Top 20 High Volatility Slots: Variance Slot Machines Rated
If you’re a fan of slot machines with the potential for massive payouts, you’ve come to the right place. Check out our Top 20 High Volatility Slots handpicked by Casinos.org.uk for fun gameplay and big rewards.
Slots are games of chance which are fun and entertaining. You don’t need any special skills to play them, just set your bet and hit the spin button. The reels start spinning, the symbols start landing and payouts light up the screen. But, there’s much more going on behind the reels. Every slot game functions within given parameters and in this article, we will focus on slot volatility and the highest avalible in UK.
20 best high-volatility slots
There is a massive number of great high-volatility slots to choose from across UK online casinos. So we hard task to narrow down the choice. Still, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular and in our opinion best in the UK. Let’s take a look:
Mental (Nolimit City)
- Volatility Level: Extreme High
- Max Win: 66,666 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.08%
If you’re a fan of the Hannibal Lecter movies, you will surely love the Mental Slot by Nolimit City. The game has a 5×3 design and starts with 108 ways to win. For this slot, the designers went with an RTP of 96.08% and extremely high volatility. But the top payout stands at 66,666x, so the volatility is well deserved.
The bonus rounds in Mental are quite complicated. Players can trigger the Autopsy, Lobotomy and Mental Free spins. Here you can get win multipliers, Wilds, xWays, xSplit and xNudge symbols. Each of the features can pay big, but the biggest ones can land in the Mental free spins. The slot also comes with a bonus buy option, perfect for players who are not afraid to spend some extra cash. Mental is one of the most popular high-volatility slots from Nolimit and also one of the most volatile.
Folsom Prison (Nolimit City)
- Volatility Level: Extreme High
- Max Win: 75,000 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.07%
Inspired by the notorious Folsom Prison in the United States, this Nolimit City slot takes the volatility to the next level. The game has an RTP of 96.07% and up to 46,664 ways to win. It also has a whopping maximum payout limit of 75,000x.
Folsom Prison comes with 3 main bonus rounds. The Walk the Line free spins are triggered with 3 scatters on the screen. Here you get at least 1 Cockroach per spin. They turn into a wild and each position they walk across the reels gets their multiplier.
With 4 scatters on the screen, you trigger the Chair bonus. Here 8 free spins are awards where the gird is in a starting 4×4 formation and 3 Cockroaches are active per spin.
Folsom Prison is in the top 3 most volatile online slots I have ever played or seen.
Wanted Dead Or a Wild (Hacksaw)
- Volatility Level: Extreme High
- Max Win: 15,000 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.38%
Wanted Dead Or a Wild is an incredibly popular high-volatility slot from Hacksaw Gaming. The slot comes with a 5×5 grid and 15 active paylines. The RTP stands at 96.38% and the top payout is set at 15,000x.
The slot comes with 3 different scatters, so you can trigger 3 different features. The Great Train Robbery brings you sticky wilds, the Duel at Dawn comes with expanding wilds, while the Dead Man’s Hand comes with win multipliers and wilds.
Wanted Dead Or a Wild holds the online record for the highest win on a non-jackpot slots.
Money Train 4 (Relax Gaming)
- Volatility Level: Extreme High
- Max Win: 150,000 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.10%
Money Train 4 is the fourth slot in line of the mega-popular Money Train series by Relax Gaming. These slots became incredibly popular among players due to their original bonus features and the potential for high payouts. For this slot the designers went with a 6×6 grid and a scatter pays system. The game has an RTP value of 96.10% and a whopping maximum payout of 150,000x.
As for the bonus round you need 3 scatters to trigger it, awarding you 3 re-spins. Only multipliers and special symbols land on the reels. The goal is to land the persistent special symbols like the sniper, collector, payer, shapeshifter or necromancer for the biggest payouts.
