Slingo Starburst

Intro

This is a slingo title – a hybrid casino game that brings slots and bingo under one genre. Instead of playing on a traditional reel, Slingo Starburst takes place on a 5x5 bingo card, with numbers contained within each square. At the bottom of the grid are five empty squares, which is where numbers will appear following a spin – if these numbers match with any in the grid, that square will be filled. Each round lasts ten spins, which are played automatically. You’ll notice that as you collect slingos, your progress will be marked on the left-hand side of the screen. If you land a minimum of three slingos, you’ll be transported to the reels of the original Starburst game at the end of the round, where a cash prize is guaranteed: the more slingos you hit, the more substantial the prize will be. RTP and variance, also known as volatility, are terms that describe two fundamental components of any online slot. RTP stands for return to player – a theoretical percentage of how much players can expect to win back from a slot in relation to how much they’ve wagered. Slingo Starburst has an RTP of 96.66%, which means players can reasonably expect to win roughly £96.66 if they bet £100 on this game. Of course, gambling can never provide such clear-cut answers, and players will find their own gambling sessions can deviate dramatically from this figure in both directions. This is due to the slot’s volatility, which refers to the size and frequency of payouts. If a slot has low volatility, like Slingo Starburst, then payouts are likely to be small but frequent; by contrast, high volatility slots tend to offer the opposite. Players with limited budgets should opt for low volatility slots, since they’re more likely to pick up wins at regular intervals.

The original Starburst game had just one bonus feature, so it’s pleasing to see that Slingo has taken the game further in this respect. First of all, there are two wilds in play: one allows players to tick off one square on the corresponding reel; the other allows players to tick off one square anywhere on the grid. The purple gem acts as the game’s scatter; when three of these symbols appear, players will be rewarded with an instant cash prize. Players may also land a free spin symbol during a round. Just like in Starburst, the multi-coloured gem is the best bonus feature here. When this lands, not only will players be able to tick off a square on the reel, but this symbol will also trigger a re-spin, stay in place for the re-spin, and tick off another square in the process.

Slingo Starburst has been built on HTML5 technology, which means it’s primed and ready for mobile gameplay. Players can choose between playing in their mobile browser or through their casino’s dedicated app if there’s one available. We prefer the experience of the latter, which offers customised promotions, faster loading times, and the ability to never miss a bonus through the push notifications.

Players familiar with Starburst will be pleased to see that the symbols, sound effects, and outer space setting have all been carried over from the original. We particularly enjoy the sound design of this game: when players land a number on the grid, the subsequent ticking off is a satisfying xylophone-based noise. Cosmic dust floats in the backdrop, as a hurried soundtrack mimics the pace of the action of the game.