By Alex Smith Feb 29, 2024
Starbust Review
Head to virtually any real money online casino on the planet, and you’ll see NetEnt’s Starburst slot – usually on the front page. It is, by far, one of the industry’s most successful video slots in history. Despite basic game mechanics, a maximum win of just 500X your stake, and relatively uninspiring gameplay, Starburst has proven itself a player-favourite, especially among new online gamblers.
In this Starburst slot review, we will be doing a “deep dive” into the slot, looking at the bonuses and features (there are no free spins rounds, so be warned), the game’s theme, the Starburst slot RTP and more!
You can also play the Starburst slot for free below; no sign-up is required. Simply load up the slot below, select how much you’d like to wager per spin, and you can begin playing without risking a cent of your own money!
| Software | NetEnt |
|---|---|
| RTP | 96.09% |
| Reels | 5-reel-4-row |
| Min Bet | 0.10 |
| Max Bet | 100 |
Which Online Casinos Play Starbust?
Overview
NetEnt is one of the clear industry leaders in the iGaming industry. They’re known for several hit online gaming games, including Dead or Alive (and Dead or Alive II), Gonzo’s Quest, and Twin Spin. Starburst is, perhaps, their most well-known and popular slot – despite dividing the online gambling community in many ways.
Starburst is often used at online casinos as a welcome bonus offer. For example, you may find that you’re awarded a certain number of free spins on the slot simply for making a deposit at a new online casino or completing your identity verification checks. It’s easily the most common video slot built into welcome offers.
This may surprise many players, especially given the complex and highly-technical slots we’re seeing software providers like Big Time Gaming and Elk Studios coming out with today. Despite its basic, straightforward build, Starburst remains a whopping commercial success – and it’s unlikely this will change any time soon!
A Slot Machine Set In Outer Space
As the name somewhat hints at, Starburst is set in a far-away galaxy, and the slot’s packed with star-like imagery with the reels set upon a backdrop mimicking one of the billions of galaxies surrounding us.
The slot is built around a 5-reel, 3-row format, and there are ten paylines in play. Depending on the version of the slot you’re playing (and the online casino you’re playing at), you may be able to adjust the number of paylines active and the coin value. However, most HTML5 versions of Starburst appear to have a fixed payline structure.
We should also point out that while Starburst has ten paylines, it’s a win-both-ways game. Wins are paid out from left-to-right and right-to-left – so you could argue that you’ve got twice as much chance as hitting a win while playing!
Starburst can be played from as little as $0.10 credits per spin (or $0.01, where you can still adjust the number of active paylines). High-rollers are taken care of, too, as the maximum bet is set at a whopping $100 per spin!
It may not feel like the most exhilarating slot machine ever made, but many players secretly hold a soft spot in their heart for Starburst slot machine despite what they may say. It’s iconic, easy to play, and good fun!
In our Starburst slot review, we will be taking an in-depth look at what the slot’s all about. We’ll be covering details about how the game works, the return to player percentage, the volatility, and how much the symbols pay. We’ll also look at the features in the game.
If you’re interested in playing Starburst without risking any of your own money, please feel free to play our demo version below. No sign-up is required, and you can begin playing in just a few seconds!
RTP and Volatility
If you’re looking to play Starburst, you may be wondering about the game’s RTP – and what kind of percentage you’ll be looking at when trying it.
Unfortunately, NetEnt now offers some of their games with inflexible RTP settings, allowing online casinos to choose which RTP percentage they want to offer. With Starburst, for example, the RTP can vary from 90.05% to 99.06%. The RTP you’ll get all depends on the market. For example, the UK’s Gambling Commission has certain rules surrounding RTPs that other Gambling Commission authorities don’t.
We always recommend you try and play the highest RTP version of Starburst as possible, as this ensures you’ll get the ‘most value for your money’ – the most play-time. However, the default RTP of Starburst is 96.09%, which is generally the figure you’ll find at most online casinos – especially reputable ones.
In terms of volatility, Starburst’s low volatility has made it such a popular choice. The ultra-low variance math model the slot is built around ensures that you should be able to play the game Starburst for a long time without worrying about your bankroll taking too much of a hit.