Serial (Nolimit City)
- Volatility Level: Extreme High
- Max Win: 74,800 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.07%
Serial is a video slot coming from Nolimit City, featuring the Bodycam Butcher. As you can imagine he’s not really a butcher, it was a nickname given to this psychotic serial killer. This Nolimit City slot comes with 5 reels and starting 3 rows, so the number of ways to win starts at 243. The game has an RTP value of 96.07% and a top payout of 74,800x.
Land 3 scatters to trigger the Search and Kill bonus. The number of awarded free spins is equal to the number each scatter symbol reveals. In the feature additional Enhancer Cells appear on the middle reels, increasing the row size. With some help from the xSplit Wild, the Infectious Ways and the xNudge Wild you can make a killing on the reels.This is one of the more popular slots from Nolimit
Slayers Inc (Hacksaw Gaming)
- Volatility Level: Extreme High
- Max Win: 25,000 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.28%
Slayers Inc. is another extreme high-volatility product of Hacksaw Gaming. It has 5×4 reels, 20 active paylines and an RTP value of 96.28%. The top payout in Slayers Inc. sits at 25,000x.
Landing 3, 4 or 5 scatters across the reels triggers the Rise of Syndicate, Wild Slayers and One Slayer to Slay Them All free spins. The best feature is the last one, where you get guaranteed Duel Reels and Slicers on each spin.
Chaos Crew 2 (Hacksaw Gaming)
- Volatility Level: Extreme High
- Max Win: 20,000 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.12%
Chaos Crew 2 takes the original Chaos Crew slot to the next level. Featuring a 5×5 design and 19 paylines in total, this slot comes with high volatility. The RTP sits at 96.12%, while the top payout is an impressive 20,000x.
Landing 3 scatters on the reels triggers the bonus round, with 3 free spins. Across the reels you can land skulls and cat symbols, each one contributing to a higher multiplier. The bonus round ends when no new symbols land on the reels for 3 spins.
If the feature is triggered with 4 scatters the same rules apply. But on the first spin, a minimum of 7 win multipliers are added across the reels.
Fire in the Hole (Nolimit City)
- Volatility Level: Extreme High
- Max Win: 60,000 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.06%
Fire in the Hole is a video slot developed by Nolimit City. It has 6 reels with 3 to 6 active rows and ways to win which span from 486 up to 46,656. The RTP value is 96.06%, while the maximum win limit is set at 60,000x.
The main bonus round in the game is the Lucky Wagon spins, triggered with 3, 4 or 5 scatters. In return, you unlock 2, 3 or 4 rows. You are awarded 3 free spins, which reset to 3 every time a coin lands on the reels. With some help of the win multipliers and the xBombs you can make your way to some hefty payouts.
It is an extremely volatile slot game, and one of Nolimit City’s most popular games.
The Dog House – Muttley Crew (Pragmatic Play)
- Volatility Level: Extreme High
- Max Win: 7,500 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.50%
The Dog House – Muttley Crew is the latest addition to the The Dog House series of slots by Pragmatic Play. The slot has 5 reels and 5 rows, using cluster pays mechanics. The RTP sits at 96.50%, while the top payout is 7.500x.
Trigger the bonus round with 3 or more scatters on the reels, to get from 10 to 20 free spins. Land 2 or more scatters during the bonus for even more free spins. In the feature, every wild which lands on the screen remains sticky and will also have a win multiplier from 2x to 10x.
Cygnus 4 (Elk Studios)
- Volatility Level: Very High
- Max Win: 50,000 x Your Bet
- RTP: 94.00%
Cygnus 4 is another high-volatility slot coming from the Elk Studios factory. The game has 6 reels and 4 rows, which can expand up to 8 rows high. With up to 262,144 ways to win and a top payout of 50,000x, Cygnus 4 is definitely a slot worth playing.
Get the scatter to reach the first reel to get 7 free spins. Over the bonus round you get an increasing win multiplier, as well as multiplier wilds to help you land the top payouts. If you don’t want to wait you can always buy the super bonus for a price of 500x.
