If you want to play online slots it is important to learn the rules that govern different slot machines and to be aware of the functions of the different icons on the reels. One of the most important symbols found in slot machines is the wild symbol. Wild symbols serve the same function as a Joker does in card games: it is a bonus symbol and can be used as a substitute for other symbols in order to complete winning combinations. The basic premise for the inclusion of a wild symbol in slot games is that it completes combinations that would not have been possible without a substitution: it turns a losing combination into a winning combination and adds an additional element of excitement to slot machines.
The Origin of the Wild Symbol
Wild and scatter symbols were introduced to classic slots to allow players more chances of forming winning combinations and thus to add to the thrill of the casino game. In the majority of classic and video slots, the only symbols that cannot be replaced by a wild are the scatter or bonus icons. The scatter icon, as the name suggests, can be scattered anywhere on the reels and does not have to fall on an active payline to produce a win for the player. Bonus icons trigger bonus features, and are not commonly found on classic slots, but are often used in video slots.
Modern Video Slots and Wild Symbols
Changes in technology have dramatically altered the nature of slot machines. Today, video slots have much in common with video games: images on the reels are no longer static, but burst into life when winning combinations are made; movie and television themed online slots include clips from the shows or films they are based upon; other slot machines tell their own unique stories through the use of animated narrative sequences. The function of the wild symbol has correspondingly evolved.
In video slots, the wild symbol captures the theme of the slot game and it is often represented by the slot machine’s logo. Both Thunderstruck 2 and Immortal Romance, for example, make use of wilds that are represented by their logos. Wilds are often part of winning combinations and for this reason the wild icon is commonly animated and comes to life when it forms part of a winning combination.
Another exciting aspect of the wild symbol is its use as a multiplier. Many online slots that contain wild symbols multiply any winning combinations that are formed with the use of wilds. When more than one wild is used to form the winning combination, the multipliers will be added to each other and this usually entails major wins for the player.
The evolution of the wild symbol can most clearly be seen in the context of slot machines’ bonus rounds. The scatter symbol is most often used to trigger second screen bonus rounds and free spins rounds, but some slots also use the wild symbol for this purpose. Many second screen bonus games are characterised by special varieties of wilds, such as stacked wilds, expanding wilds, trailing wilds, random wilds and many more. These types of wilds are discussed in more detail below.
Special Types of Wilds
Stacked wilds refer to a group of wilds that are stacked on top of each other and cling to each when the reels spin. Stacked wilds could potentially turn the entire reel wild and in slot games that add multipliers to wild winning combinations, stacked wilds provide some serious wins. Examples of slot machines that make use of stacked wilds include Deck the Halls, Girls with Guns, Break Away and Lucky Witch.
Expanding wilds feature in various video slots’ second screen bonus games. As the name suggests, expanding wilds stretch out to turn other icons on the reels wild too. Often entire reels turn wild with games that make use of expanding wilds. The Dark Knight Rises, Girls with Guns, Playboy and many other slots employ this variety of wilds. Trailing wilds are in a sense similar to expanding wilds and refer to wilds that leave a visible trail when the reels spin; if this trail touches other symbols it sometimes turns them wild too. In addition to the types of wild described above, there are many other types of wilds and casino software companies continue to introduce new varieties of wilds that are unique to specific slots.
In the Dark Knight Rises, for example, the Batman bonus stage features heat seeking wilds. These wilds can split in two, causing winning combinations made up of 6 of a kind. In Immortal Romance, during Sarah’s bonus round, the Wild Vine feature mimics the function of wilds: players can select an icon that then functions as a wild and serves as a substitute for other symbols during the bonus round.
Magnetic and Frozen Wild Symbols
If you play Microgaming’s Girls with Girls 2 Frozen Dawn Slot game you are going to find a set of Magnetic Wild symbols attached to the reels. These symbols will, when you spin them in, draw in additional Wilds not in view on the slot game screen, and once those additional wild symbols find themselves being pulled onto the slot screen, whichever reel positions they end up on will obviously become wild positions and therefore can help complete one or more winning combinations.
This slot game also boasts something known as a Frozen Wild symbol. These symbols are only found on the middle reel of this game. However, when they spin in they can expand to cover the entire reel strip and will freeze themselves onto the reel and therefore any additional spins you play off will have those symbols locked into place, until the symbols melt away!
Sticky Wild Symbols
Another type or new Wild symbols found on quite a number of slot games are the Sticky Wild symbols. If you are playing at an online casino which utilizes NetEnt’s range of slot games, then you will find the brand new Creature from the Blackjack Lagoon slot game on offer.
This features a set of Sticky Wild symbols, and as soon as one or more of them spin in, on any reel position, they initially help form winning combinations, but will stay locked into place for the very next spin.
What you will be hoping for when playing this particular slot game or any that has these types of reel symbols is to get as many Sticky Wild symbols spinning in as you can, for once they stick to the reels the next spin could also result in a large winning payout being awarded to you!
Roaming Wild Symbols
One of Microgaming’s more exciting slot games that you can play is their Jonny Specter Slot, the reason why this can be a great slot to play is that it comes with a unique type of Roaming Wild symbol which can help you form some rather large paying winning combinations.
Once you set the five video reels into play, a Ghost type animation is going to swirl around the screen as the reels are spinning, once the reels all come to a rest this symbol will then jump onto one reel symbol and that symbol then becomes an additional Wild symbol.
As this symbol only attaches itself to one reel position at the end of a spin you will of course be hoping that it lands alongside four other matching reel symbols as by doing so you will then form a five of a kind winning combination!
Trailing Wild Symbols
One slot game which boasts three different types of wild symbols is the Santa’s Wild Ride Slot game. This slot is going to be worthy of your attention and play time for those Wild symbols can massively increase the value of many winning spins whenever they spin in.
However, these three symbols which are Stacked Wilds, Expanding Wilds and Trailing Wilds will only appear once you have first triggered the free spins bonus games on this slot and then have opted to have one type of Wild symbol in play on the reels as your awarded free spins are all playing off!
Stacked Wild symbols are simply a set of Wild symbols positioned one on top of each other on the reels strips, so it is possible to have three of the spinning in and covering one or more reels with Wilds. The Expanding Wild symbols look like standard Wilds, however as soon as one of these types of symbols spins in they expand and as such they will cover the entire reel they have spun in on.
The Trailing Wild symbols are certainly unique, when these symbols are spinning around the screen they leave a trail, much like a plane does as it is flying through the sky. As these Trailing Wilds then spin in any reel symbols above them which are highlighted by the trail left by the symbols then additionally become Wild symbols. Do try and give this slot some playtime, for that bonus game can reward you with some high cash payouts!
