Slots Like Wild Swarm 2: The Hive Meter Explained
Wild Swarm 2 brings Push Gaming’s bee village back for a brighter, higher-volatility sequel, keeping the original’s 5 reel, 4 row, 20 payline base game while adding a full reel-multiplier system to both bonus rounds. Worker Bee symbols add a single point to the Hive Meter and Queen Bees add five, and once the meter fills, any landing Bee symbol gets a chance to explode and launch Swarm Mode, the game’s premium bonus. Standard Free Spins come from landing 3 or more Hive scatters, awarding 7 to 10 spins with Sticky Wilds and fixed 2x and 4x reel multipliers, while Swarm Mode instead applies climbing multipliers up to 8x across all five reels. International builds offer four Feature Buy tiers for the standard Free Spins, but Swarm Mode itself can’t be purchased directly on any build, and none of it is available on UK-licensed sites regardless. The default build pays back 96.67%, sits firmly in the high volatility bracket, and offers a ceiling of 10,000x stake, roughly triple what the original Wild Swarm could reach.
Where to Play
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Try the Slots Like Wild Swarm 2: The Hive Meter Explained Demo
Spin Slots Like Wild Swarm 2: The Hive Meter Explained for free right on this page. The demo is the complete game running on practice balance rather than real money. 18+.
Game Information
Slots Like Wild Swarm 2
Very little outside of Push Gaming’s output runs a meter-driven bonus quite like the Hive Meter, so the studio’s catalogue dominates this list.
- Wild Swarm 3 Chocolate Eggs
The next entry in the same franchise, swapping the bee village and Hive Meter here for a trio of collector eggs and their own individual free spins modes. - Dragon Hopper
A dragon fantasy release from the same studio, running a 7×7 cluster grid rather than the fixed paylines and Hive Meter progression used here. - Mystery Mission – To The Moon
This same-studio pick trades the bee village and Hive Meter here for a lunar setting and its own locked Mystery Stack symbol format. - Santa Hopper
A festive spin-off from the same studio, built around a hopping Santa Wild and a 7×7 cluster grid, a very different structure to the reel multipliers used here. - Razor Shark
The studio’s best-known title takes players underwater instead of into a hive, stacking mystery symbols and expanding free spins in place of the meter-and-multiplier build here. - Jammin Jars
A fruit-jar cluster classic from the same studio, built on an 8×8 grid and a Rainbow multiplier feature that has nothing to do with the Hive Meter here. - Big Bad Wolf
A storybook pick from Quickspin, powered by Pigs Turn Wild and Swooping Reels rather than anything resembling the bee-hive mechanics on this page. - Honey Rush: Black and Yellow
Another bee-themed pick, this one from Play’n GO, running a honeycomb cluster grid and Colony features rather than the fixed paylines and Hive Meter used here. - 10 Flaming Bisons
A frontier release from the same studio, trading the bee village and Hive Meter here for fixed jackpots, Bison symbols and an optional Push-Up grid expansion. - 10 Santa’s Reindeers
A snowy same-studio pick trading the bee village and Hive Meter here for a Reindeer cash ladder, fixed jackpots and a paid grid-expansion ante bet.
How the Game Works
Reviewed by Brian TaylorPublished: July 2026
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A honey jar, a gold crown and the Worker and Queen Bee characters sit above the deck of card symbols on the paytable, framed by a lush, mushroom-dotted bee village. Twenty fixed paylines run across a standard 5×4 layout, and wins form left to right with 2 or more matching symbols landing on adjacent reels starting from reel one.
Wild Honey and Sticky Wild symbols substitute for every paying symbol except the Scatter and Chest, with Sticky Wilds only appearing during Free Spins and Swarm Mode, where they stay locked in place for the rest of the round. A separate Chest feature can trigger randomly in the base game, offering one of five prizes: bet multipliers up to 1,000x, extra free spins, a Swarm Boost, Sticky Wild reels, or an instant entry straight into Swarm Mode.
The Hive Meter and Swarm Mode
Every Worker Bee symbol that lands adds a single point to the Hive Meter, while Queen Bees add five points at once. Once the meter fills across its five levels, any Bee symbol landing afterward gets a chance to explode and trigger Swarm Mode, with Queen Bees carrying better odds of setting it off. Standard Free Spins run separately, triggered by 3, 4 or 5 Hive scatters for 7, 8 or 10 spins respectively, each starting with a matching number of Sticky Wilds already in place, plus fixed 2x and 4x multipliers on reels two and four.