Of course, it swings work both ways – so you may find you spin some dead spins – while other times, you may enjoy a plethora of wins in a row! Starburst has a hit frequency of 22.6%, which means you can expect to hit a winning spin on the slot once in every five spins, on average.
Symbols and Payouts
The symbols in the Starburst online slot are a significant reason behind the game’s success. They look great, and some of them (the BARs and 7’s) can produce pretty decent wins. Like most online slots, Starburst has both low-value and high-value symbols. All the lower-paying symbols are different types of Gems, and you’ll see them colored in Purple, Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow.
Starburst’s top-paying symbols are the two premiums we just talked about – the BARs and the 7’s. They’re not worth a huge amount of money – especially compared to other online slots – but a 5-of-a-kind combo of the BAR (the game’s highest-value symbol) awards a payout worth 25X your stake. Starburst also uses a win-both-ways mechanic, so wins are formed from both sides!
Bonuses and Features
Unlike most NetEnt slots and other popular games around today, Starburst doesn’t offer any free spins bonus. There’s no “Pick Me Bonus,” – and besides a re-spin feature, there isn’t much going on! However, there is something called the Starburst Wild feature, which allows real-money players to hit some decent wins!
Below, we will look at the bonus features inside Starburst – and how the slot uses a unique wild symbol mechanic instead of a free spins feature.
Starburst Wilds Feature
The Starburst Wilds feature is what the game is all about. This cool mechanic is what makes the video slot so popular among players. In the middle of three reels (reels 2, 3, and 4), you’ll notice special Starburst Wild symbols; these are multi-colored stars. These wilds substitute for all other symbols – as you’d find in most online slots.
Now, when a Starburst Wild appears in view, it will expand and cover the entire reel that it lands on. It will then “lock” in place, and you’ll be awarded a free re-spin. If, on that re-spin, any more Starburst Wild symbols land, they also expand and lock in place – and you’ll be awarded one additional re-spin. Any new wins formed are then paid out, and the next re-spin is awarded.
It’s possible to land up to three re-spins here, and if you’re fortunate, the middle three reels can transform into fully wild reels! Of course, you can end up with some pretty decent-sized wins here with the right winning combinations. While they don’t match that of some of the more high variance slots on the market today, the expanding wild feature can offer wins of up to 500X your stake!
Our verdict
It’s unlikely NetEnt had any idea what they’d be producing when they first created the Starburst slot. It’s become one of the most commercially successful video slot releases in history, and it’s rare not to find it offered at online casinos.
While the game is pretty much as basic as it comes, real money players continue to flock to it thanks to its ease of use, great-looking graphics, and the fun Starburst Wild bonus features.
Sure it’s a simple slot; it’s a low variance machine, and the lack of a free spins bonus is likely to turn away some of the more experienced players. However, those who play Starburst will find themselves spinning a slot packed with regular action. The Starburst Wilds tend to come out quite a lot, and the slot game offers a decent level of action. The Starburst slot RTP is high, and the left to right and right to left payout mechanic is attractive to players of all experience levels.
The slot isn’t for everyone, but if you’d like to play Starburst for yourself and see why we “hype” it so much in this review, you can do so right here on this page. You don’t need an account, and simply loading up the slot, selecting the coin value (or using the max bet option) and pressing the spin button is all you need to get started!
NetEnt’s Starburst slot is iconic – and there are very few online slot players who won’t be familiar with it. While there are no Starburst free spins, the regular Starburst Wild feature makes the game so attractive to players. As mentioned earlier, it’s often included as part of a casino’s welcome bonus promotion, so you may get some free spins to play Starburst for free when you join some of the hand-picked casinos we recommend here Casinomeister.
Starbust Review FAQs
NetEnt’s older Starburst slot – the one built using Flash – was, for some players, somewhat confusing to use. You had to set the number of paylines you wanted to play, the coin value, and the bet level. There was also a max bet button that confused some players.
