Wild Swarm Slot

Wild Swarm in a Nutshell

Uncover some of the juiciest honey in the hive in this bee-themed slot game from Push Gaming. Released in June 2018, Wild Swarm has become one of the provider’s most popular slots. The game unfolds on a 5×4 slot reel and features 20 fixed paylines. The 97.03% RTP rate is above average for a game of this kind, while players with larger bankrolls, who are happy to take risks, will be suited to the medium to high volatility. That said, there are more volatile games around than this one. The pick-me and free spins bonus rounds bring further excitement in this charming slot, in addition to the max available win of 3,100x your stake.

• Software dev – Push Gaming
• Type – Online slot
• Reels – 5
• Paylines – 20
• Min bet – $0.20
• Max bet – $100
• Release date – 19 June 2018
• RTP – 97.03%
• Variance – Medium to High
• Rows – 4
• Max payout – 3,100x

Features

• Free spins – Y
• Progressive – N
• Bonus rounds – Y
• Multipliers – N
• Mobile – Y
• Wild symbol – Y
• Scatter symbol – Y

Additional features

While most slots require three matching symbols along a payline to receive a payout, in Wild Swarm you can win half your bet back by landing two of the high-paying $ symbols. Five $ symbols is still the ideal combination, as this pays out $12 on a $0.40 bet.

Ratings

• Gameplay, RTP and variance – 8
• Bonus features – 7
• Mobile and tablet experience – 8
• Design, graphics, and sound – 8

Gameplay, RTP, and Variance

Wild Swarm’s base game takes place on a set of 5×4 reels and follows a traditional slot format. It’s easy enough to pick up, so you’ll have the hang of it by the time any of the bonus features kick in.

This slot offers a favorable Return to Player (RTP) rate of 97.03%, which is significantly above the 96% average. This indicates that, on average, $97.03 of every $100 wagered on the slot is returned to players. However, this is only a theoretical prediction based on millions of spins, so it should by no means lead to any expectations for individual players.

Wild Swarm is a pretty volatile game, falling in the medium to high category. As a result, we can consider it a fairly risky slot, with players most likely experiencing some winless runs. The trade off, with higher volatility games like this one, is that there are typically bigger wins up for grabs.

Bonus Features

Wild Swarm has plenty to offer in terms of bonus features. First off, there’s the Free Games round. Players can activate up to 15 free spins by landing three or more hive symbols anywhere on the reels with a single spin.

There’s also a Pick feature that can be triggered by landing a treasure chest symbol. It’s a fun deviation from the base game, as you’ll be taken away to a new screen and offered five different honeycomb picks. Each honeycomb reveals a different prize, including free spins, a Swarm Boost, or an instant Swarm Mode.

The other way to trigger the Swarm Mode is to fill up the honey meter by collecting five bee symbols throughout the game. This bonus involves ten free spins with a bunch of sticky wilds added to random positions across the reels, helping to form winning combos. The Pick feature can also be activated again during this round if you land another treasure chest symbol.

While there might be a great number of free spins up for grabs in other slots, the combination of sticky wilds and extra spins in the Swarm Mode feature gives this bonus round lots of potential, most notably with the max win of 3,100x.

Mobile and Tablet Experience

Built using HTML5, Wild Swarm is a well-crafted game that’s optimized for mobile and tablet devices. Like other Push Gaming titles, it’s playable in portrait mode on your mobile, which isn’t an option for many games. It’s a useful feature, as it’s the most natural way to hold the device and therefore makes for a comfortable gaming session.

Design, Graphics, and Sound

With its cutesy bee theme and ethereal forest backdrop, Wild Swarm is about as charming as a slot game design can get. There are lots of nice details here, from the hive dangling above the reels from a tree branch, to the delicate green leaves floating to the ground. 

The graphics are really sharp too — the wooden letter symbols are nicely crafted and the different bee characters blink as they sit smiling in position. The tree-laden background has a hazier quality, adding to the mystique of the setting. These visuals are enhanced by the jaunty soundtrack, which features violins and bells.

License and Audit

Wild Swarm features at a wide range of online casino sites licensed by the likes of the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), and Romania’s Oficiul National pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN). Furthermore, all of Push Gaming’s titles are regulated by auditing bodies such as BMM Testlabs and eCORGRA, so players can spin the reels safe in the knowledge they’ll be enjoying a fair game that uses RNG technology, and is in keeping with the stated RTP percentage.

How Does it Compare to Other Push Gaming Titles?

Players looking for a slot with a darker theme may be interested in Push Gaming’s The Shadow Order. The game has a secret society theme and features characters such as The Spy, The Messenger, The Gambler, and the Magister.

The main difference between The Shadow Order and Wild Swarm in terms of gameplay is the inclusion of the cascading wins feature. Popularized by the NetEnt classic Gonzo’s Quest, this feature sees winning symbols removed from screen and replaced with new ones, meaning you can bag additional wins as part of the same spin.

The Shadow Order’s RTP is marginally lower than Wild Swarm’s at 96.98% and the volatility is medium rather than medium to high. However, the max win is still much higher in The Shadow Order — Push Gaming states the highest observed win is 21,144x the stake, while the theoretical max win is 25,471x. 

The max win disparity highlights something of a weakness in the Wild Swarm slot, but overall the difference in gameplay largely comes down to aesthetics. Which one is more enjoyable to play therefore primarily comes down to personal preference and how moody you like your slot to be!

How Does it Compare to Other Slots on the Market?

Slots that use fairly traditional formats, like Wild Swarm, are naturally held in contrast to those that break with the usual formula. Many of the most popular releases of the past seven years have borrowed Big Time Gaming’s Megaways formula — a mechanic that does away with traditional paylines and allows for between two and seven symbols per reel on any given spin, resulting in up to 117,649 ways to win.

Many Megaways slots are revamps of already popular titles, such as Bonanza Megaways, Rainbow Riches Megaways, and Fluffy Favorites Megaways. Combining this exciting mechanic with an already established slot makes for a successful combination, often leaving stand-alone slots, like Wild Swarm, in their wake. 

However, many players prefer to keep the gameplay simple, have a relaxed playing experience, and wait for the excitement to come from the bonus rounds. Wild Swarm is ideal in that regard, and is also a better option than the likes of Megaways if you’re playing slots for the first time.

What We Think

For a slot with such a mild-mannered theme, Wild Swarm packs a decent punch. The 97.03% RTP and medium to high volatility will instantly stand out to players looking for larger payouts. There’s also a nice range of bonus features here without being overwhelming — the Pick feature and Swarm Mode free spins offer a nice change from the base game and some decent rewards if you can amalgamate some of those sticky wilds. Overall, Wild Swarm is a solid slot game that’s ideal for players who like to keep things fairly simple, with a few fun flourishes.