combinations. Standard wilds usually only appear on certain reels and in random positions. Special wild types have extra abilities that make them more powerful.
When wilds expand, stick in place, or walk across the reels, they stay on screen longer. This increases the odds of hitting more and higher-paying symbol combinations each spin. Matching the special wild behavior with other game mechanics like multipliers, cascading wins, free spins and bonus rounds can lead to massive payouts.
Let’s explore some of the defining traits of expanding, sticky and walking wilds and how they impact gameplay.
Expanding Wilds Grow to Cover Entire Reels
Expanding wilds are aptly named because when they land, they grow vertically to cover their entire reel. This helps complete more paylines to trigger bigger wins.
Some expanding wilds only stretch to fill reels partially, while others take over their full length. Getting an expanding wild on the first or last reel makes the biggest impact, since it crosses the most paylines.
Games with expanding wilds include:
- Starburst
- Gonzo’s Quest
- Piggy Riches Megaways
Sticky Wilds Stay in Place for Multiple Spins
As the name suggests, sticky wilds remain stuck in their position for a predetermined number of spins after landing on the reels. This opens the door to multiple wins across several rounds utilizing the same wild symbol.
Some slots have sticky wilds that remain for just 2–4 spins, while others can stay for up to 10+ spins or until a special feature ends. Having sticky wilds land early in a bonus round with many spins left allows them to influence outcomes across more subsequent spins.
The top slots with sticky wilds are:
- Book of Dead
- Bonanza
- Divine Fortune
Walking Wilds March Across the Reels
Walking wilds move horizontally across the reels with each spin, shifting one space either from left to right or vice versa. Some walking wilds will only shift when they contribute to a win, while others march after every spin regardless.
As these wild symbols walk from reel to reel, they activate new paylines where they land, enabling bigger cascading wins. Especially generous slots allow walking wilds to remain throughout free spins or bonus rounds.
Notable walking wild slots include:
- Money Train 2
- Legacy of Dead
- Thor’s Lightning
| Wild Type | Behavior | Key Benefit |
| Expanding | Grows vertically to fill reel | Hits more paylines |
| Sticky | Stays in place for 2+ spins | Contributes to multiple wins |
| Walking | Moves reel to reel each spin | Activates new paylines |
Combining Special Wilds with Other Features
The real power of expanding, sticky and walking wilds emerges when they combine with other special slot features. For example, getting walking wilds in a bonus game with unlimited free spins means they can march across the whole grid, activating wins with every step.
Likewise, having cluster pays or cascading wins start just as sticky wilds land guarantees their payout boosting contributions across many consecutive wins. The interplay between wild functionality and other lucky 88 slot machine mechanics is what unlocks truly epic rewards.
More Wild Wins are on the Horizon
Expanding, sticky and walking wilds already spice up slots from major providers like NetEnt, Yggdrasil and Push Gaming. And game developers continue finding new ways to make wilds even more valuable.
We’re likely to see innovative variations like split wilds, cloned wilds, spreading wilds and more rolling out in coming years. Savvy slot fans will want to try these latest titles to experience cutting-edge features with big win potential.
While classic slots still have their charm, modern wild mechanics add an extra dash of excitement and possibilities for huge hauls with every spin. Unlocking the full potential of special expanding, sticky and walking wilds reveals a whole new world of slot fun.
