Starburst Review and Demo

Starburst Slot Review

Starburst was released in 2012. The slot has five reels and three rows. My Starburst review found an RTP of 96.09% and 10 paylines. You can win up to 500x your bet. Expanding wilds help trigger respins. Starburst is one of the most vibrant games I have played. 

This low volatility slot machine was created by NetEnt. You may have heard of other NetEnt games, with some of my favourites including Dead or Alive 2 and Gonzo’s Quest. 

Category	Detail
Game Title	Starburst
Software provider	NetEnt
RTP	96.09%
Volatility	Low
Max Win	500x
Theme	Jewels
Key Mechanic	Expanding wilds

Starburst Gameplay

I noticed the Win Both Ways mechanic right away when I played the Starburst demo. This allowed me to form winning combinations in both directions and double my payouts on every symbol. For example, a 250x win is triggered when BAR symbols fill all positions on the reels, which is then doubled to 500x.  Starburst is played on a traditional 5x3 grid with 10 fixed paylines. 

The Starburst logo is the wild symbol, which I found can land on reels 2, 3, and 4. It can substitute for any other symbol. Just one wild triggers the respins feature. I was lucky enough to earn the maximum three respins by landing 3x wilds. Unlike many other slots I have played, Starburst has no scatter or bonus symbols.

Purple, blue, red, green, and yellow jewels are the low-paying symbols. I found just two high-paying symbols: 7 and BAR. 3+ matching symbols must land on a payline to earn a payout. Whether right to left or left to right, you can bet from £0.10 to £5 per spin. 

Symbol	3x	4x	5x
Purple	5x	10x	25x
Blue	5x	10x	25x
Red	7x	15x	40x
Green	8x	20x	50x
Yellow	10x	25x	60x
7	25x	60x	120x
BAR	50x	200x	250x

I played the Starburst free demo and won 20x when four green symbols landed on a payline. My biggest payout came when 4x lucky 7 symbols landed, giving me a 60x win.

Theme and Story of the Starburst Slot

While it’s true that Starburst sits at a sort of intersection of a classic jewellery box and a deep-space odyssey, the real magic lies in its retro-cosmic atmosphere. Rather than a gritty sci-fi adventure, the game feels more like a high-definition trip back to the neon-lit arcades of the 80s and early 90s.

The main story is about celestial energy, and the gems are supposed to represent fragments of stars. The theme starts to make more sense when the Starburst Wilds make an appearance. This is when the cosmic and jewel aspects collide. When these prismatic stars land, they expand to light up the entire reel. This is supposed to represent a supernova which bridges the gap between the beauty of the gems and the mystery of the galaxy.

Our own head reviewer at CasinoTopsOnline had this view of Starburst’s theme:

Graphics, Sounds, and Vibes

I was impressed with the retro design and cosmic feel. The reels are set in front of a glowing galaxy, with two planets on display at all times. The graphics are of the highest quality, and it came as no surprise to learn that NetEnt has remastered the slot several times over the years.

Symbols pop up nicely from the darkness, while the arcade-style animations added to my experience. The visuals only get better when you form winning combinations. I enjoyed seeing the word “COMBO” on screen, and it is made crystal clear where the wins came from. 

At first, I thought the soundtrack was slightly boring and not in keeping with the game's style. My opinion quickly changed when I started spinning the reels. The music intensifies as you play, and electric-style effects are heard when you win or land wilds. Noise from other apps automatically stopped when I played the Starburst free demo on my smartphone.

One of my colleagues at CasinoTopsOnline had an interesting viewpoint on the Starburst graphics:

I’ll be honest, Starburst holds up surprisingly well on a phone, even if you lose some of that big-screen 'wow' factor. I just felt that I could not enjoy the visuals as much as I could on my PC. That is just my opinion, and there is not much that NetEnt can do to improve the mobile experience.

This is because the 'SPIN' button is conveniently placed, and all features remain accessible. I did have to hold my phone a little closer to my face to view my balance and bet size. I found things easier when I switched to landscape view using a tablet.

One of the top experts at CasinoTopsOnline said about the mobile version of Starburst:

Starburst Slot Bonus Features

I found only one bonus feature while playing the Starburst demo. The round is known as Starburst Wilds, and I will explain how that works below.

Starburst Wilds

Trigger the bonus feature when 1+ wild symbol lands on reels 2, 3, or 4. Wilds instantly expand to take over the entire reel. Additionally, I was awarded one respin at this time. Landing another wild will activate another respin, with up to three available. The starburst Wilds feature ends when no extra wild symbols land. You will then be taken back to the base game.

Starburst Slot Wagering Details

Now for the fun bits: the RTP, volatility, and bet limits. Here is what I found:

RTP and Volatility

The Starburst RTP is 96.09%. This is around the average for this type of casino game. However, low volatility results in smaller, more frequent wins. This is one of the reasons Starburst is a popular choice for beginners. I was able to enjoy a lengthy playing session even with a limited opening balance. 

Bet Sizes & Variance

Starburst accepts bets of £0.10 to £5 per spin. While the minimum bet caters well to beginners, I would think that high rollers will find the limits too restrictive. 

Bonus Frequency

The bonus frequency helps compensate for the lack of additional features. A wild symbol landed twice in 50 spins during testing. This is more frequent than most slots, with the average bonus triggered every 120-150 spins.

Testing the Starburst Slot with a £50 Bankroll

I started playing the Starburst demo with £50. I did not earn a payout of more than £2.50 from my first 20 spins. Increasing my bet size to £5 quickly helped trigger the Starburst Wilds feature and gave me a payout of £65.50. My experience was in keeping with the average RTP and low volatility.

Starburst Slot vs Similar Slot Games

Many developers have attempted to recreate Starburst's style and theme. While there have been varying degrees of success, the games I have listed below provide entertaining alternatives. 

Slot	Developer	RTP	Max Win	Volatility
Starburst	NetEnt	96.09%	500x	Low
Reel Gems	Microgaming	97.49%	495x	Low
Elemental Gems Megaways	Pragmatic Play	95.45%	5,000x	High
Forge of Gems	Play’n GO	94.2%	20,000x	High
Star Clusters 2	Big Time Gaming	96.63%	34,500x	High