Starburst is the slot most people picture when they picture a slot. NetEnt released it in 2012 with a space theme built out of gems, sevens and BAR symbols, and it has stayed in the top of casino lobbies ever since — not because it pays big, but because it is simple, fast and easy to read.
- Respins
- Expanding wild
- Wins both ways
- Stacked symbols
- Studio
- NetEnt
- Released
- 2012
- Layout
- 5 reels, 3 rows
- Ways to win
- 10 fixed lines, paying both ways
- Volatility
- Low
How It Plays
Five reels, three rows and ten fixed paylines. The line bet runs from 1 to 10 coins and the coin value from 0.01 to 1, so the stake is set by two separate controls rather than one.
Wins are paid for three, four or five matching symbols on a line. The detail that shapes the whole game is that lines pay in both directions — left to right and right to left. That roughly doubles how often a combination lands, which is why a game with modest payouts still feels generous. Where two combinations fall on the same line, only the higher one pays.
Symbols
The regular symbols are gems in five colours — purple, blue, red, green and yellow — plus a red seven and a BAR. The gems are the low end, the seven and BAR the high end.
BAR is the top symbol at 250 times the line bet for five in a row. That is a small maximum by modern standards, and it is the honest trade for how often this game pays something.
Paytable
What each symbol pays for a line of three, four and five, as a multiple of the line bet. These are the studio’s published figures for the game.
| Symbol | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purple and blue gems | 5 | 10 | 25 |
| Red gem | 7 | 15 | 40 |
| Green gem | 8 | 20 | 50 |
| Yellow gem | 10 | 25 | 60 |
| Lucky seven | 25 | 60 | 120 |
| BAR | 50 | 200 | 250 |
Bonus Feature
There are no free spins in Starburst, and no separate bonus round. What it has instead is the starburst wild, and the entire game is built around it.
The wild lands only on the middle three reels. When it does, it expands to fill the whole reel, locks in place, and the other reels spin again. If another wild lands during that respin, it expands and locks too, and the respins continue — up to three in total. With all three middle reels held as wilds, every line pays at once.
That single mechanic is why the game became as popular as it did, despite having no scatter, no gamble feature and no jackpot.
Controls
The control panel sits along the bottom of the screen. Bet shows what a spin costs in coins, Coins shows how many are available.
Level sets the line bet from 1 to 10 coins. Coin Value sets the coin from 0.01 to 1. Max Bet raises the level to 10 without touching the coin value. Autoplay runs between 10 and 1,000 automatic spins, and its settings can stop the sequence on any win or when a single payout passes an amount you choose.
Every game also carries an information panel with its rules and its return-to-player figure for the build running here. That panel is the accurate source; a number copied from elsewhere may describe a different build — see how to read RTP.
Pros and Cons
Starburst is a low-volatility game that pays small amounts often, and it is honest about that. There is no scatter, no free spin round and no gamble feature, and the top payout of 250 times the line bet is modest. Both-ways paylines and the expanding wild respins are what carry it.
It suits a slow session on a small stake, and it is a reasonable first slot to learn on because there is almost nothing to learn. It is a poor choice if what you want is a big single hit.
- Lines pay in both directions, which roughly doubles how often something lands
- The expanding wild triggers often enough to feel like a feature rather than a rarity
- Simple to read: no side bets, no confusing extras
- Low volatility suits a small stake and a long session
- No scatter, no free spins, no gamble round
- Top payout of 250x the line bet is small by modern standards
- Nothing to make decisions about, which some players find dull
- Wilds land only on the middle three reels
18+ or the legal age where you live. This game carries a house edge like every other. Play only with money you can afford to lose.
More From NetEnt
Other titles by the same studio in our lobby.
Questions
- Does Starburst have free spins?
- No. It has no free spin round, no scatter and no jackpot. The only feature is the expanding wild with respins, which triggers on the middle three reels.
- What is the maximum payout?
- 250 times the line bet for five BAR symbols on a line. The game is built on frequent small wins rather than a large top prize.
- What does “both ways” mean?
- A combination counts from the leftmost reel rightwards and from the rightmost reel leftwards. It roughly doubles the chance of a line landing, though only the higher of two combinations on one line pays.
- How many respins can I get?
- Up to three in a row. Each new wild that lands during a respin expands, locks and extends the sequence.
- Can I try it for free?
- Yes, the game has a demo mode on virtual credits. It is the cheapest way to see whether the pace suits you.