Reel Star (Relax Gaming) – Review & Demo Play

Reel Star - Slot Overview

As the Reel Star game sheet says, ‘Find out if you have what it takes to become a Reel Star!’ I went in expecting a disco fruit machine instalment, and that’s exactly the flavour. It’s billed as classic retro style with a modern twist, and the feel matches that tag. The game somehow manages to be energetic yet laid back, which sounds odd until you settle into a few spins and hear those lights and clicks ticking along.

Gameplay sits on a 5-reel, 3-row panel with 15 fixed lines, paying for three or more on adjacent reels from the left. Stakes run from 10p to £100 per spin. Alternative RTP models are in play, with a maximum return value of 96%. Volatility is high, rated 5 out of 5, so I kept stakes steady and looked for the moments where features spike the numbers rather than relying on steady trickles.

This one is an exclusive made for Unibet and 32 Red, which does limit where you’ll find it. The theme keeps things simple and upbeat, leaning on classic iconography. I liked how base play can throw out chunky hits thanks to the Upgrade mechanic on Stars, which means you don’t have to wait for the bonus to see the game’s teeth. It’s a quirky mix that suits fans of straightforward, punchy sessions.

Ladder Up and Upgrade Feature in Reel Star

Star symbols and Upgrade symbols can land on all reels in the base game. Stars pay instant prizes of 1x, 3x, 15x, 50x, or 250x your bet for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Stars in view. Each Upgrade symbol doubles the Star payout that spin. The dream scenario is 5 Stars plus 5 Upgrades, which scales the 250x award up to 8,000x the bet. This is where the main game can outshine the bonus and why I rate the base as the main event.

Free Spins in Reel Star

Scatters land on reels 2, 3, and 4, and 3 of them trigger free spins. Before it starts, a setup is randomly generated, picking free spins, a win multiplier, and a number of moving wilds. You can get 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, or 15 free spins, a multiplier of x1, x2, x3, x4, or x5, and 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 moving wilds. During the feature, regular wilds, scatters, and upgrades are removed, while the moving wilds shift to new random positions every spin.

In practice, the bonus can feel like a breather from the main action, since base spins can technically deliver the slot’s full potential through Star upgrades. The minimum multiplier being x1 can flatten some rounds, but the setup variability keeps it fresh, and the rolling wilds do carry wins. The hit rate for free spins is a decent 1 in 142 spins, so I plan around bursts rather than expecting frequent retriggers or constant momentum.

Reel Star Symbols and Paytable

Six regular pays run from bells and horseshoes up to clovers, pink gems, crowns, and spectacled piggies. Five-of-a-kind awards range from 2.5x to 15x your bet, depending on the symbol. The wild symbol pays more, up to 50x for five, and substitutes for any of the six regulars. From testing and the paytable, wilds also return 10x for four and 2x for three. With 15 fixed lines, wins pay left to right on adjacent reels, keeping things straightforward for line mapping.

Reel Star Symbols and Paytable

Symbol	Quantity	Payout
	Wild
	5	x50
	4	x10
	3	x2
	5	x15
	4	x4
	3	x1
	5	x15
	4	x4
	3	x1
	5	x5
	4	x2
	3	x0.5
	5	x5
	4	x2
	3	x0.5
	5	x2.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.3
	5	x2.5
	4	x1
	3	x0.3
	Special
	Special
	Multiplier
	Scatter

The 200 Spins Reel Star Slot Experience

My 200-spin sample gave a fair taste of the base before the bonus landed around the one-minute mark. The upfront extras rolled in 10 free spins, a x1 multiplier (cheers for that), and 2 moving wilds. The feature played out pretty much as billed, with wilds hopping about and incremental line hits rather than fireworks. It mirrored the highlights noted elsewhere, reinforcing that the base game’s Star plus Upgrade spikes are the real heartbeat of this slot.

Reel Star - Review Summary

I get that this exclusive will have a limited audience, and the glossy retro fruit presentation isn’t trying to reinvent anything. The pace can feel slow even with turbo on, and the clicking from the reels and spin button might grate. Also watch out for adjustable RTP ranges when you load it. That said, the structure is clear, the maths is punchy, and you always feel one spin away from something tidy thanks to the Upgrade mechanic.

On the plus side, wilds pay up to 50x for five of a kind. Instant prizes can climb to 8,000x through Stars and Upgrades. Free spins can grant up to x5 multiplier and 7 moving wilds, and the overall max win is also 8,000x your stake. For me, Reel Star sticks to simple, upbeat gaming where the base can absolutely deliver. If it’s available and you like classic retro style with a modern twist, it does the job.