What Is a Sticky Wild
A sticky wild is a wild symbol that, once it lands, remains on the reels for a defined period — typically the rest of a free-spins round. Each subsequent spin starts with that wild already on the grid, so over the course of a 10-spin bonus you can build up a board full of wilds, leading to one or more massive payline hits at the end.
Variations
Standard sticky wilds remain in their landing position. Sticky multiplier wilds carry a multiplier value that applies whenever they participate in a win. Walking sticky wilds shift one column per spin until they leave the grid (used in NetEnt's Narcos). Some games (Dead or Alive 2, The Dog House) make sticky wild rounds the main free-spin attraction.
Math Profile
Sticky-wild bonuses are usually very high variance. A free-spin round can land zero sticky wilds and pay almost nothing, or land six in good positions and produce a 1,000x+ hit on the final spin. The format lends itself to slots with extreme max wins — Dead or Alive 2 (100,000x) and Razor Shark (50,000x) both rely heavily on sticky-wild dynamics.
Defining Titles
NetEnt's Dead or Alive II is the canonical sticky-wild slot. Pragmatic's The Dog House and Wild West Gold use sticky multiplier wilds as their bonus core. Yggdrasil's Vikings Go Berzerk turns characters berzerk into sticky wilds via a rage meter. Push Gaming's Razor Shark uses sticky-stack mystery symbols which behave similarly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do sticky wilds reset between bonus retriggers?
Usually no — they stay on the grid through retriggered free spins as well, which is why retriggers in sticky-wild bonuses can be enormous.
Are sticky-wild slots higher variance than non-sticky?
On average, yes. The mechanic concentrates wins into rare big-bonus events rather than spreading them across the base game.
All Sticky Wilds Slots in Our Catalog (9)
Below is the full list of Sticky Wilds slots covered on SlotInsight, sorted alphabetically. Click any title for full RTP, volatility, max-win and feature details.