Random Wilds Explained: What It Is and How it Works
We all know the thrill of spotting a wild symbol on the reels, but have you experienced the rush of pokies with random wilds? These unpredictable game-changing wild symbols have players everywhere on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting their appearance. Loved for their simplicity and electrifying impact, random wilds are the secret ingredient to turning ordinary spins into extraordinary wins.
If you're new to pokies or seeking a break from complexity, random wilds are your ticket to straightforward fun. As the name suggests, these symbols appear unpredictably, enhancing your chances of winning. While this bonus feature comes in various forms across numerous online pokies, identifying the best ones can be daunting.
Let's navigate through the world of random wilds in online pokies together, unlocking their potential for thrilling gameplay and big wins.
What Are Random Wilds?
Wild symbols are like your best friend in the slot world - they're always there to make your day a little brighter. They pop up on the reels, creating heaps more opportunities to hit those winning paylines. Sometimes, they even bring along extra goodies like multipliers or big wins.
But guess what? There's a cool new kid on the block called Random Wilds! These aren't your average symbols that just show up when you're feeling lucky. Nope, random wilds are just regular wilds, but they appear randomly under certain circumstances. They can land as wilds or other symbols transform into random wilds. Often these wilds show up only on a select number of reels, three central reels being the most common choice.
The key role of any wild is to substitute for other elements, excluding scatters and bonus symbols. But random wilds can also multiply winnings. Wild becoming sticky during the bonus round is another popular option. That happens in a lot of the slots today as developers boost entertainment value by adding extra features.
How Do Random Wilds Work?
Random wilds are the wildcard jokers of slots, stepping in for any symbol except the scatter. They can pop up in base games but are more common in bonus rounds.
Identifying the wild symbol is easy. Just click on the paytable or menu button to see what symbols are represented as wilds. Some are obvious, while others are more subtle, but they're usually distinctive.
These wilds act like regular ones, completing paylines and sometimes adding multipliers to your wins. The twist? Well, random wilds set themselves apart by having the wilds appear randomly on the reel after each spin.
Sometimes they fill individual spots, boosting your chances, while other times, entire reels go wild for a spin. It's always a surprise, but remember, wins aren't guaranteed. So, while they bring excitement, keep your fingers crossed for those winning combos!
Top 5 Pokies With Random Wilds
There's no sense in using your precious time for trial and error to find the best pokies with random wilds online. We have got the goods when it comes to Australian online pokies, so look no further. We have picked the best online pokies with the random wilds feature, which are backed by the best online slot developers, and can be played at a top Australian online casino from our list.
From Microgaming's legendary Immortal Romance to Iron Dog's new Megaways Jack pokie, you'll find our list of the top online pokies with random wilds listed below.
Immortal Romance (Microgaming)
Originally released in 2011 by Games Global, Microgaming acquired it and remastered the game bigger and better than ever in 2020. Immortal Romance is quite simply one of the most successful online pokies of all time.
This teen vampire themed game has players progressing through the story as they spin the reel and reach bonus rounds. Symbols include the characters themselves as well as traditional playing cards and spooky wilds. At any point during regular gameplay, you can trigger the Wild Desire feature. This feature introduces between 1 and 5 wild reels onto the screen.
If you land three or four wild reels, you're in for a significant win, while hitting all five reels rewards you with the game's largest jackpot of 3,645,000 credits.
The play area offers a simple 5×3 layout and is matched with an impressive 243 different paylines. There's a total of 5 different bonus rounds utilising the random wilds to offer the chance of a huge 12,150x the original wager.
Players will also find a higher-than-average RTP value sitting at 96.86% and with medium volatility, the game is great for players of all different bankroll sizes. If you're looking to experience a true game-changer in the pokie industry, it doesn't get much better than Immortal Romance.
Ankh of Anubis (Play'N GO)
Introduced by Play'n GO in 2019, Ankh of Anubis is like taking a journey to an ancient land of riches.
Players should expect to find all the typical Ancient Egyptian symbols across the reels including pyramids, ankhs and, of course, Anubis himself guiding you through your journey. Play'NGo effortlessly combines classic gameplay with vibrant graphics and catchy musical tones.
The game is played across 5 reels in the 3-4-4-4-3 structure that we're starting to see more of in the modern games, ultimately offering a total of 576 paylines. The luckiest players can claim a maximum win of 15,000x the original wager thanks to the random wilds and bonus features available.
At random, you can activate Anubis’ power to give you extra wilds which can lead to other bonus rounds. You’ll have additional wilds hit the reels, including filling the centre reel with wilds.
The random wild feature in Ankh of Anubis is triggered spontaneously during regular gameplay, requiring no special action from the player. This feature plays a pivotal role in enhancing the overall gaming experience, providing exciting opportunities for big wins without any extra effort on your part.
The default RTP value is one that we're more than happy to see, sitting around the industry average of 96.2%. Volatility is medium, allowing more players to access the game and experience the random wilds that it has to offer without compromising the excitement levels.
Viking Clash (Push Gaming)
Push Gaming warns new players of their 2021 release of Viking Clash, "Sound the war drums and sharpen your axes, it's a Viking Clash!".
