The Wildos (Thunderkick) Slot Review

The Wildos: Slot Overview 

Thunderkick’s The Wildos, released on March 22, 2023, is a rootin’-tootin’ Wild West slot full of color, attitude, and multiplier-packed thrills. With a cartoonish take on the old frontier, this high-volatility slot trades grit for giggles as three mischievous bandits prepare a bold jailbreak and bank heist—with cakes, no less. Yes, cakes. 

Though it might initially remind players of Dead or Alive 2 by NetEnt, The Wildos carves out its own niche with a light-hearted visual tone and a gameplay style that hinges on Multiplier Wilds, sticky free spins, and a high win potential of up to 6,250x. Built around a standard 5×3 reel grid with 15 paylines, this slot’s core mechanics center around landing explosive wilds on the middle reels and watching them rack up compounding multipliers—especially during the bonus round, where the action gets stickier than a cowboy in a tar pit.

Design and Graphics 

The visuals of The Wildos are pure Thunderkick—stylized, bold, and irresistibly cheeky. The reels are set between a jail and a bank, creating the ideal setup for the game’s narrative: masked robbers plotting their escape to make a run for the loot. The whole setting has the look of a comic book western—complete with exaggerated character designs, vibrant colors, and just the right amount of absurdity.The reel symbols are well designed and clearly differentiated: 

Low pays: Clubs, diamonds, spades, hearts (card suits) 

Mid pays: Boots, hats, and whiskey bottles 

High pays: Three grinning bandit characters in red, blue, and green masks 

Animations are punchy and humorous, particularly when Multiplier Wilds land and slap big x3 or x5 values across the screen. Sticky wilds in the bonus game lock in with a satisfying thud, while dynamite cake scatters explode into colorful free spin counters. Overall, the cartoon aesthetic perfectly matches the slot’s upbeat, chaotic energy.

Gameplay Mechanics 

The Wildos plays out on a classic 5-reel, 3-row layout with 15 fixed paylines. Wins form when three or more matching symbols land on adjacent reels from the leftmost reel. 

Key base game feature: 

Multiplier Wilds appear only on the three central reels (2, 3, and 4). 

These Wilds substitute for all regular symbols and come with multipliers ranging from x1 to x5. 

When multiple Multiplier Wilds are part of the same win, their values multiply, not just add—i.e., an x2 and x4 = x8 multiplier. 

It’s a deceptively simple system that has serious payoff potential, especially when two or three wilds line up. The fact that these values compound adds real dynamism to the base game.

Sound and Music 

The soundtrack of The Wildos is upbeat and cinematic with a western twang—plucky banjos, harmonicas, and rhythmic percussion set the stage. The music adapts smoothly between calm base play and high-energy bonus rounds. It’s not a spaghetti western score, but rather a more cheerful, tongue-in-cheek soundscape. 

Sound effects are excellent: 

Multiplier Wilds land with a satisfying slam. 

Cake scatter symbols explode like cartoon bombs. 

Wins are punctuated by coin jingles and echoing saloon-style tones. 

The audio never overwhelms the player but adds richness to the experience, especially during long spins or re-trigger-heavy bonus sequences.

Bonus Features 

Multiplier Wild Symbol

The wild symbol in The Wildos isn’t just decorative—it carries multipliers and can swing payouts substantially. Key notes:Appears on reels 2, 3, and 4. 

Has random multipliers from x1 to x5. 

Combines multiplicatively: Two x3 wilds = x9 total multiplier, three x5s = x125 max multiplier! 

This feature is active in both the base game and bonus round and is a major contributor to the game’s max win potential. 

Bonus Game (Free Spins)

Triggered by landing 3 dynamite cake scatter symbols, this awards: 

8 free spins to start 

The ability to win up to 9 extra free spins 

During free spins: 

All wilds become sticky, locking in place for the rest of the round. 

Each wild lands with a new random multiplier value. 

Below each reel is a meter: each wild that lands fills one section. 

When a meter fills (3 hits), it awards +3 additional spins. 

Max of 9 bonus spins can be awarded this way. 

This creates a progressive buildup system, especially if wilds start stacking early. It’s particularly powerful because multipliers on wilds do not remain static—each wild’s multiplier is randomly reassigned on every hit, keeping results unpredictable and sometimes explosive. 

Bonus BuyPlayers who want to skip straight to the action can buy the bonus feature for 100x the bet, which comes with a slightly higher RTP of 96.44% compared to the base game’s 96.15%.

Betting Options and Payouts 

The Wildos is accessible to a wide range of players: 

Minimum Bet: €0.10 

Maximum Bet: €100 

Base RTP: 96.15% 

Bonus Buy RTP: 96.44% 

Volatility: High 

Max Win: 6,250x your bet 

Paytable values: 

Low symbols (cards): Up to 3x for five-of-a-kind 

Mid symbols (boots, hat, bottle): 5x to 7x 

High symbols (bandits): 30x to 50x for five matches 

The true payout potential comes from the wild multipliers. A win with three x5 wilds (the max) multiplies the base win by x125, meaning even low-value wins can snowball into something massive.

Conclusion 

The Wildos might not rewrite the Wild West playbook, but it definitely redraws it in crayon—and that’s part of the charm. Thunderkick’s comic-style visuals and clever mechanics make this slot stand out in a crowded genre. Instead of leaning into gritty realism, it takes the genre in a playful direction, complete with exploding cakes, sticky multiplier wilds, and bandits that look like they stepped out of a Saturday morning cartoon. 

The Multiplier Wilds are the beating heart of the game, and their compounding effect injects excitement into even the smallest wins. The bonus game is where the slot truly shines, offering rising tension and escalating rewards as sticky wilds and free spin meters interact. 

On the downside, the max win of 6,250x may feel modest compared to other high-volatility slots (Dead or Alive 2 still reigns supreme in that category). Also, limiting wilds to the middle reels means the game relies heavily on central positioning luck. 

Still, these minor drawbacks are outweighed by the fun factor. Whether you’re a casual player who loves a bit of cowboy comedy or a hardcore slot hunter chasing sticky wild potential, The Wildos offers a balanced, thoroughly entertaining ride.