Sticky wild slots: compare what stays, moves and disappears

Which sticky wild slots show genuinely different rules?

The Dog House, Dead or Alive 2 and The Big Dog House illustrate three distinct questions. Is a multiplier retained with the symbol? Which bonus mode actually uses sticky wilds? Can another feature remove a symbol that was previously fixed? Those questions make a shortlist more informative than a row of similar screenshots.

The examples below come from the providers' descriptions. They show how three documented designs differ; current availability and optional features still need to be checked in the British operator version. The comparison makes no claim of personal real-money testing. Its purpose is to make the rules easier to compare, with the title and mode attached to each description.

Use the full game title when opening rules. A sequel, a Megaways edition and an original can share characters while using different layouts and bonus logic. Recognising the dog, outlaw or jewel artwork does not establish which release is running.

What does sticky actually describe?

Sticky describes persistence. A symbol remains in a position for a period specified by the rules instead of being replaced at the next evaluation. The word does not by itself describe the symbol's payout, the number of lines it can help, or the probability of further symbols arriving.

For a substitute symbol, the retained position can help form later combinations. The rest of each combination must still meet the rules. Think of the wild as one part of the next evaluation: it stays available, while the surrounding symbols can change. Whether those symbols connect, and what the combination pays, are separate questions answered by the paytable and the completed result.

Ask when persistence starts. A wild might behave normally during paid base-game rounds and become sticky only inside a particular bonus. A promotional description that calls a game a sticky-wild slot can therefore be accurate even though most ordinary spins show no retained wild at all.

Also ask when persistence ends. The lifetime could be the remaining free spins, a limited number of respins or a condition defined by another modifier. An image showing a fixed symbol cannot establish its lifetime unless the relevant rule or state counter is also known.

Why is the original Dog House a useful starting example?

Pragmatic Play describes the original The Dog House as a five-reel, three-row game with twenty lines. Its wilds have multipliers on reels two, three and four, and the free-spin feature uses sticky wilds. Those details identify the original game's design without borrowing rules from a similarly named sequel.

The practical comparison is between the wild's ordinary substitution role and its continued presence during the feature. A retained multiplier can remain relevant to later qualifying combinations. Its existence does not mean that every position on the screen shares that multiplier or that unrelated awards receive it.

This is also why a short game label is insufficient in a comparison table. The Dog House, The Big Dog House and The Dog House Megaways are different products. A rule copied from one can look plausible on another page while still describing the wrong release.

What does the mode choice change in Dead or Alive 2?

NetEnt identifies sticky wild behaviour in the Old Saloon and High Noon Saloon free-spin games. A wild that appears in those modes remains until that free-spin session ends. The provider also describes a separate Train Heist mode, so a statement about one mode must not be silently applied to all three.

For someone comparing feature designs, the useful field is therefore the selected mode, not just the game title. A page saying that Dead or Alive 2 has sticky wilds omits an important part of the answer if it never explains where that behaviour belongs.

A mode selection should be read as a choice between documented rule sets, not a strategy that can guarantee a better session. The number of spins, treatment of wilds and multiplier behaviour can differ. A larger displayed potential does not reveal how likely any particular outcome will be.

This comparison does not publish a maximum-win figure for the game. The current provider overview contains differing headline and structured field values for that subject. Omitting the disputed figure is more accurate than selecting whichever number creates the strongest promotional impression.

Can something remove a sticky wild?

Yes, if the individual game expressly includes that interaction. Pragmatic Play's description of The Big Dog House states that ghost wilds can remove random sticky wilds before the next spin. It also describes a Ghost Out modifier that removes ghost wilds during the feature.

That example shows why sticky should not be translated as permanent under every possible condition. The ordinary persistence rule can coexist with an explicit removal rule. Both belong in the comparison; presenting only the retained symbols would hide an important part of how the feature evolves.

The Big Dog House also combines differently sized wilds and multiplier values. The relevant question is which object occupies which positions after the rules have been applied. A visually large wild is not automatically several independently counted symbols, and the game must define its treatment.

If a retained symbol disappears, first check the documented interaction rather than assuming an error. A replay, a game-rule description and the selected modifier can together explain the change. A single before-and-after image is less informative when the intervening action is missing.

How do sticky, expanding and moving wilds differ?

A retained symbol can stay in one position, change its footprint, or move according to another rule. These are separate properties. A game can combine them, but the presence of one does not establish the others. Compare the actual operations rather than treating feature adjectives as synonyms.

An expanding wild changes how much of a reel or grid it occupies. A moving wild changes position. A sticky wild persists for a defined duration. If a feature combines expansion and persistence, record both its occupied area and its remaining lifetime before comparing it with a single fixed symbol.

Consider two invented designs. One holds a single-cell wild for three evaluations. The other expands a wild across a reel but clears it after the current evaluation. The first changes duration; the second changes footprint. A useful comparison records both fields, even when one has no special rule. The surrounding symbols and paytable still decide whether either wild contributes to a paying combination.

