Sticky wilds describe persistence
Sticky wilds are Wild symbols retained under a feature’s stated rules for later evaluations. “Sticky” tells you that something stays; it does not, on its own, tell you the number of spins, the eligible mode, or whether the symbol covers one cell or a whole reel.
Read the retention rule and the Wild’s substitution rule separately. A symbol can remain visible without substituting for every symbol type. To understand the feature, identify both what it does and how long that behavior continues.
Check five parts of the retention rule
| Question | Detail to locate |
|---|---|
| What starts it? | The symbol or event that activates retention |
| What stays? | A symbol, a marked position, a reel or another object |
| Where does it stay? | The same cell, a moving position or a specified area |
| When is it used again? | The next spin, cascade, respin or another named step |
| What resets it? | A counter, a feature ending or another explicit event |
A short description such as “Wilds stick during the bonus” leaves several of these questions open. Treat it as a summary and consult the full rule before assuming the remaining conditions.
Sticky wilds and expanding Wilds answer different questions
An expanding symbol changes the area covered. A sticky symbol persists across the specified steps. Those properties can coexist, but neither name guarantees the other.
Invented example: a fictional Wild fills its reel for one evaluation, then disappears. It expanded, but did not persist into another evaluation. Another fictional Wild stays in one cell for three specified spins without growing; that illustrates persistence without expansion.
Habanero’s Koi Gate overview describes expanding Koi Wilds and a respin sequence. Use its exact conditions instead of turning the word “expanding” into a universal sticky-symbol rule.
Two official examples with different retention objects
In Hacksaw Gaming’s Wanted Dead or a Wild, the Great Train Robbery bonus description says that landed Wilds are sticky. Keep that statement attached to the named bonus; it is not a claim about every mode in the game.
Habanero’s Hot Hot Fruit instead describes symbols in winning combinations locking for the remainder of free games. Retaining winning symbols is a different condition from retaining every landed Wild. The comparison shows why both the object and its qualifying event need to be recorded.
These are published feature descriptions, not reports of a hands-on session. The relevant game’s full rules still determine the detailed interactions and exceptions.
Do not count a retained symbol as another awarded spin
A retained Wild, a remaining-spins counter and a multiplier are separate pieces of state. A symbol staying in place does not automatically grant an extra spin, reset the counter, or multiply a payout. Each effect needs its own rule.
Invented sequence: a fictional mode begins with three actions and retains a Wild. If the first action consumes one and no rule grants another, two remain. The Wild’s continued presence does not change that arithmetic.
For the action terminology, read the public respin explanation and scatter-symbol guide. Finish your note with the retention and reset conditions; a clear description of persistence is more useful than calling every screen with a Wild a new bonus.
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