Sticky wild respins and last-reel respins
Two second-chance features: wilds that stay put for one respin, and a reel 5 respin when two scatters land.
Second chances, explained simply
Some Orbitpop machines include a respin feature. A respin is a single extra spin that happens on its own, with no extra stake taken from your play-coin balance. Orbitpop has two kinds, and each one only appears on machines built around it. They kick in after a spin that did not pay anything, under specific conditions.
How the sticky wild respin works
On sticky wild machines, the feature starts when a spin produces no win but at least one wild symbol lands on the reels.
- The wilds that landed stay locked in place.
- All the other positions spin again, once.
- The locked wilds can help form a line on that respin.
- After the single respin, the wilds unlock and play carries on as normal.
The respin happens only once per triggering spin. If the respin also lands nothing, that is the end of it.
How the last-reel respin works
Last-reel respin machines watch for a near miss on scatters. If a spin produces no win and exactly two scatter symbols are showing, the machine respins reel 5 once. Everything else stays where it is.
- It needs a spin with no win.
- It needs exactly two scatters, not one and not three.
- Only reel 5 spins again.
- It happens once, then play continues.
A respin can feel like the machine is helping you out, but it follows fixed rules. It is triggered by what landed, not by your stake, your balance or how long you have been playing.
Why near misses are not a signal
Landing two scatters or a handful of wilds can feel like being close to something. In practice, every spin is decided at random by your browser's random number generator and is independent of every other. A respin is just a rule that gives one more look at the reels; it does not mean a bigger result is on its way, and missing out on one does not make the next more likely.
This is worth keeping in mind generally. Near misses are a normal part of how slot reels look, and they do not tell you anything about what comes next.
Both respins are quick, usually lasting only a second or two, and the machine handles them automatically. You do not need to press anything, and you cannot skip or trigger them yourself.
Where to see the respins
The quickest way to understand either feature is to watch it. Every machine's free animated Preview shows its features without using play coins or needing an account. The paytable also explains which symbols count as wilds or scatters on that machine. Any feature or hit-rate figure shown was measured by running the machine's own code for millions of spins, and describes the long run only. Coins have no value, and respins are simply part of the fun.
Next up: Expanding wilds on the middle reels