Starmania Slot

Should You Play Starmania?

There is nothing that says you shouldn’t play Starmania by NextGen Gaming. It features the space theme, which the developer has executed to a level of perfection. Naturally, it takes its cues from Starburst – a video slot launched two years prior. Yet this is of no issue. NextGen Gaming has crafted its exciting release with Starmania, featuring free spins and wilds to enjoy as you spin the reels.

The wilds substitute for all other symbols on the reels except the bonus scatter. And that scatter triggers ten free spins for you, with wilds always showing up on the central three reels of the game feature. Stick around for the complete review of Starmania!

How Did I Find Starmania Slot’s Gameplay?

Five reels and three rows lead the way in the Starmania online slot. Across that interface, developer NextGen Gaming has also included a total of 10 paylines for you to form winning combinations on. Something that stands out nicely about the game is that it is a low to medium-variance release. Thus, it caters in quite an ideal way to those with smaller bankrolls or newcomers to online slot gameplay.

Placing your bets is simple, with NextGen Gaming offering a good betting range. To change the value of such, you need to click the up and down buttons on either side of the coins in the bottom-right corner. In doing so, the value noted at the side of the 'Total Bet' area directly to the left of this will change as well.

The smallest bet that Starmania offers is £/$/€0.10, and it then increases up through 0.20, 0.30, 0.40, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 2.50, 5.00, 10.00, 20.00, 25.00, 50.00, 100, 200 and finally 250. Thus, the maximum wager possible in the game is £/$/€250 per spin.

You can spin the slot's reels whenever you're happy with the wager value. This is achieved by pressing the green button above the up and down arrows for the wager. Alternatively, you can also use the autoplay function built into Starmania. To do this, click the cog in the bottom-left corner and select the second button. This allows you to set the reels off, spinning up to 100 consecutive times.

You will form wins in this NextGen Gaming slot by matching three or more identical symbols on a winning payline. Each of these has a different payout available for you to benefit from. The payout for each symbol is multiplied by your in-play stake to generate your prize.

Storyline

Starmania takes you into the realms of outer space, where only the brightest of stars shine through the darkness. It is similar to Netent's Starburst game, found at many of the best online gambling sites. In the same vein, so too can NextGen's Starmania. Both games have the same layout, but the vibrancy of the colours in this slot stands out on a larger scale. Yet, with Starburst launching a couple of years before this one, it's clear to see where the inspiration for Starmania came from.

The space theme isn’t anythingisn't new to the gambling industry. It's something that has fascinated and entertained gamers for many decades already. NextGen Gaming perfectly captures this theme's essence in the game, providing a bleak outlook of the expanse of nothingness in the background. As you play, various distant stars seem to glide past the reels, adding to the overall effect.

Besides this, little is happening past the reels, but that's all good because what's happening on those reels matters more. The game allows you to win up to 500x your stake when spinning them. That's enough to make anyone want to climb into an astronaut's suit and rocket into outer space.

Naturally, the five reels stand out as your primary focus once you load Starmania up. Yet the space theme always lingers, ensuring you have a top-quality experience with the game. And when you create a win, you get to witness the star symbols enter overdrive, as it would seem.

It is these animations and the game's graphics in general that help it to stand out. Released in 2015, Starmania holds up in style against today's space-themed releases. That becomes even truer when you manage to trigger its free spins reward.

While some slot games include playing card symbols as their lower-paying additions, Starmania doesn't fall into this. Instead, all the reel symbols cater nicely to the base theme. The simpler stars represent the game's lower-paying inclusions, and as they become more elaborate, they represent those providing higher payouts. The paying symbols in Starmania include:

• Red and Gold Star: 5 symbols pay out up to 500x your line bet.

• Pink and Gold Star: 5 symbols pay out up to 100x for your line bet.

• Green and Gold Star: 5 symbols pay out up to 75x your line bet.

• Blue and Gold Star: 5 symbols pay out up to 75x your line bet.

• Pink Star, Green Star or Blue Star: 5 symbols pay out up to 50x your line bet.

As well as offering you the chance to win from those symbols, Starmania also includes a Wild Symbol. This is active in the shape of the symbol bearing the word 'WILD' on it. This one can show up on reels 2, 3 and 4 only. If it does, it will set about substituting for all the standard symbols of the game, thereby assisting with forming wins.

In addition, the Bonus Symbol of the slot is visible, as it bears that word on it. This one is a scatter, meaning that it can show up anywhere and as long as three are in view, you will win. This one offers payouts of up to 200x your line bet. Three or more will also activate the game's free spins round simultaneously.

Design and User Experience

The Starmania game isn't all about the gameplay and the inclusive graphics. NextGen Gaming has also incorporated some wonderful sounds into the game, too. These tie in perfectly with the base theme and the utilised animations. You'll feel like you're in outer space with the ambient soundscape. Every spin of the reels comes with a slight "whooshing" sound, as though you're rocketing off to the next patch of space.

The sci-fi-like sounds continue whenever you form wins, although these sometimes expand beyond that theme and into an arcade sound. Of course, you'll always know when you have created a winning combination because the noise the Starmania game plays for this scenario is very specific, too.

These sounds work perfectly with the animated symbols when a win forms. You'll be able to celebrate your payouts perfectly, despite the game continuing to generate the feeling that you're lost in space somewhere.

What Bonuses and Free Spins Can I Find on Starmania Slot?

We've spoken of the wild symbol and the scatter that appear on the reels of the Starmania video slot. Yet the game's only other addition is its free spins round, which makes for a compelling bonus round.

