Starmania 2

Starmania 2 is Light & Wonder‘s latest slot release, taking the player on an intergalactic journey to rack up the big wins. This video slot has the classic 5 reel 3 symbol layout with 10 paylines, with the one twist of paying both ways.

Each reel is designed to look like the symbols are dropping in from a spaceship, with the symbols themself also resembling this theme. Three coloured planets represent the low-paying symbols with four different coloured stars being the high-paying symbols. The gold star is the symbol you really want to land as the wild symbol. The game has an RTP of 96.01% and a potential max win of 4861x.  

Starmania Base Game

Base Game and Features  

The base game follows a simple and classic pattern of 10-win lines, with them paying both ways. Wilds can land on reels 2,3 and 4 and these are important not just to help achieve big wins but also for when you land the bonus.

Other than that, Starmania 2 does lack in base game features, which does make large base game wins difficult however a lot of smaller wins do keep you going. Overall whilst being a simple game to understand and enjoy, the lack of in-game features does impact the excitement.  

Bonus Round  

The bonus round can be triggered in two ways, the first being the traditional bonus scatters. 3,4 or 5 scatters trigger 6, 8 and 10 free spins respectively. The second way of triggering free spins is through collecting wilds. Above reels 2,3 and 4 is a counter which collects the number of wilds landed on that reel up to a maximum of 25. Any further wilds that land on that reel add on to the wild counter of a different reel. Once all three reels reach 25 then the free spins round automatically start with 6 free spins.

Free spins are played with a slightly different set of reels, reels 1,2 and 3 become all ways pay (meaning 27 different ways) with reel 4 and 5 just containing multipliers and extra free spins. The multipliers can multiply each individual win up to a maximum of 15x. The multipliers are vital to enable the player to achieve the big wins. One additional feature of the bonus round is the addition of extra wilds. The wilds collected above the reels in the base game are added to the reels for the free spins, up to the maximum of 75.  

Starmania 2 Bonus Round

 Pros and Cons 

Pros  

• Simple, traditional easy to understand mechanic 
• Base game collection feature, value is built spin by spin  
• Consistent wins in the base game  

Cons  

• Lack of base game features  
• Graphics and sounds don’t stand out in comparison to other recent releases  
• No bonus buy options  
• Low volatility in relation to today’s market  

Similar Slots to Starmania 2

• Starburst  
• Jackpot Raiders and other older Yggdrasil games that have a collection into bonus feature  
• Starmania  

First Impression

Overall Starmania 2 isn’t going to be one of Light & Wonder’s most revolutionary video slots, but does however deliver a solid, simple game for players looking for a more traditional gameplay experience. The regular small wins can help to hold the player’s balance whilst collecting the wilds ready for the excitement of the bonus round. The audio and visuals may not jump out in comparison to some of the designs being released by other games of late. Again, the volatility is much lower than a lot of releases, but is this a bad thing? Not necessarily.  

Starmania 2 may not compare to other games in the areas outlined, however, it may just be designed for a specific type of player. Its more traditional, low volatility and simple approach is great for the type of player who isn’t looking for that huge win and adrenaline rush but simply a steady and consistent experience.   

All in all, Starmania 2 may not be for everybody, but with the vast expansion of the video slot market then there is surely room for a game for everybody and any extra choice can’t be a bad thing. And for those players who prefer the classic style of game, then Light & Wonder have made a game that will be just right for them.