Expanding Wilds: Unlocking Bigger Wins With Special Features
Special symbols or bonus-triggering characters are common in modern video slot games. These types of slot machines that come with bonus symbols are popularly referred to as bonus slots. They make your gameplay more exciting by potentially bringing you closer to collecting massive wins if luck is on your side. These slots are ideally the games you should play even when you claim promotions such as the Ice Casino no deposit bonus. So, by claiming casino promotions and using the offers to play bonus slots, you’ll be killing two birds with one stone as you’ll be boosting your payout potential twice over.
Speaking of special gameplay characters, we must mention wild symbols that are among the most prevalent in modern slots because of the value they bring to players. As you may already know, these wilds perform different functions depending on the game, one of them being serving as an expanding symbol. Of course, like other wilds, expanding or spreading one can replace all standard paying icons in the game, excluding scatters and other special characters.
However, the difference between expanding and standard is that expanding wilds can grow or spread vertically on the reel they land on, forming a giant symbol that fills the entire reel. They can also expand horizontally, increasing the chance of winning by making more substitutions for other symbols. Because of this nature of spreading to form big wins, expanding symbols are usually present in high volatility slots. Here’s a closer look at this magical slot machine character.
Common Forms of Spreading Wilds
As a rule, wilds can appear in various forms. They can be combined with the following features to increase your own chances of collecting increased payouts on the reels. They include:
The sticky expanding wild is probably the most sought-after as it can be present for multiple spins. The icon will land on the reel, expand wholly or partially, and remain locked in its position for the next specified spins;
Multiplier spreading symbols will expand and award a multiplier bonus feature, mostly x2 or x3, resulting in bigger wins;
Random expanding wild symbols may land on any reel and expand during any spin without notice to award surprise wins;
Wild reels are formed when the wild symbol lands and expands on the entire reel, turning it into one tall symbol that substitutes for other icons. Usually, the wild reels are restricted to two or three, but some slots can allow every reel to turn wild for a jackpot prize;
Colossal symbols are formed when wilds expand horizontally and vertically simultaneously to create a giant symbol that grows to 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, or larger;
Spreading wild might be the highest-paying icon in the game, meaning when it grows, it gives a better chance of collecting massive payouts;
Even when the wild is not the highest-value symbol or a paying symbol at all, it may complete winning combinations for well-paying characters when it expands.
As exciting as these perks are, you must first check the game’s paytable and information menu to understand how the present version of a spreadingwild works. Additionally, you should play the game in demo mode to witness the expanding wilds in action and understand exactly what happens on the grid.
Expanding Wilds and Re-Spins
In most online slots, spreading wilds and re-spins features mainly accompany each other. Usually, a re-spin feature is awarded when an expanding wild symbol appears on a reel. The spreading wild and its reel become sticky while other reels spin until the re-spins feature ends.
Here, if another expanding wild appears during the re-spins, it triggers an additional re-spin or reset the re-spins. This continues until the grid is covered by special wilds or no more wild lands. This loop can help you cash in on massive wins.
Additionally, expanding wilds may also only appear during free spins, where the symbol grows bigger during each spin or maintains the same size for a prolonged duration. Either way, a spreading icon will be an excellent opportunity for you to bag additional payouts.
Grow Your Payout Potential!
Today, if you are an avid casino player of online slot machine games, you’ll notice that standard wilds are featured in almost all modern online titles. Meanwhile, expanding wilds are certainly a breath of fresh air that incorporates spontaneous wild symbols to grow and partially or wholly cover the reel. They improve the player’s chance of hitting multiple winning combinations on paylines, making them the game-changers you must target as you spin reels online.
