StarQuest Online Slot

The universally acclaimed Starquest from Big Time Gaming takes you to outer space on a quest to save the galaxy. The game has a space exploration theme, and it includes a quest to reach the farthest reaches of the physical realm. The graphics and theme elements are unique throughout, but what's under the hood makes Starquest so unique. Starquest has a lot to offer, including considerable winning potential, innovative features, and incentives. As soon as you see the main reels, you'll notice that this isn't your average slot game. As a start, there are six reels rather than 5. Starquest uses a slot game engine developed by Big Time Gaming, Megaways, to give their slots an edge. With this feature, reel heights are staggered. The introduction of variable heights changes the game's math significantly, creating 117,649 ways to win on every spin. The payouts on this game depend on the number of symbols and the value of the combinations that land in adjacent positions on the reels. It's a three or more symbol combination that is the most common. The highest paying symbols are the space-themed symbols paired with high card symbols at the bottom of the paytable. In addition to the game information screen, the paytable is the best source of payout information. With colourful asteroids flying past, the game is set against an outer space theme. Transparent reels hang over a planetary scene. Besides the SQ game logo, the reels also feature blue, green, and red gems and symbols 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A. The Starquest wild symbol is our space-surfing heroine on a tight-fitting planet-surfing adventure. Her appearance on reels two, three, four, and five can substitute for all other symbols to complete a winning combination.

How to Play

There are precious gems in mines, but we have never discovered them in outer space before. Rubies, Diamonds, and Emeralds will be abundant on the reels, but try to find the logo, which rewards 15 coins for six of a kind. Playing cards represent Low-value symbols. While there are no Scatters, there are more than enough Wilds on the reels. A female Astronaut represents the Wild. A wild symbol covers the entire reel, carries a multiplier, and triggers a respin. Up to 7 cells may appear per reel on the 2016 release. Big Time Gaming's product pays both left to right and right to left, so you can form winning combinations on successive reels, starting from either the leftmost or the rightmost reel. Three of a kind is required for a win. Logos will always pay even if they are two of a kind. The Megaways game engine provides gamers with up to 117,649 ways to win. In a single spin, you can bet as little as 0.20 and as much as 20.00. Your winnings are multiplied by your per spin-stake, so you'll want to think strategically about your bets. With bets starting at 1.00, there's no mucking about here with pennies per spin. If you want to bet full tilt, you can bet up to 40.00 per spin. With a 15x primary jackpot payout, Wins throughout your session can add up to some seriously out-of-this-world winnings. Comparing RTP across slots is the best way to evaluate them, and Starquest's is very competitive at 96.22%. This is comfortably above the 95.00% mark that marks out the top payers, so the house edge is as thin as it can get. This does not, however,  guarantee a winning session, but it does mean you have a better chance over the long term when comparing to some other slots games. In addition to the bonus features, you'll also find several cool bonuses throughout the game.

Starquest Slot Features

Starquest's main bonus feature is its wilds mechanism. If the stacked wild lands on any reels, it remains locked in place for the next free respin, so every time a wild appears, you get an additional chance to win. Furthermore, a multiplier increases by 1x with each consecutive wild win. Should you land two or more winning wilds on a spin, each multiplier will be multiplied by the stake win, giving you an even bigger takeaway prize. The bonus feature is compact, but it proves it's worth time and time again by enhancing your bankroll with decent wins. This, combined with the natural variance inherent in this slot, makes for some intergalactic wins.

The Verdict

Big Time Gaming's slot machine offers a great deal of potential, and it has been well-proven. A few weeks after Starquest was released, it had generated the highest payout of any slot ever at Videoslots casino with a win of over 20,000 times the stake. The mathematical model used here can be pretty unforgiving, however, and extremely brutal at times too. With little playtime and small wins, most sessions end in little playtime and small wins. Recreational players might find this slot rather dull and monotonous and even question its purpose, whereas hardcore gamers relish the thought of hitting a big win and having the potential to change their lives.