Free Spins

To be able to play the free spins round in this slot, you need to look out for the arrival of the bonus scatter symbol on the reels. Try playing the Starmania game as part of our free online slots collection to see if you can trigger this round and see how it plays out. It takes three bonus scatters appearing anywhere for the free spins feature to begin. 

When this occurs, you receive a set of 10 free spins to play through. During the round, a Wild is added to reels 2, 3 and 4 before each free spin.

How to Play Starmania

Software from NextGen Gaming is present in the lobbies of many online casino sites. This includes the best online casinos in Europe, Asia, North America, and other locations. You can find our top recommendations for such at CasinoTopsOnline, and then the process of playing Starmania is simple enough.

1. Sign up for an account at your chosen NextGen Gaming casino site.

2. Login to your account and deposit a supported payment method.

3. Go to the casino game lobby and use the search box to find Starmania.

4. Click on the game to load it up and start placing wagers.

What Is Starmania Slot’s RTP?

The Starmania game comes with an RTP rate of 97.87%, which is higher than the industry average for slots (96%). Thus, you can benefit nicely from spinning the slot's reels. It's also important to keep the game's variance level in mind when gambling on it.

That variance level sits between low and medium. As a result, you can expect Starmania to pay out more often than several other slots, yet the rewards are likely to be a little lower at the same time. With this in mind, you can tailor your bets to suit this game's setup.

How Can I Win at Starmania?

There are never any guarantees with any online slot you choose to play, regardless of the theme, style, developer, etc. Even if you use a betting system or popular betting strategy, you cannot guarantee you will come away with more money than you began. All slots feature random number generators (RNGs) to determine the outcome of every spin at random. Here are some tips to consider when playing Starmania, though.

Our Top Tips and Tricks to Winning

• As with any online casino game, start small (especially if you're new to it). You can always increase your wager later if you think your bankroll is capable of it.

• Adjust your wager to align with triggering the free spins round in Starmania. If possible, you want a higher amount in play to obtain larger payouts from this feature.

• Never opt to chase any losses when playing a video slot. If you lose, move on with the same bet. Don't specifically increase it to try and gather back what was just lost. Gamble responsibly.

• Starmania has a maximum wager of £/$/€250 per spin. Never opt for this amount straight away, and even later. Unless your bankroll is massive and you're comfortable with such a vast wager, you shouldn't be approaching this level.

Our Personal Experience Playing Starmania

Starmania is, without a doubt, one of the most known games from the NextGen Gaming brand. I enjoyed spinning its reels, as it does pay out on quite a frequent basis, which is thanks to its low – medium volatility rate and higher-than-average RTP rate. While I also like the fact that it features a free spins round, this didn't trigger a single time for me during multiple spins. Thus, if this is something that you're hoping to experience, you may have to wait a long time for it to activate. It has some fantastic payouts, which add to the general experience. Some of the best parts about playing Starmania include:

• Frequent payouts that enable you to bolster your balance.

• Wilds are always present on the central three reels during free spins.

• Good betting range to select from, starting at the minimum of £/$/€0.10.

• Inclusion of autoplay for up to 100 consecutive spins to take place.

Starmania VS Similar Slot Games

"Space and the Final Frontier" is a theme included in many video slots, leading to various titles becoming very popular with players. Here is how Starmania compares to some of these alternatives.

Slot	Developer	RTP	Max Win	Theme	Bonus Features
Starmania	NextGen Gaming	97.87%	500x	Space-Themed	Free Spins, Wilds, Scatters
Starburst	Netent	96.09%	500x	Space-Themed	Wilds, Expanding Wilds, Respins
Magic Stars 3	Wazdan	96.50%	200x	Space-Themed	Wilds, Gamble Feature
Cygnus 2	Elk Studios	94%	50,000x	Space-Themed, Astrology-Themed	Free Spins, Cascading Reels, Multipliers

Other Slot Games

If you're not interested in playing games that utilise the space theme, there are plenty of online slots to select. Please look at some of those we recommend loading up and enjoying below.

Rainin' Money

A new launch from the Iron Dog Studio range, Rainin' Money offers maximum payouts of 5,000x your bet and a 96.13% RTP rate. The five reels feature symbols of banknotes and the famous U.S. figures who adorn them. Within the game, there are also wild symbols and scatters in operation. You can even experience super scatters, appearing on reel five only. Free spins and a Rainin' Money feature in a mini-game are also present.

Shaman's Dream

This 2016 online slot takes you into the world of Native Americans. It features five reels and a set of 25 paylines for you to win on. Wild symbols appear on the reels, as do scatters, and a gamble round is built into it. Shaman's Dream includes wonderful symbols relating to its base theme on the reels from the Eyecon developer. You can also win 15 free spins with triple prizes if you spin three or more dreamcatchers into view.

Golden Winner

If you're a fan of games that harken back to the days of fruit machines, Golden Winner will surely appeal to you. Upon the five reels are watermelons, strawberries, plums, oranges, grapes, and a whole host of other fruits. With its 94.5% RTP rate, medium variance level and maximum payout of 2,500x, you will surely have fun spinning its reels. Are ten paylines involved in Golden Winner, with free spins round, gamble feature, scatters, multipliers, and more to look forward to?

Our Final Thoughts

We don't generally advocate too much for slots that take another developer's theme and idea and then craft their makeshift version. Yet NextGen Gaming hasn't done this with Starmania. Instead, it has created a sort of homage to Starburst with its wonderful twist. The free spins function in the game always has three wilds – one on each of the central three reels. That makes it a compelling video slot to play.

The base theme is nicely done, with some intriguing sounds added to create even more of an atmosphere when playing. The maximum payout of 500x your bet is a little low, but it remains an entertaining game from NextGen Gaming.