Starburst Slot Review

In this Starburst slot review, we take a closer look at one of the most recognisable slots released by NetEnt. We provide professional, hands-on reviews of slot games, and this time the focus is on a title that has been a staple in online casinos for years.

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Starburst was launched in 2012 and is known for its simple gameplay, bright design, and straightforward structure, so it’s worth seeing how it holds up today.

Game overview

Starburst is a video slot from NetEnt with a very simple setup, without bonus rounds or complex features. It is a low-volatility slot game with a single feature, known as the expanding Wild mechanic.

The game is played on a 5-reel, 3-row layout with 10 fixed paylines, and you can try the Starburst demo at Unibet. It uses a space-themed design, with the symbols being gems in different colours. The simplistic, colourful theme keeps the slot looking modern, despite its age.

After being released, it quickly became one of the most popular online slots. This is largely because it is straightforward to play and its structure differs from higher-volatility titles.

Game name	Starburst
Theme	Space/Gems
Provider	NetEnt
Year of release	2012

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Game Features: Symbols, paylines

Starburst keeps things very straightforward, with 10 fixed paylines that are always active. Wins land from either left to right or right to left across adjacent reels, and only the highest-paying combination per line is counted before all wins are added together.

The symbols are colourful gems rather than characters or themed icons. The highest-paying symbol is the BAR, followed by the red 7. The remaining symbols are gems in various colours, with values decreasing from yellow and green down to blue and purple.

The Wild symbol is the Starburst logo, and it’s the main feature of the game. It appears only on reels 2, 3, and 4. When it lands, it expands to cover the entire reel and triggers a re-spin, while staying locked in place. Based on the research done for this Starburst slot review, this can happen up to three times in a single spin if multiple Wilds land.

There are no Scatter symbols, free spins, or bonus rounds in Starburst. The gameplay is built entirely around the base game, the expanding Wilds, and the re-spin mechanic.

Gameplay: Starburst mechanics

As highlighted in this Starburst slot review, the gameplay is as simple as it gets. You choose a stake, spin the reels, and wins are paid when matching symbols land across the paylines. The game uses a ‘pay both ways’ mechanism, so a payline can be formed both from left to right and right to left.

There are no bonus rounds or complex extra features to keep track of in the base game. Everything revolves around matching symbols and the Wild mechanic. When a Wild lands on reels 2, 3, or 4, it expands to cover the full reel and triggers a re-spin.

During the re-spin, the Wild stays locked in place while the other reels spin again. If another Wild lands, it also expands and triggers an additional re-spin. This can happen up to three times in a single spin, creating the possibility of multiple full-reel Wilds within a single sequence.

Because there are no free spins or complex mechanics, the gameplay feels fast and consistent. Wins land more frequently compared to higher volatility slots, but they are usually smaller.

Category	Details
Wilds	Yes (expanding and sticky with re-spins)
Scatters	No
Other special symbols	N/A
Gamble feature	Not specified
Reel features	Expanding Wild reels with re-spins
Free spins	No
Respins	Yes
Multipliers	No
Other bonus features	N/A

RTP + volatility

Starburst comes with a variable RTP that ranges from 90.05% up to 96.09%, depending on the version offered by the online casino, so it’s worth checking the game info before playing.

In terms of volatility, we found during testing for this Starburst slot review that it sits between low and medium. Most wins tend to be smaller in value, which is typical of lower-volatility slot gameplay.

Payouts

The payout structure in Starburst is very simple, as all wins come from regular symbols and the expanding Wild feature. There are no bonus rounds or special payout mechanics, so everything is based on line wins and respins.

The highest-paying symbol is the BAR, followed by the red 7. The remaining symbols are coloured gems, with values decreasing from yellow and green down to blue and purple.

For this Starburst slot review, we’ve gathered the highest payouts for landing 5 symbols on a payline:

• BAR – 750
• Red 7 – 250
• Yellow gem – 200
• Green gem – 150
• Purple gem – 100
• Blue gem – 50

All payouts are based on the bet per line, and since Starburst pays both ways, wins can form from left to right and right to left. The maximum win per spin is 800x.

There are 10 fixed paylines, so, for example, if you’re betting £5 in total, that means £0.50 per line. Landing 5 blue gems (value 50) would result in:

50 x £0.50 = £25 win

Category	Details
RTP	90.05% – 96.09%
Maximum win	800x
Highest-paying symbol	BAR
Volatility	Low to medium

Stake limits

The betting system in Starburst is very straightforward, with a fixed 10-payline setup and no extra settings to adjust. One thing we noted during our Starburst slot review is how beginner-friendly the betting interface is, as you simply choose your total stake and the game splits it evenly across all active lines.

Category	Details
Minimum bet	£0.10
Maximum bet	£5.00 (£2 for ages 18 to 24)
Adjustable paylines	No
Bet per line	£0.01 – £0.50
Buy feature	No

 

 

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Audiovisuals

Starburst’s space-theme design and colourful gem symbols have become widely recognisable over the years, and still feel modern today. The animations and transitions are smooth, and the glowing effects and the line that appears whenever a payline is formed make it easy to follow wins.

The sound design is also memorable, with the recognisable soundtrack that plays in the background and the distinct sounds during wins and respins. Even though the game is over a decade old, our Starburst slot review found that the presentation still holds up well.

Starburst Slot Review: Summary

Starburst keeps things simple and consistent, which is exactly why it has stayed popular for so long. It doesn’t rely on complex features, but it delivers a steady experience that works to this day, and in this part of the Starburst slot review, we will evaluate it based on our ranking system.

Gameplay excitement (14/20)

The gameplay is fast and straightforward, with the re-spin mechanic providing additional activity within each spin sequence. It doesn’t have bonus rounds or other features like free spins, but the expanding Wild and re-spin mechanic is engaging enough.

Bonus features quality (9/20)

There are no traditional bonus rounds, and everything depends on the expanding Wilds. While the mechanic works well, it appears basic and limited compared to newer slots.

Max Win Potential (10/15)

With an RTP of up to 96.09% and a maximum win of 800x per spin, the game has a straightforward payout structure. As a lower-volatility slot, wins tend to be smaller in value.

Volatility balance (11/15)

The low to medium volatility means wins tend to be smaller, though the gameplay pace is relatively consistent compared to higher-volatility slots.

Theme and design (9/10)

The space theme and colourful gems still look modern. The visuals are clean, easy to follow, and hold up well even today.

Replay probability (7/10)

One of the key takeaways from our Starburst slot review is that the game remains enjoyable despite its age, but the limited feature set does affect long-term replay value.

User experience (8/10)

This slot is easy to understand and runs smoothly across devices. It’s beginner-friendly and doesn’t require any learning curve.

Category	Max score	Our score
Gameplay	20	14
Bonus features quality	20	9
Max win potential	15	10
Volatility balance	15	11
Theme and design	10	9
Replay probability	10	7
User experience	10	8
Total score	100	68

 

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