Wild symbols are a group of special symbols found in video slots and slot machines. To win, a player normally needs three or more matching symbols on an active payline, and because every game has many different symbols, that doesn’t happen easily. Wilds help by substituting for other symbols, making winning combinations much easier to land. The usual exception is bonus symbols such as scatters, which a wild cannot replace.
Wilds come in several varieties, including stacked, sticky, shifting and expanding wilds. Each behaves differently on the reels, but at heart they all do the same thing: stand in for the game’s regular symbols.
Wilds and slot selection
Wild mechanics are one of the quickest ways to tell slots apart, and they shape hit frequency and volatility. When you build a slots catalogue, a mix of wild types gives players a real choice of game styles.