Starburst free demo
Expanding wilds fill a reel and chain respins up to three times in a row.
NetEntReleased Jun 201296.09% RTPLow volatility500× max win
Demo mode · fun credits · no real money
Verdict
Starburst is the game that made low-volatility gem-matching a whole slot subgenre, and NetEnt's original still runs the exact same simple loop.
The 96.09% RTP is bang on the industry average, and low volatility means wins land often in small, steady amounts rather than building toward a rare big hit. Play it if you want a relaxed, frequent-win demo with a mechanic you can learn in one spin. Skip it if a 500x ceiling and a fourteen-year-old feature set feel thin next to newer releases.
By the DemoSlots editorial team · Updated 14 Oct 2026 · How we test
Screenshots
Gameplay clip
Our own recording of the Starburst demo, muted.
How it plays
Starburst runs on a five-reel, three-row grid with 10 fixed paylines that pay both left to right and right to left, which roughly doubles the chances of a line completing compared with a one-direction slot. The symbols are simple: coloured gems and stars, with no complicated theme layered on top. The single mechanic that defines the game is the expanding wild. When a starburst wild symbol lands on reels two, three or four, it expands to fill the entire reel and triggers a respin, and it can do this again if another wild lands during that respin, chaining up to three respins in a row. There's no free spins round, no bonus buy and no tumbling mechanic here — the expanding wild and its respins are the entire feature set, which is part of why the game reads as simple rather than sparse. Betting in the demo runs from 0.10 up to 100.00 per spin, covering a wide enough range for either a slow, low-stake pace or a faster one. Low volatility keeps the reels active with frequent small returns, which is the main reason this fourteen-year-old release has stayed in rotation this long.
Bonus features
- Expanding wild that fills the reel
- Respins triggered by an expanding wild, chaining up to three times
- Wins pay both ways across 10 fixed paylines
Who it's for
This suits players who want a relaxed, low-volatility demo with wins landing often rather than building toward a rare feature. It's a reasonable starting point for anyone new to slots, since the both-ways paylines and single wild mechanic take one spin to fully understand. It also works for players curious what the format behind so many gem-matching clones actually plays like. It's a poor fit for anyone chasing a high ceiling, bonus rounds or the kind of volatility that produces occasional large hits.
Pros
- 96.09% RTP is exactly average for the genre
- Low volatility keeps wins landing at a frequent, steady pace
- Both-ways payline structure is simple to follow
Cons
- 500x max win is modest next to modern high-volatility slots
- Feature set is limited to a single expanding wild mechanic
- No free spins round or bonus buy to add variety
At a glance
- Starburst comes from NetEnt and first launched in June 2012, built on a 5 × 3 reel grid.
- The RTP of Starburst is 96.09%, with low volatility, based on the published payout data.
- The maximum win a player can reach in Starburst is 500× the stake.
- Starburst is built around wild symbols with respins, as shown in DemoSlots's own game data.
FAQ
What is the RTP of Starburst?
96.09%, which is bang on the industry average.
Can I play Starburst for free?
Yes. The demo on this page runs the full game in practice mode with no deposit and no account needed.
Is Starburst high volatility?
No. NetEnt rates it low volatility, meaning wins tend to land often in smaller amounts rather than building toward rare, larger hits.
Who made Starburst?
NetEnt, released on 1 June 2012.
Facts checked 5 Sep 2026 · Sources: our own research and demo testing