Swarm Mode itself awards 10 free spins with individual multipliers climbing across all five reels, from 2x on reel one up to 8x on reel five, alongside a guaranteed Sticky Wild reel. International builds offer four Feature Buy tiers for the standard Free Spins round, but Swarm Mode can’t be purchased outright on any build, and none of the buy options appear on UK-licensed sites in any case.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The Hive Meter gives the base game a clear sense of progress toward Swarm Mode
- Reel multipliers on both bonus rounds noticeably raise the ceiling compared to the original Wild Swarm
- The random Chest feature adds a genuine extra layer of anticipation outside the main meter
- 10,000x stake roughly triples the original’s maximum win
- The brighter, more polished bee village presentation is a clear step up visually from the first game
Cons
- Feature Buy tiers aren’t available on UK-licensed sites, and Swarm Mode can’t be bought outright even where they are offered
- High volatility means the Hive Meter can take a genuinely long stretch to fill through natural play
- Reduced RTP configurations down to 88.79% are also reported in circulation at some operators
- The RTP of 96.67% sits slightly below the original Wild Swarm’s reported 97.03%
Game Screenshot
Watching the Hive Meter fill and finally set off Swarm Mode a few times on the free demo is the best way to judge how those reel multipliers actually stack up before risking anything real.
Expert Take
Reviewers generally treat Wild Swarm 2 as a genuine step up from the original, with the added reel-multiplier system on both bonus rounds singled out as the clearest improvement. The most common criticism is that the higher volatility can make the Hive Meter feel slow to fill, and that Swarm Mode itself remaining unbuyable stands out compared to how freely the standard Free Spins can be purchased on international builds.
About the Developer
Wild Swarm 2 launched from Push Gaming on 29 February 2024, six years after the original Wild Swarm. Layering a full reel-multiplier system onto both bonus rounds and raising the volatility marks it out as a proper sequel rather than a simple visual refresh. See more on our Push Gaming slots page.
Wild Swarm 2 Key Stats
Wild Swarm 2 slot information last reviewed: July 2026
| Wild Swarm 2 Slot Info | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Wild Swarm 2 |
| Provider: | Push Gaming |
| Developer Rank: | A high-volatility sequel built around a Hive Meter progression system and reel multipliers on both bonus rounds |
| RTP: | 96.67% at the default setting (reduced 95.70%, 94.67%, 90.65% and 88.79% configurations may apply; Feature Buy mode runs at 96.88%) |
| RTP Category: | Above Average |
| RTP Rank: | Above the UK market average |
| Feature Description: | A Hive Meter filled by Worker and Queen Bee symbols that triggers Swarm Mode, plus standard Free Spins with Sticky Wilds and fixed reel multipliers. |
| Feature Categories: | Insect Themed, High Volatility, Meter Progression Mechanic |
| Reels: | 5 |
| Rows: | 4 |
| Paylines: | 20 fixed paylines |
| Volatility: | High |
| Volatility Rank: | Upper tier on the site |
| Min Bet: | £0.10 |
| Max Bet: | £100 |
| Max Win: | 10,000x stake |
| Release Date: | 29 February 2024 |
| Slotslike Rank: | 1,703 out of 4,200+ games (View Top 100) |
Slots with the Same Features
Two more picks worth weighing up against Wild Swarm 2.
Other Insect Themed Slots
Both stick to an insect setting, though neither runs a Hive Meter or the reel-multiplier system found here.
More Push Gaming Slots
Neither the Hive Meter nor Swarm Mode carries over to these two, but both wear the same studio’s badge with their own separate mechanics.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Hive Meter work?
Worker Bee symbols add 1 point and Queen Bees add 5 points, and once the meter fills across its five levels, any landing Bee symbol has a chance to explode and trigger Swarm Mode.
What is Swarm Mode?
A premium bonus round awarding 10 free spins with individual reel multipliers climbing from 2x on reel one up to 8x on reel five, plus a guaranteed Sticky Wild reel.
How do standard Free Spins work on Wild Swarm 2?
Landing 3, 4 or 5 Hive scatters awards 7, 8 or 10 spins respectively, each starting with matching Sticky Wilds already in place and fixed 2x and 4x reel multipliers.
What is the Chest feature?
A randomly triggered base-game feature offering one of five prizes: bet multipliers up to 1,000x, extra free spins, a Swarm Boost, Sticky Wild reels, or instant entry into Swarm Mode.
Is there a Bonus Buy option on Wild Swarm 2?
International builds offer four Feature Buy tiers for standard Free Spins, but Swarm Mode can’t be bought directly, and none of it is offered on UK-licensed sites.
What is the RTP of Wild Swarm 2?
The default build returns 96.67%, though reduced configurations down to 88.79% may be used by some operators.
How volatile is Wild Swarm 2?
It’s rated high volatility, an increase from the original Wild Swarm’s medium-high rating.
What is the maximum win on Wild Swarm 2?
10,000x stake is the top prize on offer, roughly three times the original game’s cap.
Who makes Wild Swarm 2?
Push Gaming released the game on 29 February 2024.
Our Verdict on Wild Swarm 2
Wild Swarm 2 gives Push Gaming’s bee village a genuinely bigger, more rewarding structure, with the Hive Meter and its escalating reel multipliers turning a fairly familiar meter-progression idea into something with real payoff once Swarm Mode finally arrives. The higher volatility means patience is needed, and UK players miss out on the Feature Buy shortcuts available elsewhere, but as a sequel that meaningfully builds on the original rather than just repainting it, it’s a strong follow-up.
SlotsLike rating: 8/10