| Game developer: | NetEnt |
| Release date: | Jan 2012 |
| Game types: | |
| Return to player: | 96.08% |
| Variance: | |
| Game Features: | |
| Max win: | 800 |
| Min bet: | 0.10 |
| Max bet: | 100.00 |
| Number of paylines: | 10 |
| Game Themes: |
If online pokies had a hall of fame, Starburst would've been inducted years ago. Nearly 15 years on, it's still one of the first pokies new players reach for, and one plenty of them keep coming back to. Its appeal has always been its simplicity. You get a clean 5x3 grid of glowing gems and 10 paylines that pay both ways, which doubles the winning combinations each line can make.
Most of the action comes from the Starburst Wild, which is the only feature in the game. There are no Free Spins, no Bonus Buy, and no jackpot. The Wild lands on the three middle reels, expands to fill the whole reel, then locks in place and triggers a Re-Spin. Land another Wild on that re-spin, and it locks alongside the first, giving you one more. Up to three Wilds can stack this way for three re-spins, and that's when Starburst pays its best.
Starburst sits on medium volatility, so wins arrive at a fairly steady pace, appearing on roughly one spin in four or five. The pace of the game is yours to set. Quick and Super Quick modes work well for players who like to keep things moving, and Autoplay is there for anyone who prefers a hands-off session.
When a win lands, the top payout reaches 800x your bet, and stakes run from $0.10 to $100.00. Casinos can choose which RTP version to run, with 96.08% as the default, so it's worth checking which version your casino offers before you start.
That smaller ceiling is part of what keeps Starburst so easygoing, but if you ever want more, the family has grown over the years. Starburst XXXtreme leans into high volatility, with random multipliers up to 150x and a 200,000x max win, while the 2024 release Starburst Galaxy packs in cascading Avalanche wins, a grid that expands to 7x7, and a 17,288x top win. The original remains the simplest of the three, and for a lot of players, that's still the charm.
Stats aside, a big part of the draw is the mood the game creates.
By now, Starburst feels like an old friend, and a lot of that comes down to the rainbow Starburst Wild that almost everyone recognises on sight. The rest is kept simple, with no flashy animations or busy illustrations, just a calm trip through space that's easy on the eyes. There's something hypnotic about its slow, steady rhythm. The soundtrack is what gives it character — a moody synth loop straight out of a 90s sci-fi film.
There's a real old-school feel to the symbols, since Starburst skips the usual playing-card icons in favour of gems and a couple of classics. The Bar and Lucky Seven pay the most, while the gems cover the smaller wins, though their payouts vary. You only need three matching symbols on a line to win, and the rainbow Wild helps you get there, since it has no payout of its own and just steps in for whatever symbol you need.
| Symbol | Payouts |
|---|---|
 Starburst (WILD) | Starburst Wilds appear on reels 2–4, substitute all symbols, trigger Re-Spins, expand to full reels, stay locked, and can award up to 3 Re-Spins. |
 Bar | 5 — x25 4 — x20 3 — x5 |
 Seven | 5 — x12 4 — x6 3 — x2.5 |
 Yellow Gem | 5 — x6 4 — x2.5 3 — x1 |
 Green Gem | 5 — x5 4 — x2 3 — x0.8 |
 Orange Gem | 5 — x4 4 — x1.5 3 — x0.7 |
 Blue Gem | 5 — x2.5 4 — x1 3 — x0.5 |
 Violet Gem | 5 — x2.5 4 — x1 3 — x0.5 |
Starburst has earned its place as a go-to classic, and it's easy to see the appeal. It plays clean and calm, which makes it a great choice if you're new to pokies or you just want something low-key to unwind with. Winning combinations appear regularly, and the expanding Wild gives you the odd jolt to keep things from getting flat. For relaxed, low-stakes sessions, it still holds up well after all these years.
Starburst won't suit everyone, though. Players who want more features or huge payouts won't find them here, since there are no Free Spins or Bonus Buy, and the 800x ceiling is modest. Plenty of newer pokies have borrowed its sparkling-gems-in-space look and piled extra features on top. If that's what you want, busier options are easy to find, though few of them match how clean and effortless the original still feels.
Not as an in-game feature. The only feature Starburst has is the expanding Wild, which awards re-spins rather than free spins.
They look almost identical, but suit very different players. The original is the calm, low-key one, best if you want something simple and relaxing. Starburst XXXtreme is built for risk-takers, with much higher volatility and a far bigger top win. Starburst Galaxy is the modern, feature-packed option for players who want more happening on every spin. Pick the original for a quiet session, or one of the sequels if you want bigger swings.
Not really, since every spin is random and the result is set the moment you hit the button. No betting pattern or timing trick will change your odds. The most you can do is manage your bankroll, pick a bet size you are comfortable with, and treat any win as luck rather than skill.
| Software | NetEnt | Gamzix | Gamzix | Platipus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2012 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
| RTP | 96.08% | 96.10% | 96.10% | 95.00% |
| Game Type | - | - | - | - |
| Variance | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Themes | Classics, Gems & Diamonds | Ancient Egypt, Gems & Diamonds | Classics, Fruits | Classics, Fruits |
| Min Bet | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.10 | 1.00 |
| Max Bet | 100.00 | 25.00 | 25.00 | 100.00 |
| Max Win | 800 | - | 1579 | 1040 |
| Reels | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Paylines | 10 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
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