Online slots have continued to grow in complexity and entertainment value over the past few years. Two slot features that have retained their popularity are stacked wilds and expanding wilds. At first glance, both may seem like generic wild symbols. However, they each provide their own unique flair.
We will compare stacked wilds versus expanding wilds – analyzing the key differences and explaining why certain players may prefer one over the other. By 2025, both features have further evolved to offer even more potential during bonus rounds.
Stacked Wild Symbols
Stacked wilds have been a staple inclusion in modern video slots on such sites as Spinz Casino NZ for over a decade now. The concept itself is simple – a designated wild symbol has the potential to cover an entire reel.
| Year | Number of New Slots With Stacked Wilds |
| 2023 | 103 |
| 2024 | 127 |
| 2025 | 109 (so far) |
These ’skyscraper symbols’ can lead to some truly epic wins and provide serious aesthetic appeal too. When a stacked wild lands, it typically triggers cascading wins as matching symbols get substituted.
The defining benefit of stacked wild symbols is they provide enhanced hitting frequency compared to traditional single-row wilds. Having an entire reel converted to a wild instantly gives players a better chance of landing a big win.
However, it is worth noting that slots with stacked wilds tend to have lower RTP percentages. This balances out the extra volatility they provide during gameplay.
Over the past two years, stacked wilds have continued to grow in prominence:
- More slots are integrating the feature during standard gameplay AND bonus rounds.
- The height of stacked wild reels keeps increasing – some slots have symbols that stretch over 7 rows now!
- Many developers have introduced new visual flair to stacked wild transformations – ranging from flashy animations to symbols that expand in size.
This natural evolution has ensured stacked wilds retain their popularity with online slot fans in 2025.
Expanding Wild Symbols
Expanding wilds provide a different type of excitement compared to their stacked counterparts. Rather than stretching vertically, they spread horizontally!
When an expanding wild lands, it will convert adjacent symbols into wilds too. They effectively ’infect’ neighboring reels, with the spreading nature providing plenty of anticipation.
Some key differences compared to stacked wilds:
- Expanding wilds lead to wins by clustering symbols rather than stacking them.
- They tend to trigger smaller, more frequent wins rather than monumental single wins.
- Most expanding wilds continue to spread during free spin rounds for huge potential.
The most popular expanding wild slots in 2025 include:
- Money Cart
- Lion Thunder
- Greek Gods
A reason why expanding wilds retain their appeal is due to innovative developers. Programmers keep finding new ways to make these spreading symbols more exciting:
- Expanding wilds that clone themselves for even more coverage.
- Reverse expanding wilds that convert symbols starting from the edges.
- Multi-stage expanding wilds that spread, retract and then expand again!
These fresh takes ensure expanding wild fans are well catered to in 2025’s crowded online casino space.
Key Differences Between Stacked and Expanding Wilds
While both stacked and expanding wilds promise heart-pumping gameplay, they achieve this through different means. Some key differences:
- Win Frequency. Stacked wilds trigger big but infrequent wins, while expanding wilds constantly land smaller victorious combinations. This makes expanding wild slots ideal for casual players.
- Volatility. The potential for stacked wilds to blanket full reels directly translates to higher maximum payouts. Expanding wilds provide more consistent wins to balance their lower volatility.
- Visual Style. Stacked wilds showcase huge vertical transformations for visual oomph. Meanwhile, the incremental spread of expanding wilds builds tension and allows for creativity.
- Bonus Potential. Stacked wilds that stretch even further during free spins often lead to those coveted 1000x+ wins. Expanding wilds continue to spread for potentially insane coverage.
Understanding these core differences allows players to choose the style of wild symbol that best matches their preferences. Of course, many modern slots now integrate both stacked and expanding wilds for a truly manic experience!
Final Thoughts – Wild Symbols Continue to Improve
The sustained popularity of stacked and expanding wilds symbols proves online slot developers continually tweak and evolve game mechanics. Players in 2025 rightfully expect innovation alongside the classic features they know and love.
Impressively, stacked and expanding wilds have still managed to find new ways to surprise and delight fans – even a whole decade after first launching. This bodes well for their longevity moving deeper into the 2020s.
Both wild features have more than earned their place among player-favorite slot innovations, like cascading reels and cluster pays. As slots get more complex, stacked and expanding wilds will likely retain their prestige status for years to come.
So if you consider yourself a slots aficionado, be sure to appreciate these symbols when you see them. The skyscraper stacked wilds and spreading expanding wilds represent over a decade of creative efforts from talented game designers!
Photo: Darya Sannikova via Pexels
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