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Galaxy Slots

Daniel Mertens
Written byDaniel MertensVerified authorSlots Editor• 200+ slots tested
Galaxy Slots

Deep-space backdrops, glowing asteroids and alien symbols have given the online slot industry one of its most reliable visual hooks. The look is instantly recognizable. Galaxy slots are one of the more consistent theme families in the wider world of games, and studios keep returning to the theme because a space setting justifies big visual swings without changing the underlying math behind a slot machine. NetEnt released Starburst in 2012, and Microgaming released Stardust in 2015. Both casino titles are detailed below.

Glowing cosmic slot machine reel with nebula background and neon sci-fi symbols
Galaxy slots lean on glowing asteroid, gem and planet symbols set against a deep-space backdrop.

List of Best Galaxy Slots

Symbols and Features to Know

Galaxy slots share a predictable symbol language once you have seen a few of them. Gem and asteroid fragments usually sit low on the paytable, while a planet, comet or alien character carries the bigger line prizes. Wild symbols in the genre often do more work than in a standard slot. Starburst builds its entire bonus mechanic around an expanding wild. Landing one on reel 2, 3 or 4 covers the whole reel and triggers a free re-spin, with no separate bonus round needed.

Galaxy-themed slot machine symbols including a wild, scatter, gem and asteroid icon
A wild, a scatter and a handful of gem symbols make up the core symbol set in most galaxy-themed slots.

Scatter symbols handle the free-spin trigger across most of the slot industry. Stardust uses a different trigger. It fills a meter with collected gem symbols, and once the meter is full the game switches from a fixed 40-payline grid to a 1024-ways-to-win layout for its Free Spins feature.

Game Provider Released Reels / Rows Paylines RTP Bonus trigger
Starburst NetEnt 2012 5 / 3 10 fixed, pays both ways 96.09% Expanding wild re-spin on reels 2–4
Stardust Microgaming 2015 5 / 4 40 base, 1024 ways in bonus 96.59% Stardust Meter fills with gems, 10–13 free spins

Popular Galaxy Slots to Try

Stylized deep-space scene with a spiral galaxy, ringed planets and an asteroid field
The deep-space setting is the visual hook the genre keeps coming back to, regardless of which studio builds the game.

Starburst, built by NetEnt, is a low-volatility, pays-both-ways title whose entire bonus feature is the expanding wild re-spin described above.

Stardust, from Microgaming, runs on the Stardust Meter and a Radiant Respin mechanic. A three-symbol win on the main reels gets the last two reel positions respun once for a chance to complete a bigger line, and a full meter switches the whole game into that ways-to-win Free Spins feature.

The two games sit half a percentage point apart on RTP. The difference that actually shows up on the reels is mechanical: Starburst keeps its bonus entirely inside the base game, while Stardust separates the big moments into their own ways-to-win round.

FAQ

What makes a slot “galaxy-themed”?

A galaxy slot builds its reels around deep space: asteroid and gem symbols usually sit low on the paytable, while a planet, comet or alien character carries the bigger line prizes. The setting is the hook, but the math underneath works the same as any other 5-reel slot.

What is the difference between Starburst and Stardust?

Starburst (NetEnt, 2012) keeps its entire bonus inside the base game: an expanding wild on reel 2, 3 or 4 covers the whole reel and triggers one free re-spin, on a 5-reel, 3-row, 10-payline layout at 96.09% RTP. Stardust (Microgaming, 2015) separates its bonus into its own round instead: a Stardust Meter fills with collected gems and then switches the game from its 40-payline base to a 1024-ways-to-win Free Spins feature awarding 10-13 free spins, on a 5-reel, 4-row layout at 96.59% RTP.

Does Stardust’s Free Spins feature retrigger?

No. Once the Stardust Meter fills and the 1024-ways Free Spins feature awards its 10 to 13 free spins, the feature cannot be retriggered within that round.

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