Design and Theme
🖼️ Graphics
Starburst doesn’t have a traditional background — all animation is concentrated on the symbols. The game grid feels suspended in zero gravity, with stardust, a shimmering gradient, and a faint, pulsing glow. The symbols look like a collection of gems and gold bars straight out of an ‘80s arcade-style cosmos. Everything is designed with symmetry in mind — winning lines go from left to right and right to left, and your eyes catch that balance.
At the centre is the rainbow-colored wild — the Starburst Wild. When it appears, the reel expands, and the screen lights up with an interactive light show. The key is not to blink — it all happens fast.
🎶 Sound
The music blends ambient with retro-futurism. The track is looped but never annoying: you could spin for a hundred rounds and not get tired of it. Each win is accompanied by a signature synth chime, like a VHS logo animation booting up. When a wild lands, a sharp synth blast and echo shoot out as if directly into your ears.
In the settings, you can mute either the music or sound effects individually or adjust the volume of each. There’s also a general volume slider. In terms of usability, it’s one of the most user-friendly slots.
Starburst Mechanics
|
🥁 Grid size |
5x3 |
|
📊 Paylines |
10 |
|
➕ Bonus game |
❌ |
|
🤑 Jackpot |
❌ |
|
💸 Extra bet / Ante Bet |
❌ |
|
🪂 Fixed multipliers |
❌ |
|
♻️ Respins |
✅ |
|
❎ Double win |
❌ |
Winning Combinations
Starburst has just 10 paylines, and they pay both ways — left to right and right to left. But there's a catch: payouts are calculated based on the line bet, not the total bet. This can be confusing at first.
For example, if you bet $1 per spin, the line bet is $0.10 (because there are 10 lines). Multipliers in the paytable apply to this line bet. NetEnt displays final payout values based on your actual bet — we’ve done the same here:
Paytable
|
Symbol |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
BAR |
x5 |
x20 |
x25 |
|
Seven |
x2.5 |
x6 |
x12 |
|
Yellow Gem |
x1 |
x2.5 |
x6 |
|
Green Gem |
x0.8 |
x2 |
x5 |
|
Orange Gem |
x0.7 |
x1.5 |
x4 |
|
Blue Gem |
x0.5 |
x1 |
x2.5 |
|
Purple Gem |
x0.5 |
x1 |
x2.5 |
Special Symbols
The only special symbol in Starburst is the wild. It appears only on reels 2, 3, and 4. But when it lands, it immediately:
- Expands to cover the entire reel vertically
- Locks in place
- Triggers a respin — remaining reels spin again for free
If another wild lands during the respin, the cycle repeats. You can get up to three respins in a row, each with sticky wilds. This sequence creates a solid chance for good payouts, especially if wilds land on the centre reels.
- Important: The Starburst Wild substitutes for all other symbols but doesn’t have a payout of its own — it’s a trigger, not a paying symbol.
There is no classic bonus game here: no special Starburst free spins for scatters, no multipliers, no pick-me chests — just wilds and respins. But that’s enough for solid wins.
RTP, Volatility, Max Win
Starburst has an RTP of 96.09% — a standard return-to-player rate typical for most NetEnt slots.
Volatility is low, and you can feel it right away: spins often produce small wins, wilds show up regularly, and your balance holds up better than in high-risk slots. If you’re chasing hardcore bonuses and x5000 potential — this is not your game.
The maximum win in Starburst is x500 your total bet. Yes, by today’s standards, that’s not much. But Starburst was never trying to compete with Megaways or Nolimit City. Its purpose is a steady, predictable rhythm with flashy wilds and fast cycles.
Our Verdict
Starburst is a slot built around symmetry and instant feedback. It doesn’t promise massive jackpots, but it can surprise you in the first few minutes. For instance, during our test, within 20 spins, two wilds landed on the centre reels and triggered a respin chain that resulted in an x86 win. It felt like a big hit was coming.
But then it calmed down. During our extended Starburst slot demo tests, no big wins came over the next 200+ spins. The game handed out small hits — rarely above x10. By the end of the 300-spin session, we were slightly in the red. Of course, this isn’t a definitive statement on volatility or RTP — it’s just a personal observation. It all comes down to timing.
Starburst is perfect for those who want to relax: no complex rules, no high-stakes bonuses, and minimal risk. If you're looking for something similar but more modern, consider Starburst XXXtreme or Twin Spin Megaways from NetEnt.
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