Wild Hike (Relax Gaming) Slot Review

Wild Hike: Slot Overview 

Wild Hike, released by Relax Gaming on February 8, 2023, sets its sights on a less-explored theme within the nature slot genre—night-time hiking. While most outdoor-themed slots lean into daylight vistas or jungle adventures, Wild Hike unfolds under a star-speckled sky, with crackling campfires and prowling predators as your companions. This high volatility slot packs all the wilderness thrills into a sleek and suspenseful 6-reel, 4-row format offering a whopping 4,096 ways to win. 

Although not the most creatively daring title from Relax Gaming, Wild Hike is a technically refined and mechanically dynamic release. With Expanding Wilds, Re-Spins, stackable multipliers, and two versions of buyable free spins, it delivers a gameplay experience filled with tension and potential. And with a max win of 20,000x your bet, this hike could turn into a profitable expedition for lucky and persistent players.

Design and Graphics 

Wild Hike captures the serene yet mysterious vibe of a late-night forest trek, complete with glowing firelight, towering trees, and the looming silhouettes of wild animals. The reels are nestled deep in the woods, illuminated only by moonlight and the flicker of a campfire. The entire aesthetic evokes a strong sense of wilderness solitude, and it’s a welcome change of pace from the cartoonish or overly vibrant visuals common in many nature-themed slots.The symbol set complements the setting nicely. Low-paying symbols are the typical card royals (10 to A), carved from wood and painted in vivid colors. The high-paying symbols include forest creatures such as owls, deer, wild boars, and bears, with the wolf taking center stage as the Wild symbol. These wolves howl into the sky when they land, becoming the engine of the game’s main bonus features. 

The visual polish is impressive, and the use of vibrant animations when wilds expand and multipliers increase keeps the screen engaging without overwhelming the player.

Gameplay Mechanics 

The game operates on a 6-reel, 4-row layout with a ways-to-win engine that creates 4,096 possible combinations per spin. Winning combinations are triggered by landing matching symbols on at least three consecutive reels, starting from the leftmost reel. 

Expanding Wilds and Re-Spins sit at the core of Wild Hike’s gameplay. Whenever a wild lands on reels 3 or 4, it expands vertically and awards a re-spin. During this re-spin, the wild remains sticky, and if another wild appears, the re-spin sequence continues. Each time the same expanding wild is part of a win, its multiplier increases by +1, potentially leading to huge payouts when multiple wilds and multipliers line up. 

This mechanic is tightly woven into both the base game and the free spins, making every spin a potential gateway to a cascade of re-spins and ever-increasing wild multipliers.

Sound and Music 

Audio in Wild Hike is subtle but effective. A calming nighttime ambient soundtrack plays beneath the reels, with the occasional hoot of an owl or rustle of branches enhancing the wilderness vibe. During big wins and feature triggers, the tempo intensifies with more dramatic instrumentation and deep drum rolls, building tension in the moments that matter. 

Sound effects are satisfying: the howl of the wolf when wilds land, the subtle crackle of the campfire, and the shimmer of multipliers increasing—all contribute to a polished and immersive experience. The audio doesn’t try to dominate the gameplay, but rather amplifies the mood in all the right places.

Bonus Features 

Expanding Wilds and Re-Spins 

When wilds land on reels 3 or 4, they expand to cover the full reel. This triggers a re-spin, and the wild stays locked in place. With each re-spin, if the wild participates in another win, it gains a +1 multiplier, which stacks over consecutive wins. 

Multiple expanding wilds can appear simultaneously, and their multipliers multiply against each other if they’re part of the same win. This creates massive win potential in both the base and bonus game. The re-spins continue until no new wins occur. 

Free SpinsLanding 3 or 4 scatter symbols triggers 7 or 10 free spins, respectively. The magic here lies in the synergy with the Expanding Wilds and Re-Spins features. During free spins: 

Expanding Wilds stay sticky until the end of the round. 

Multipliers are retained and accumulate above the reels. 

Every scatter that lands during free spins adds +1 extra spin. 

Any multipliers gained during a pre-triggered re-spin round are carried over into the free spins round. 

This system gives players the chance to build wild multipliers across the round, culminating in massive potential payouts during the final spins when multiple multipliers align. 

Buy Feature 

Players who don’t want to wait can purchase one of two free spins modes:Regular Free Spins: Costs 75x the bet and is the same as the scatter-triggered version. 

Wild Free Spins: Costs 150x the bet and guarantees at least one win with double Expanding Wilds. 

This second option delivers instant action and dramatically increases the likelihood of hitting those critical wild-multiplier combos.

Betting Options and Payouts 

Wild Hike offers a flexible betting range that starts at €0.10 and caps at €50 per spin, making it accessible to both casual players and high rollers. 

The game offers three RTP models, depending on how it’s played: 

96.09% for base game spins 

96.51% when buying standard free spins 

96.54% for Wild Free Spins 

These values are solid for a high volatility slot and offer a fair balance between risk and reward. 

Here’s a quick summary of symbol payouts: 

Card royals (10 to A): 1x the bet for six-of-a-kind 

High symbols (owls, deer, boars, bears, wolves): 1.8x to 10x the stake for six 

Expanding wilds: Trigger massive combo potential through stacking multipliers 

The maximum win is a hefty 20,000x your stake, which places Wild Hike among Relax Gaming’s top-tier potential slots—though you’ll need the stars (and wilds) to align perfectly to reach it.

Conclusion 

Wild Hike is a rugged and rewarding release that trades innovation in theme for depth of gameplay and mechanical polish. While the hiking theme might not break new ground, the slot shines where it counts—in its dynamic Expanding Wild + Re-Spin system, its thoughtful free spins structure, and its generous win cap. 

The visual and audio design reinforce the game’s relaxing yet suspenseful tone, making it an ideal pick for players who want a nature-themed slot with high-risk, high-reward dynamics. The fact that multipliers multiply together rather than merely add up is a crucial differentiator and opens the door for massive win combinations—especially when locked wilds persist over multiple re-spins. 

While it might not have the viral momentum of Relax’s Money Train series or the flashy branding of a franchise game, Wild Hike is a slow-burning slot with a very sharp edge. It’s perfectly built for strategic spins, big finishes, and thrilling payouts—especially when the howling wolves come out to play. 

If you’re up for a nocturnal stroll through Relax Gaming’s creative wilderness, Wild Hike is a trail worth following.