Thankfully, the HTML5 version of the Starburst slot (the one that’s now available across all NetEnt casinos) is much easier to use – and the slot game has had quite a “makeover” in terms of the user interface.
This has largely done away with the complicated features. For example, you can no longer change the number of paylines in the slot game at most sites, although you can still vary the bet level. Simply choose a stake that suits you and hit the spin button – and the reels will begin to spin; it’s that simple!
Unfortunately, Starburst doesn’t offer a free spins bonus. However, while this may turn players off playing the slot game, it’s designed like this for a reason. Starburst is all about the re-spin feature, which brings the game its considerable fame. You can, however, claim Starburst free spins at many online casinos, as many offer them as part of their main welcome bonus offer.
As part of putting this Starburst slot review together, we closely looked at the game’s payouts – and how much you can win.
Due to the slot’s low-variance nature, the max win is relatively small compared to most of the video slots we’re seeing released today. The most you can win on a single spin is just 500X your stake. While this doesn’t sound particularly appealing, the hit frequency of the game is high, and the wild symbol feature triggers quite frequently, so you shouldn’t have to wait around for too long to begin seeing wins!
How does the expanding wild feature work?
The expanding wilds feature in Starburst is what the game is all about. It’s possible to get up to 3 re-spins with the middle three reels transformed into fully wild reels. This is the main bonus in NetEnt’s iconic 5 reel slot, and the wild symbols – when landing in view – expand, filling the entire reel on which they land.
Like we’ve seen in other slots, the wilds then lock in place, and re-spins are awarded. On the re-spins, any additional wild symbols that land also expand before another respin is awarded. You can land up to three wild symbol icons on the middle three reels, and if you get all 3 re-spins and the BAR symbols on the left and right-hand-side of the screen, you’ll scoop the game’s maximum win of 500X your stake!
The expanding wilds feature in Starburst is what the game is all about. It’s possible to get up to 3 re-spins with the middle three reels transformed into fully wild reels. This is the main bonus in NetEnt’s iconic 5 reel slot, and the wild symbols – when landing in view – expand, filling the entire reel on which they land.
Like we’ve seen in other slots, the wilds then lock in place, and re-spins are awarded. On the re-spins, any additional wild symbols that land also expand before another respin is awarded. You can land up to three wild symbol icons on the middle three reels, and if you get all 3 re-spins and the BAR symbols on the left and right-hand-side of the screen, you’ll scoop the game’s maximum win of 500X your stake!
Like some of NetEnt’s slots, Starburst comes in various RTP settings. This allows operators to change the return-to-player percentage that players are offered when they play the game. The flexible RTP settings that NetEnt offers varies in the slot between 90.05% and 99.06% – although the industry standard in the slot Starburst is 96.09%. This is the RTP that most operators offer Starburst in, and remains the same regardless of whether you’re playing from a desktop computer/laptop or on the mobile version of the game. You can check which RTP version you’re playing from the game’s main menu.
In most slot games, wins are formed from left to right. You need to line up symbols from the left-hand side of the screen towards the right. However, the Starburst slot does things differently, and wins are formed in both ways.
When you begin playing the slot, you’ll notice that wins are formed both left-to-right and right-to-left. This is just one of the many unique mechanics that’s helped to make this slot so popular among players! This win-both-ways mechanic is especially valuable when the wild symbol feature activates, as it essentially doubles your chances of hitting a win!
Alex is a 26-year-old writer from Brighton, in the UK, and for the past 8 years, he’s worked with a number of companies, creating content for blogs, news articles, and more. While Alex has written on a wide variety of topics, his speciality is online gambling – an industry he’s both passionate about, and experienced in. Having enjoyed gambling for over 7 years, Alex is a huge fan of video slots, and cites NetEnt, Big Time Gaming, Thunderkick, and Quickspin as his favourite providers. The topics he writes on are varied, but he loves nothing more than a good old slot review (he’s written over 1,000 slot reviews in his career), and he also enjoys writing in-depth gambling guides, along with casino reviews. In his spare time, Alex enjoys playing the guitar, and is a self-proclaimed horror film buff.
