Starburst Slot Review

Starburst Slot Overview

Starburst from NetEnt is one of those slots I keep coming back to. The setup is simple enough, with five reels, three rows, and ten fixed paylines that pay both ways. The theme hits that arcade style space vibe, with bright gems spinning in front of a starry backdrop and a retro electronic soundtrack. For me it sits perfectly between relaxed spinning and regular little bursts of excitement.

When I look at the maths, Starburst offers a theoretical return around 96.09% and runs on a low volatility model. That means lots of small wins, rather than rare massive hits, which suits longer sessions. The max payout sits at about 500 times your stake, so at £100 a spin the headline prize is £50,000. With bets starting from just 10p, it fits every bankroll I play with.

Starburst Slot Symbols and Payouts

On the reels in Starburst you get a mix of glowing gemstones and classic slot icons. The symbols feel like a modern take on old fruit machines, swapping cherries for purple, blue, red, green, and yellow gems. Sitting above those are the red lucky sevens and the gold bar symbols. The wild is a rainbow coloured star that lands on the middle reels and steals the show whenever it appears.

With stake set to one coin, the purple and blue gems pay 0.5x, 1x, and 2.5x for three, four, or five in line. Red gems pay up to 4x, green up to 5x, and yellow tops the gem group at 6x. The sevens step things up with wins up to 12x, while the bar symbol is king of the base game, paying 5x, 20x, or a chunky 25x.

I like how those values interact with the ten paylines that pay both directions. Even the lower stones feel worthwhile because wins can start from left or right, so lines appear more often than on standard one-way games. Most of my bigger hits have come when bars or sevens connect during a streak of respins, but even modest gem clusters help keep the balance ticking along nicely.

Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	5	x25
	4	x20
	3	x5
	5	x12
	4	x6
	3	x2.5
	5	x6
	4	x2.5
	3	x1
	5	x5
	4	x2
	3	x0.8
	5	x4
	4	x1.5
	3	x0.7
	5	x2.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.5
	5	x2.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.5
	Wild

Starburst Game Bonuses & Special Features

For bonuses in Starburst the focus is almost entirely on the expanding wilds. The rainbow star only lands on reels two, three, and four. When it hits, it expands to cover the whole reel, substitutes for everything, and then locks in place while the other reels spin again. Hit another wild during that respin and the process repeats, up to three times, so the middle of the screen can stack full of stars.

There are no separate bonus rounds, multipliers, or traditional free spin features in Starburst, and I do not miss them. The Two Ways Win mechanic and the wild respins do the heavy lifting, especially when you are betting across all ten lines. With stakes running from 10p up to £100 per spin, lining up bars on stacked wild reels is how you chase that 500x fixed top win.

Starburst Slot RTP, Volatility & Hit Frequency

I always check the numbers before I really commit to a slot, and Starburst holds up well. The default return sits around 96.09%, though some casinos run lower versions that edge closer to 94% or even below, so I always peek at the game info. The volatility is firmly low, with a generous hit rate, which means plenty of small wins and regular respins rather than huge, rare jackpots.

Strategy to Hit a Win on Starburst

When I play Starburst seriously I start by treating it as a steady grinder rather than a high risk punt. I set a session budget, pick a base bet of around one percent of that bankroll, and stick to all ten paylines. I like to try new settings in the demo first, just to get a feel for how often wilds show up and what the paytable really looks like in practice.

I sometimes use a simple level betting plan on Starburst, nudging the stake up after a short run of dead spins and dropping back once a decent hit lands. The key is chasing Starburst wilds on reels two to four, since full stacks in the centre can pull back a cold spell in one go. I also favour sites running the higher RTP version, because a few extra percentage points stretch any bankroll.

Final Thoughts on Starburst

For me Starburst still earns its place as a timeless classic. The graphics might not match the flashiest new releases, yet the mix of low volatility, ten lines that pay both ways, and those satisfying expanding wild respins keeps the gameplay sharp. It works as a first slot for newcomers and as a laid back option for seasoned players who just want smooth spins and a fair shot at that 500x win.

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