The Cygnus slot series is one of my favorite games and has always been popular at online casinos, with Cygnus 3, in my opinion, being the best.
Gates of Olympus 1000 (Pragmatic Play)
- Volatility Level: Very High
- Max Win: 15,000 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.50%
Gates of Olympus 1000 is a sequel to what is debatable the most popular online slot ever made, Gates of Olympus, by Pragmatic Play. Well, it’s not quite a sequel but the same game with increased payouts. It’s a highly volatile game with an RTP value of 96.50% and a top payout of 15,000x.
To trigger the feature you need 4 to 6 scatters, awarding 15 free spins. During the feature, any multiplier which contributes to a win is added to the total win multiplier. Every winning spin with a multiplier present will also get the value from the total win multiplier. The maximum multiplier you can land as a single instance is 1,000x.
Stormforged (Hacksaw Gaming)
- Volatility Level: Very High
- Max Win: 12,500 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.41%
Stormforged is a popular Hacksaw Gaming slot, featuring 5 reels, 4 rows and 14 active paylines. The game has an RTP value of 96.41% and a high volatility. The top payout in this slot is set at 12.500x.
Landing 3 Surtur symbols on the screen awards you 10 free spins. In this feature, one sticky wild can land per reel. Ideally, they need to be on a winning payline for the biggest payouts.
If 3 or more Viking symbols land the Warriors of Storm Bonus is triggered. Here when the Hammer of Thor lands it turns the entire reel wild for the entire feature. If the storm is activated the wild reel moves one position to the left in the next spin.
Big Bass Vegas Double Down Deluxe (Pragamatic Play)
- Volatility Level: High
- Max Win: 5000 x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.50%
Big Bass Vegas Double Down Deluxe is one of the latest slots from the massive Big Bass series by Pragmatic Play. Inspired by the glitz and glamour of Vegas, the game comes with 10 paylines going across 5 reels and 3 rows. It has an RTP value of 96.5% and a top payout of 5,000x.
Land 3 scatters to enter the bonus round. Here you have the Blue and Red Wilds, each collected in its corresponding row. Every time you collect 4 of the same wilds you unlock an additional 10 free spins and the win multiplier increases to x2, x3 and x10.
Bass Cash X UP™ (Games Global)
- Volatility Level: High
- Max Win: 15,000x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.20%
Bass Cash X UP™ is a video slot from Alchemy Gaming, which takes you on a wild fishing adventure. It features 5 reels and 4 rows, with a total of 20 paylines. The RTP in the slot sits at 96.2%, while the top payout is 15,000x.
Land the fisherman and a fish of jackpot symbol to collect the prize. The mega jackpot has a value of 1,000x, while the big fish is anywhere from 5x to 10x. Land 3 red scatters to be awarded 8 free spins. Collect X Up tokens for even bigger win multipliers.
Wisdom of Athena 1000 (Pragmatic Play)
- Volatility Level: High
- Max Win: 10,000x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.00%
Wisdom of Athena 1000 is a highly volatile game from Pragmatic Play. It has a 6×6 grid, 96% RTP and uses a scatter pays mechanic. The slot has a maximum payout of 10,000x.
Land 4 or more scatters to enter the bonus round where you get 10 free spins. Each winning tumble in the game unlocks additional positions on the screen, giving you more chances to land a win. You can also land win multiplier symbols, ranging anywhere from 2x to 1,000x.
Dark Summoning (Hacksaw Gaming)
- Volatility Level: High
- Max Win: 10,666x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.36%
Dark Summoning is a video slot from the Hacksaw Gaming factory. It comes with high volatility, 5 reels, 6 rows and 24 paylines. The slot was released in 2023 and has a top payout of 10,666x. The RTP in this game stands at 96.36%.
The slot comes with an interesting set of features. With 3 Unholy symbols on the screen, you get 10 free spins where all winning positions become marked. Any Unholy symbol triggers the Fires of Hell, turning all marked positions Wild.