This page focuses on games selected for retained substitutes. It does not rank every game with any wild feature. The narrower scope avoids mixing ordinary substitution, scatter awards and symbol persistence into a catalogue where the labels tell the reader very little about the actual difference.

How can a feature be followed without inventing a win?

Consider an illustrative free-spin sequence where the rules retain a substitute symbol until the feature ends. A wild arrives in the middle position of a reel. On the next evaluation that position remains occupied, while the other eligible positions are populated again. No payment amount is needed to describe that state change.

The next result might form a qualifying combination that uses the retained position. Another result might fail to form any qualifying combination. Both outcomes are consistent with the same persistence rule. Calling the symbol sticky explains its presence, not the result of every surrounding evaluation.

If another wild lands and is retained, the number of held positions can increase. Whether their multipliers combine, apply separately or affect different combinations depends on the paytable. A generic example should stop before assigning an interaction that the selected game's rules have not established.

At the feature's end, the retained state is cleared according to the game rules. A later bonus is a new feature unless the product explicitly documents persistent progress across rounds. A memory of a favourable previous layout does not establish that the next session starts with those positions already occupied.

How should multipliers be compared?

Identify the award that receives the multiplier. It might be a line combination involving the wild, a particular symbol payout or a feature total. These are different bases. A multiplier value has little meaning when its applicable base and interaction with other modifiers are omitted.

Here is a hypothetical calculation: a qualifying 50p award receives a 2× multiplier, giving £1. The input is the eligible award. A 20p stake shown elsewhere on the screen remains the stake, and other lines receive the multiplier only if the rule includes them. Writing “50p qualifying award × 2” beside the result makes the calculation easier to check than a bare claim that something doubled.

When two multiplier symbols appear, look for the interaction rule before adding or multiplying their values. If the provider or live rules say they multiply together, follow that instruction for the eligible combination. If the interaction is undocumented, leave it unanswered in the comparison. A rule from a related title may produce plausible arithmetic while describing a different game.

This matters when comparing screenshots. A screen with a large multiplier can represent a small eligible base award, while a screen with a smaller multiplier can represent a different base. Comparing only the printed multiplier produces an incomplete account of either result.

Do more held positions guarantee a better session?

No. More useful positions can change the current feature's possible combinations, but the distribution of future symbols remains part of the game's design. A visually promising layout does not establish a guaranteed return, a recoverable loss or an obligation to continue playing.

Separate the present feature state from the decision to purchase another round. Once a feature has settled, its result is part of the account history. It does not make the next trigger due. Raising a stake because the preceding feature ended with many held symbols confuses a completed event with a future probability.

The same caution applies when only one position appears to be missing from a visually impressive pattern. The number of missing positions is visible; the chance of completing them is not given by that count. A near-complete layout can still finish without the desired combination.

Set spending and time boundaries independently of the animation. A feature that extends unexpectedly does not require a further purchase after it ends. If the game has become difficult to leave, the support page provides independent sources of help without asking the reader to play through another sequence.

What should be checked about stakes and game versions?

Read the total stake for a purchased round, not just an individual line or coin value. A fixed-line game can express its configuration differently from a ways-based game. A comparison should convert amounts only where the rules establish the relationship between the displayed unit and the total wager.

This page does not convert an international provider's euro limits into a purported British cashier limit. A currency conversion would not establish the minimum offered by a particular operator. The actual game panel and account currency must provide the relevant local stake information.

A provider-published RTP describes a particular theoretical configuration. The presence of sticky wilds does not supply that value, and a game family does not guarantee one identical setting across every release. Record the number shown in the actual rules if that is the comparison being made.

Availability is another independent field. A provider page can establish that a game exists and describe its feature. It cannot by itself establish inclusion in a named casino's current British lobby. This shortlist therefore avoids placing an unverified play-here note beside any title.

What is the difference from held coin features?

In a held-value feature, the retained object may carry a value to be collected at the end. In a sticky-substitute feature, the retained object normally helps form qualifying symbol combinations. The visual idea of keeping something on screen is shared, but the accounting role differs.

Our Hold and Win comparison examines coin triggers, respin counters and collector events. That page is the better starting point when the question concerns resetting spins or summing retained money symbols. It does not replace the mode and substitution questions considered here.

Likewise, a cascade replaces winning symbols before another evaluation. The original Gonzo's Quest note identifies one particular release using that approach. A retained substitute can interact with another mechanic, but one label should not be used as evidence that the other is present.

Keeping these scopes separate makes an internal shortlist useful. Someone looking for a resetting coin collector should not have to open five sticky-wild pages to discover that they concern a different sort of feature. The game notes index provides the routes between them.

How can a rule be checked on a phone?

Open the information panel before following an animation. Find the paragraph describing the wild, then the bonus-mode paragraph, then any modifier that changes either. On a narrow screen those sections may appear on separate pages, so a single visible panel may not contain the complete interaction.