We love a good Viking theme at AusCasinos, and Viking Clash is at the top of the class. With two 5×3 reels inside the game, it's an ingenious design by Push Gaming with mobile in mind. The symbols appear to be influenced by video games in their design with weapons and characters featured.
The game offers a total of 50 paylines, 25 paylines for each of the two slots in a unique fashion that needs to be played to be fully appreciated. The maximum win of the slot is infinite, although the provider has shared the maximum observed win of 13,177x the original wager.
In Viking Clash, the Wild Ship random wild feature is triggered randomly during the base game. When activated, up to three wild ship symbols will appear on a reel, substituting for other symbols to create winning combinations. With each spin, these wild ships move one position to the left. The feature persists until the ships exit the playing area, offering players ample chances to land wins along the way.
There's an RTP value a little over the industry average at 96.6% and with medium to high volatility, it's a game that plenty of pokie players can enjoy. It's innovative slots like these that keep pushing the boundaries of what we can expect in an online pokie – and for that, it deserves all the credit it can get!
Reel Desire (Yggdrasil)
Yggdrasil has recently come out with some absolute corkers, and the February 2021 release of Reel Desire is no exception.
The theme of this exciting pokie is the golden era of disco, teleporting players to the ‘70s and ‘80s nightclub lifestyle via the spinning reels. Symbols are very much of the era, consisting of tacky timepieces, shocking sunnies and disco lovers of the period – it's a fun theme that we adore!
During the base game of Reel Desire, the Wild Desire feature is triggered randomly. This exciting feature transforms 1 to 5 entire reels into wild symbols, setting the stage for potentially massive wins.
There's a total of 20 different symbol locations in a 5×4 structure offering a huge 1,024 paylines for players to build their winning combinations. Random wilds and countless other bonus features join forces to offer a delightful maximum win of 20,480x the original wager.
The RTP that players should expect sits at an average that should be expected at exactly 96%. Players who look for riskier games when playing slots will also be pleased to find a high volatility rating in the game, perfect for those big wins (if you've got the patience and the bankroll).
Megaways Jack And The Beans (Iron Dog)
Released by Iron Dog in 2020, Megaways Jack is one of the top games from the provider, offering the Megaways mechanics that so many players know and love.
Based on the classic fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk, Megaways Jack takes the story to another level, taking the player up through the clouds to the impressive pokie. Symbols to expect to include the cow, chicken and the giant as they aim to tell the story (well, in a way anyway).
Peacefully perched on the left corner of the screen, sits the golden harp. Randomly, a golden lady—part of the harp—plucks its strings, granting one of several bonus features, including a random addition of up to 4 wilds to the reels.
The game is played across a total of 6 reels with as many as 7 rows. Never disappointing, Megaways is offering an enormous 117,649 different ways to win in this title. Those uber-lucky players will be claiming a healthy payout of 25,000x the original wager when they strike it lucky with random wilds.
The RTP value is exactly where we would expect for the Megaways game at 96.2% and the volatility is high, again as we would hope for. Ultimately, the pokie is a top pick for those looking for those big wins and with a top theme available, it's hard to beat.
Why Play Pokies With Random Wilds
It's not just about the thrill of unpredictability that makes random wilds one of the most desired wild symbols available. It's the fact that they can exponentially increase your chances of winning across multiple paylines in a single slap. Seeing one (or even two) of these special creatures of chaos is like a surprise birthday party every time! Injecting every spin with a rush of anticipation.
This bonus feature can turn any spin into a game-changing moment, making them highly sought-after by players seeking extra opportunities to hit those jackpot paylines.
Random Wilds vs. Other Wilds
There are different types of wild symbols in online pokies games, each with their specific features. Most importantly, not all wilds appear in the base game or are eligible for multipliers and other bonuses. Some only appear in the main bonus round, which isn't everyone's cup of tea. If you are going to play online pokies, it's always best practice to head over to the game's paytable will clearly outline which types of bonus wild features the game has. We recommend playing a game in Demo mode to understand how each of these wilds works and how often they appear so you can choose which game and wild suits your style.
| Features | Expanding Wilds | Random Wilds | Stacked Wilds | Sticky Wilds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appears at Random | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Found in Base Game | ✓ | 𐄂 | ✓ | 𐄂 |
| Found in Bonus Rounds | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stays in Place for Multiple Spins | 𐄂 | 𐄂 | 𐄂 | ✓ |
| Expands to Cover Reel | ✓ | 𐄂 | ✓ | 𐄂 |
| Increases Paylines | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Conclusion
Like the sounds of wilds appearing randomly to up your chances of huge jackpots? Playing with random wilds is dead easy, requiring no special knowledge or strategy. Just spin, and sit back and relax.
Random wilds are the perfect compliment to the many other wild features games have available. Wether they are sticking, expanding, or walking...wilds are an fun way to up your chances of spinning that winning combination.
Before playing with random wilds in pokies for real money, we always recommend trying out the demo version first. Online slot developers offer demo play, so you can play a few spins with no risk.
Good luck, and happy slapping!
Ryan is our resident pokies expert. Not only does he provide readers with the latest insights, innovations and technology news related to pokies, but he also knows all there is to know about pokies game developers.
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