If the Unholy symbols are also accompanied by an Order symbol the Rise to Salvation bonus is triggered. Here you get 10 free spins with persistent Lost Souls symbols and Win Multipliers.
In a way, this slot deserves to be higher up the list, as it has extremely volatile buy feature options.
Nitropolis 5 (Elk Studios)
- Volatility Level: High
- Max Win: 50,000x Your Bet
- RTP: 94.00%
Nitropolis 5 is the latest slot in the Nitropolis series by Elk Studios. The game has an interesting design, and comes with 6 reels and up to 8 rows. The RTP is on the low side at 94%, but the maximum payout stands at a firm 50,000x.
When 3 to 6 scatters hit the reels you get 8 to 20 free spins. Here all nitro reels remain on the reels and each win upgrades the number of rows up to 8. Trigger the bonus round with a super scatter to enter the Super Free Spins bonus.
Rip City (Hacksaw Gaming)
- Volatility Level: High
- Max Win: 12,500x Your Bet
- RTP: 96.22%
Rip City is one of the most interesting slots from Hacksaw Gaming. It comes with a 5×5 grid and 19 paylines in total. The volatility is on the high side, with a top payout of 12,500x.
With 3 scatters on the screen, you trigger the Ro$$ feature, where you get 10 free spins. In this bonus, you have a better chance to land wild cats and Wilds.
If 4 scatters triggered the feature you get the Maxx Bonus, with 10 free spins. Here every Wild Cat which lands on the reel expands to cover the reel and stays in position for the entire reel. This feature gives you a chance to land a full screen of wilds and the biggest payouts in the game.
Thunderstruck™ Gold Blitz™ Extreme (Stormcraft Studios)
- Volatility Level: High
- Max Win: 5,500x Your Bet
- RTP: 96%
Inspired by Nordic mythology Thunderstruck™ Gold Blitz™ Extreme comes from Stormcraft Studios. The game has 6 reels and 4 rows featuring 4,096 ways to win. The RTP in the slot sits at 96% and the top payout is set at 5,500x.
The first thing you notice about the game is the top jackpot prize of 1,000x. But as you play the game the jackpot value can rise even more. But the game has many more features on offer, including a free spins bonus. Here every wild which forms a win comes with a multiplier of x2, x3 or x5.
Pirots 3 (Elk Studios)
- Volatility Level: High
- Max Win: 10,000x Your Bet
- RTP: 94%
Elk Studios made quite a splash in the iGaming industry with their Pirots slots. The pirates are back again on the reels of Pirots 3. With an original symbols pay mechanism, Pirots 3 comes with an RTP value of 94% and a top payout of 10,000x.
The birds will collect adjacent symbols of the same colour across the reels. Land 3 scatters to trigger the bonus round where you can upgrade symbols, collect them, unlock the bandit or transform symbols. Land the Max Coin symbol to instantly trigger the maximum payout in the game.
This volatile slot is so fun to play and a hit at the casinos. I have had my share of big wins playing it and the only cons is the RTP of only 94%.
Learn About Volatility
Volatility VS Variance
Before we get started, we want to first clear any misunderstandings about slot volatility and slot variance. These two terms have the same exact meaning, just different words are used. So the next time you see someone talking about variance, know that they are referring to the volatility of the game.
Slots Volatility Explained
Slot volatility can be explained in many ways. The simplest one is that it’s the frequency of payouts the slots produce. On some slots, the wins can be very frequent, while on others it can seem like you don’t win anything at all for a big number of spins. It all depends on the slot in question and what type of volatility it has.
Types of slot volatility
In general, slots fall into three categories based on their volatility. These are:
- Low volatility
- Medium Volatility
- High Volatility
Some games can also have in-between values like Medium/Low, Medium/High and there are also slots where the volatility goes to the extreme. So what do these terms mean exactly?
