Slot games have come a long way from their humble beginnings of having just three reels and a single payline. As technology has advanced, slot designers have become increasingly creative in developing features that make these games more dynamic and engaging for players. Three features that have grown rapidly in popularity in recent years are expanding wilds, sticky wilds, and walking wilds.
Growth of Dynamic Slot Features
In 2025 features like expanding, sticky, and walking wilds are appearing in over 60% of new slot game releases from major providers available at 24Kasino and other sites. This compares to usage rates of less than 20% just five years ago.
The increased adoption of features like these that make gameplay more variable and exciting has been driven by two key factors:
- More Focus on Player Experience – With so much competition in the market, slot providers have focused more on player enjoyment and excitement to differentiate their games. Features like expanding and walking wilds unlock more surprises during gameplay to thrill players.
- Advancing Technology – The capabilities of gaming technology have expanded enormously, enabling developers to incorporate layered features that interact with players in multiple ways over the course of a slot spin or bonus round.
As expanding, sticky and walking wilds continue their growth trajectory, understanding how they engage players provides insight into the future of slot game design.
Expanding Wilds
Expanding wilds provide cascading wins through symbols that enlarge to cover more positions on the reels after each win. This creates the capability for multiple wins from a single spin.
In many slots, the expanding wild will enlarge to cover an entire reel, enabling bigger chain reactions. Some games even have multiplying expanding wilds that grow by 2X or 3X after each consecutive win.
Expanding wilds mechanics leads to advantages such as:
- More volatility – the chain reaction wins increase the variance in the size of payouts
- Prolonged engagement – players stay invested spin after spin awaiting another long cascade of wins
- Larger average payouts – the multiplying effect of expansions pays out more over time
By 2025, we project over 85% of video slot releases will contain expanding wilds or related multiplying features driving cascading wins.
Sticky Wilds
Sticky wilds remain in place after each spin during a bonus round or free spin session. This enables players to accumulate multiple wilds on the reels, increasing their chances for bigger wins after each spin.
Some slot variants make sticky wilds even more powerful. Features like stacked sticky wilds place whole columns of wilds that remain in place over multiple spins.
Benefits of sticky wilds include:
| Year | Percentage of New Slots Using Sticky Wilds |
| 2020 | 26% |
| 2021 | 34% |
| 2022 | 43% |
| 2023 | 58% |
| 2024 | 63% (projected) |
| 2025 | 71% (projected) |
The persistence of sticky wilds allows players to build momentum and steadily rack up bigger wins during bonus events. Their prevalence has increased annually as developers recognize their ability to extend rewarding game episodes.
Walking Wilds
Walking wild symbols automatically move by one position on the reels after each spin until they eventually exit the reels. Each movement brings the potential for landing in a spot that enables a win.
Walking wilds are often used during free spin rounds. The slow migration across the reels with each spin builds tremendous anticipation for players, wondering where it will land next. Some variants even have multiple walking wilds in motion at once, multiplying the excitement.
Benefits walking wilds create include:
- Mounting anticipation between spins
- Sustained excitement levels
- Perceived near misses when just missing a win
- Extended gameplay mechanical
Walking wilds are projected to appear in over 50% of new video slot games by 2025. Slot providers recognize walking wilds’ ability to maintain thrilling experiences for players compared to standard free spin rounds.
Conclusion
Expanding, sticky and walking wilds represent a slight glimpse into the expanding toolbox of slot designers to craft more dynamic and engaging player experiences. Leveraging features like these has led to greater adoption of slots among players seeking outsized thrills compared to classic slots.
Technological capabilities will continue advancing rapidly, opening possibilities for innovators to incorporate these features in new creative combinations. The expanding wilds cascading into a walking wilds bonus with sticky wilds peppered across the reels exemplifies the multi-layered gameplay coming soon.
As expectations for excitement levels rise, leading slot creators will unleash designs maximizing variable outcomes, suspense, and win potential unlocked through emerging features. The future for slot enthusiasts yearning for games matching their appetite for adventure has never looked brighter.