Founded in Stockholm back in 1996 (and bought by live-casino giant Evolution in 2020), NetEnt says it was among the first to introduce expanding wilds, respins, and two-way paylines. You can see their roots in their two most legendary games: Starburst, with its iconic pay-both-ways mechanic, and Gonzo’s Quest, which introduced the world to the “Avalanche” feature where winning symbols explode to make way for new ones.
But if you look at what NetEnt is making today, it’s a completely different beast.
Recent releases lean heavily into high and extremely high volatility, bonus buys are everywhere, and the themes have shifted toward gritty westerns, crime, and horror comedy. The easiest way to see this shift is by looking at their sequels. The original Starburst is a gentle, low-volatility game with an 800x max win; the new Starburst Galaxy cranks that up to over 17,000x. The original Gonzo topped out at 2,500x, while Gonzo’s Quest 2 pushes almost 16,000x and is rated very high. And if you’re looking for the top of the range? That would be Dead or Alive 2, packing a massive 111,111x max win.
Here’s a pro tip for picking a NetEnt game: don’t worry too much about the RTP. Almost every NetEnt game we know of sits in a really tight band between 95.88% and 96.82%. Instead, pick your games based on volatility. You can go for something easygoing like Divine Fortune Gold (low volatility, 1,000x max win), or strap in for one of their modern sequels built for long dry spells and massive payouts.