Low volatility slots are games with low risk. Wins land often, but they are small in size. High volatility slots, on the other hand, can pay big, but those wins are far apart. This is why for high volatility slots you need a high bankroll, so you can ride out the dead spins. If you’re looking for something in between, the medium volatility slots may fit your needs.
Volatility, RTP and RNG
The volatility itself doesn’t determine the payouts and how the slot works. The three main factors of what’s happening on the reels are the volatility, the RTP and the RNG.
The Return to Player value is the predicted percentage the slot is designed to pay out in winnings in the long run. For most online slots this percentage is around 96%.
The Random Number Generator makes sure every spin is random and in no correlation with the previous one. This is what makes slots games of chance, so the outcome of your play session depends solely on your luck.
When you combine all three you get a random slot game which can pay big at any time or eat away massive amounts of bankroll, without paying anything decent in return.
How do you know the volatility of a slot?
The slot volatility info is usually easily accessible and can be found in several ways. At some casinos, you may have filters based on the volatility of the games. So, simply set the filter to high volatility and it will show you all of the games in that category.
Most providers usually disclose the volatility of their games. If you want to see what the volatility is for a certain game just visit the providers’ website and find the game. You will see the volatility info, as well as other information like the RTP value, the maximum payout or the frequency of the payouts and the bonus rounds.
Another way to see the volatility is to do a simple Google search of the slot name and the word volatility. This will give you a lot of results and you can instantly see what the volatility is.
Slots strategies based on volatility
Many experienced players actually base their entire session with volatility in mind. It all depends on how you want to play the slots and what your starting bankroll is.
For example, slots with low volatility are great for playing on higher bets. Wins come often so you don’t lose a lot. If the slot is playing you can end up in profit, although it won’t be very big. But if you manage to do that on a dozen slots you can make a hefty withdrawal at the casino. This strategy requires a lot of patience and control, as well as a higher starting bankroll.
For high volatility slots on the other hand it’s recommended to go with medium bets. These games are played in the long run, so you will need enough bankroll to cover about 500 spins. Even then there’s no guarantee that you will make a profit, but the more spins you put into a high-volatility game the more chances you have to hit a big payout. With high volatility slots, you only need one great bonus round for a mega payout.
Once this happens and if you are playing with a bonus you can move on to low volatility slots and clear the wager with minimal losses.
Casinos.org.uk also has a list of the RTP slots in UK . This can help you find the games with good RTP’s.
It is always also a good idea to play the demo version first before playing real money
Which slots are best to play for real money?
It all depends on the player and the games you want to play. But most experienced players agree that high volatility slots are more fun to play. When we play slots, we play them to win big. Low volatility slots simply don’t have that payout potential and neither do most of the medium volatility ones.
If luck is on your side you can end up hitting a few mega payouts on high volatility slots, leading to some big withdrawals. Since slots are games of chance, it all depends on your luck when and if this will happen. In the end, it’s better to chase a slot with a big payout potential, than one with a small one.
You can also check out our guide how to win at casino slot machines and our list of the 20 top UK slots
What makes you an expert in Volatility?
I’ve been playing slot machines almost every day for over 20 years. I learned the hard way. When I started, there weren’t many playing tips, and most games didn’t even mention their volatility level. I remember spending a lot of money on a game and couldn’t figure out why I never won big. I later contacted the game provider and found out the game had low volatility.
After that, I decided to learn everything I could about slots and now I share my knowledge on casinos.org.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does high volatility mean in slots?
High volatility in slots means the game pays out less frequently, but the potential wins are much larger when they occur. Some of the biggest online wins come from high volatility games.
Which game providers makes the most volatile slots?
Nolimit City is known for its extremely volatile slots, and the same goes for Hacksaw Gaming
Why is it important to consider a slot’s volatility?
Volatility affects how often and how much you can win in a slot game. High volatility slots give bigger wins but don’t pay out as often, while low volatility games give smaller wins more regularly. If you’re new to playing, it’s a good idea to try medium volatility slots because they offer a mix of both