Confirm that the selected mode name remains identifiable while the feature runs. If the screen offers a choice, retain the selected option in any note about what occurred. A later description that names only the game can lose the very detail needed to explain why a symbol was retained or removed.

If the display freezes, consult the game's round history or the operator's account record before purchasing another round. Animation completion and settlement are separate observations. Repeated taps do not create evidence that the previous action failed, and can make a sequence harder to reconstruct.

Photographs on this page convey the casino topic; they are not captures of the provider's interface. For factual game behaviour, use the linked primary descriptions and the live rule panel. This prevents a generic jewel on an editorial image from being mistaken for a specific symbol in the selected title.

How should contradictory game descriptions be handled?

Check the release name, date, feature mode and source before deciding that two descriptions conflict. An original product and a later edition can legitimately have different features. A provider announcement from launch can also be less detailed than a current game page without either describing the same field incorrectly.

Where the same source supplies incompatible values for the same subject, do not manufacture a compromise. A maximum of one figure and another maximum cannot be averaged into a third game fact. Record the discrepancy and omit the disputed field from a public comparison until the live configuration establishes it.

The Dead or Alive 2 example above follows that approach for its maximum-win claim. The comparison retains the supported mode-specific sticky rule and leaves the inconsistent headline figure out. An omitted field is preferable to an impressive number that cannot be reconciled with the source.

Also distinguish a provider's product description from a casino's promotional award. A game's free-spin feature is part of its internal rules. A casino's deposit-free spin offer is a separate account promotion, with its own game selection and treatment of winnings.

What makes a shortlist useful for different readers?

For someone who wants to understand a straightforward retained multiplier, the original Dog House example isolates that question. For someone comparing selectable bonus modes, Dead or Alive 2 shows why the mode belongs in the description. For someone examining exceptions to persistence, The Big Dog House supplies an explicit removal interaction.

These are reasons to read particular rules, not recommendations based on promised profit. None establishes that a title is easy to win, suitable for recovering losses or appropriate for every budget. A meaningful comparison can describe the design clearly while leaving the decision not to gamble entirely open.

The shortest useful note for each candidate contains its exact title, provider, persistence window, multiplier basis and removal conditions. If one of those fields is unsupported, leave it out and identify the supported difference instead. A consistent format should not force an invented fact into an empty cell.

After choosing a rule to investigate, stop comparing headline screenshots and read that product's own explanation. If the question instead concerns an account bonus, move to the no-wagering comparison. A game mechanic and an account reward can both use the phrase free spins while referring to entirely different things.

How can two shortlisted features be compared without a score?

Use a question-led comparison rather than awarding invented points. If the reader wants to understand a mode choice, the relevant difference is whether sticky behaviour appears in every mode or only selected ones. If the reader wants to understand a disappearing symbol, the relevant difference is the documented removal interaction.

Those criteria do not produce a universal first, second and third place. A simpler rule can be easier to follow without offering a better expected result. A more elaborate rule can provide more visible state changes without being more favourable to the player's budget. Keep usability observations separate from mathematical claims.

For the three examples above, a compact reading order is possible. Read the original Dog House to identify persistence attached to multiplier wilds. Then compare the mode-specific rule in Dead or Alive 2. Finally inspect the explicit exception in The Big Dog House, where a ghost interaction can change the retained layout.

This reading order moves from a retained multiplier to a mode-specific rule and then to an explicit exception. It helps explain increasingly detailed questions without assigning a winner. There has been no side-by-side bankroll experiment behind that order, and it gives no staking instruction. The evidence is the primary description of each feature, which the reader can inspect independently of the other two games.

What would count as evidence of a persistent state?

For an individual round, useful evidence shows the same position before and after an evaluation, identifies the selected feature mode and preserves any modifier event between those states. A cropped image showing a highlighted symbol establishes less: the highlight could indicate an ordinary winning combination rather than persistence.

For a general product claim, the provider description or the live game's rules should identify the relevant lifetime. An isolated video can demonstrate one observed event, but it cannot establish that the same lifetime applies to every mode, release or configuration. The scope of the evidence must match the scope of the statement.

If a position remains but the symbol's size changes, record both observations. The retained anchor and the visible footprint need not be identical concepts in a game with changing reel heights or expanding symbols. Describing only the image's apparent size can hide the rule that decides which combinations use it.

This also explains why artwork is kept separate from the fact table. A photograph can make a retained-symbol topic recognisable, but cannot certify a specific rule. The meaningful comparison is supported by the source text; the image supports orientation and reading, without becoming a fabricated product demonstration.

The rule comparison should also survive a change of artwork. A new colour scheme or character does not establish a new persistence mechanic. Identify the operation that changes the retained state, and use that operation as the reason for including a title rather than the novelty of its thumbnail.

Questions about slots with sticky wilds