Wild Worlds Overview
Wild Worlds is a 5x5 cluster slot from NetEnt, released back in April 2019. You join three feathered superheroes, Green Bird, Pink Bird and Blue Bird, who are trying to save their planet from an alien invasion. The grid sits next to their command HQ, which gives the whole thing a proper cartoon comic-book vibe.
It runs on a Cluster Pays engine with an Avalanche mechanic, so wins explode and new symbols drop in. Bets go from 0.20 up to 400 a spin, RTP sits at 96.47%, and volatility is medium. Honestly, my first impression was that it felt more like a video game than a slot, which is either a plus or a bit much depending on your mood.
Wild Symbols for Wild Winnings
Symbols are split into low-pay coloured gemstones (green, purple and blue with little markings like feathers, lightning and waves) and the three superhero birds as the mid-to-high pays. The crown is the top regular symbol, paying up to 100x your stake for five in a cluster. The wild matches that 100x payout for five as well.
The clever bit is the Hero Wilds feature. When you land a winning combo with one of the three hero symbols, all the remaining heroes of that same type on the reels turn into wilds. That can chain into more wins via the avalanches, which is where the base game gets a bit moreish.
Symbol Payouts
| 5 | x100 |
| 4 | x25 |
| 3 | x5 |
| 5 | x100 |
| 4 | x25 |
| 3 | x5 |
| 5 | x15 |
| 4 | x5 |
| 3 | x1 |
| 5 | x15 |
| 4 | x5 |
| 3 | x1 |
| 5 | x15 |
| 4 | x5 |
| 3 | x1 |
| 5 | x4 |
| 4 | x1 |
| 3 | x0.25 |
| 5 | x4 |
| 4 | x1 |
| 3 | x0.25 |
| 5 | x4 |
| 4 | x1 |
| 3 | x0.25 |
Bonus Features and Free Spins Worlds
Two main bonus features run in the base game. The Destroy Feature kicks in randomly after a losing spin, wiping out all symbols except one colour and dropping in fresh ones. The Hero Wilds I mentioned trigger off any winning hero combo. Both add little surprise moments that stop the base game feeling flat.
Land three scatters and you get 8 Free Spins. A wheel decides which of three worlds you play: Dark Forest drops spreading wilds when you damage a monster, Ice World drops stacked double wilds, and Fire Lands chucks in 2 to 4 random wilds that explode when part of wins.
Each world has captains (15 health) and a boss (105 health). Beat the captains to unlock that world's wild feature, then take down the boss to move on to the next world with another 8 spins. It's a lot to take in first time round, fair warning.
Bonus Buy Options
RTP, Volatility and Max Win
RTP is 96.47%, which is decent and pretty standard for NetEnt. Volatility is medium, so you're not getting hammered between wins but you're not raining big hits either. Max win clocks in at 2,500x your stake, mostly reachable through stringing together avalanches and progressing through all three free spins worlds. Not life-changing by 2024 standards, but solid enough for a casual session.
