Sticky Wilds vs Expanding Wilds: What’s the Difference?

If your aim is to land as many winning combinations on slot games at your chosen online casino, then learning about the ‘chameleon’ symbol is very beneficial. We are talking about wilds, the symbols that substitute for any other symbol and help make a combination a winning one. They are a player’s best friend and often land on a reel with much ado.

However, not all wilds are created equal. Two types that are often found in popular slot games and could have an impact on gameplay and potential winnings are Sticky Wilds and Expanding Wilds. Knowing the difference between them will not only help you play your game but also give you an understanding of their unique benefits.

The Wilds That Won’t Leave: Sticky Wilds

In essence, Sticky Wilds are symbols that land in a spot and feel so cozy and comfy that they don’t leave for a number of subsequent spins, even while the reels spin around them. The number depends on how the software provider creates the game. What these do is create an opportunity for winning combinations to be built many times over, with them acting as the anchor.

The beauty of them is that with each one that remains, the chances of landing matching symbols on other reels increase. This can cause a chain reaction of wins that, over time, could be significant. This is especially true if multiple sticky wilds land on the screen at the same time.

Sticky wilds usually appear during bonus games like free spins. It’s important to note, however, that they have a certain lifespan. They may only stick for a few spins or only appear during a specific bonus round. Once their stickiness has served its purpose, they either revert to regular symbols or disappear from the reels altogether.

Growing Greater: Expanding Wilds

Expanding wilds are different to Sticky ones in that they are all about covering and growing on the reels. This means they don’t stay in one single spot but rather grow vertically, horizontally or even across an entire reel. The wild’s reach is now ‘expanded’ and can contribute to multiple potential winning paylines simultaneously.

What’s great about these is their reach in a single spin. For instance, should they cover an entire reel, they can match symbols on adjacent reels across many paylines, all at the same time. The animation behind expanding wilds is usually quite fun to watch as well.

Expanding wilds can appear either in a base game or during a bonus round, and their ‘expanding’ is usually triggered by the symbol landing in a certain way or as part of a feature.

Unlike sticky ones, however, expanding wilds only stay to expand for the one spin they are a part of. When the payout has been calculated, they go back to being a normal symbol for the next spin. Expanding wilds make a more immediate impact rather than a sustained one, like Stickys.

Conclusion

So the difference between sticky and expanding wilds is this: sticky ones offer sustained opportunities over multiple spins and act as an anchor for building wins while expanding ones cover more than a single spot and are immediate.

They both are fun additions to any slot game. By recognizing their differences, players can tailor their gameplay and appreciate how they impact their play.