When NetEnt released Starburst in 2012, who could have guessed that this easy to play game would captivate millions of slots players around the world? It has such an enduring appeal that Starburst free spins are still offered by new online casinos as part of a Free Spins No Deposit Bonus. There have since been many new slots imitating the Starburst format, but it’s a hard task for them to displace the original. But what is it about Starburst that makes us keep playing it?
Why is Starburst so Popular?
One of the main factors in Starburst’s incredible popularity is its simplicity. It has five by three reels, ten paylines and just one bonus feature; the Wild Re-Spin. Whenever you land a wild in the three central reels it expands over the reel and becomes sticky while the other reels re-spin. The feature only comes to an end when there are no more additional wilds. It’s an easy format that everyone loves to play for relaxation and fun. But apart from Starburst’s action-packed theme of lucky gems whirring in outer space, it’s the abundance of cash prizes that add to its popularity. The RTP is 96.1% with a low variance that regularly awards plenty of small, but frequent wins that can soon mount up. And paying both ways ensures your cash prizes are never far away.
Which Slot Games are Similar?
Toki Time – Thunderkick
There are the cutest graphics in this five by three slot with eleven paylines. Rainbows and colourful animals including sheep and cats jump out of the ground, and then float around on the invisible reels that allow the happy scenery of green fields and toadstools to show through. Like Starburst, the game has only one feature; the Wild Re-Spin. Whenever you land a wild on the second or fourth reels, it stays sticky while the rest of the reels re-spin until you’ve run out of new wilds or reach a limit of three re-spins. The RTP of 97.1% is the highest in our selection. It combines with a low to medium variance to provide generous cash prizes that pay in both directions.
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WinStar – Blueprint Gaming
In 2016 it was Blueprint Gaming’s turn to launch a Starburst double in the shape of the highly lucrative Winstar. It’s a five by three slot with ten paylines and a 96.43% RTP. There’s a cosmic background and simple stars that can stack on the reels. But it’s the spiky, white WinStar that you’ll be pleased to see as it hands out some amazing rewards. Whenever it lands it can randomly add one extra symbol to form a winning sequence or it will suddenly fill up all the reels with them for a mega-win. WinStar’s known to be very generous with prizes that pay both ways and there’s even a Progressive Jackpot that can appear at any time.
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Crystal Sun – Play’n GO
One of the new slots from 2019 includes this release that’s almost Starburst’s twin. An assortment of planets, diamonds, and Lucky Red Sevens are set out on five by three reels that float about in a swirling cosmos. Like Starburst, the gaming mechanism has one feature. Wilds are only allowed to land in the three central reels, but they immediately expand along the entire reel and stick for up to three Re-spins of the other reels. There’s a similar 96.6% RTP, but this time it has a high variance, so your cash prizes could be considerably larger, but less frequent. In addition, the slot generously pays both ways across ten paylines, which always makes it exciting to play.
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Banana Odyssey – Microgaming
You get a familiar outer space background with this entertaining 2019 slot from Microgaming and Slingshot Studios. But this time, the five by three reels feature monkey astronauts and jars of nuts. The Wild Re-Spin feature is part of the action with wilds only appearing on the three middle reels and when they land, they’ll stick fast for up to three re-spins or whenever no new wilds appear. However, a main difference to Starburst is the addition of ten free spins in an exciting Bonus Round. If wilds land in the middle reels during the Bonus, they remain locked in place for the entire sequence, and with a 96.6% RTP, your cash prizes could be exciting.
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Turning Totems – Thunderkick
You get cute, cartoon graphics in this Starburst variation that was released in 2016. It has eleven paylines and an unusual Native American theme, complete with an Indian Chieftain acting as a cheerleader. The reels are imaginatively made up of five Totem Poles consisting of three blocks carved as faces with a variety of expressions. When you land a wild, it appears in sleeping mode. It then waits to be activated by a Thunder Snake before it can start substituting other symbols to form wins like any regular wild. If you get three totem poles with wide awake wilds, you activate the Bonus Round where you’ll receive five free spins. The RTP is 96.21% and the reels read from left to right and right to left, helping you to land some great cash prizes.
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