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HIGH VARIANCE SLOTS – SLOT GAMES WITH HIGH VOLATILITY AND WHERE TO PLAY THEM
Last Updated: June 8, 2026Reviewed by Stephen Cummings
High volatility/variance slots are the games which are tailor-made for their huge maximum win potential. Unlike slots which offer regular wins at low payouts, high volatility slots make you wait for your payout, but when they do hit, they can be big offering large multipliers.
We tested all of these games ourselves and we have the data to prove it. We believe the best high variance slot in 2026 to be Pirates Pub which you can play at the trendy NYSpins Casino and we have detailed exactly why further below.
HIGH VARIANCE SLOT COMPARISON TABLE
| # | SLOT GAME | PROVIDER | RTP | MAX WIN | VARIANCE | FEATURES |
| #1 | Pirates Pub | Pragmatic Play | 96.03% | 5,000x | High | Sticky Wild Symbols |
| #2 | MeJUICEa | Thunderkick | 94.18% | 5,000x | High | Global Multiplier, Crush Feature |
| #3 | Fire in the Hole 3 | NoLimit City | 94.08% | 70,000x | Very High | xSplit, xBomb |
| #4 | Kill Em All | NoLimit City | 96.06% | 11,916x | Extreme | Respins, Sticky Multipliers |
| #5 | Brute Force: Alien Onslaught | NoLimit City | 96.01% | 80,000x | Extreme | xNude, Exploding Symbols |
| #6 | Tanked | NoLimit City | 96.04% | 25,000x | Extreme | xBomb, xNudge |
| #7 | Oodles of Noodles | Pragmatic Play | 96.58% | 5,100x | High | Instant Wins, Respins |
| #8 | Skate or Die | NoLimit City | 96.03% | 30,000x | High | xNudge, xZone |
| #9 | Piggy Riches 2 Megaways | Red Tiger Gaming | 95.71% | 20,000x | Very High | Instant Wins, Hold and Respins |
| #10 | Razor Ways | Push Gaming | 96.36% | 25,000x | High | Expanding Rows, Expanding Wilds |
Jump to:
- Comparison Table
- Top 10 high variance slots reviewed
- New high variance slots
- High variance high RTP slots
- Bankroll Tips
- Where to play high volatility slots
- Best providers
- Mistakes to avoid
- FAQs
TOP 10 HIGH VARIANCE SLOTS REVIEWED
Below, we have written mini-reviews of our most-recommended high variance slot games. We have included more details about each slot as well as where you can play them.
1. PIRATES PUB (RTP: 96.03%) BY PRAGMATIC PLAY
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 8.5/10 volatility
- 8/10 bankroll requirement
- 7/10 big win potential
Pirates Pub is one of our favourite new high volatility slot releases due to its excellent graphics and modern mechanisms and features. Themed around pirates and pubs, Pragmatic Play have done a fantastic job when designing this slot.
Played on five reels and three rows with 9 paylines, Pirates Pub has the potential to become a classic slot game. Play Pirates Pub and you will have the opportunity to trigger multipliers of up to 100x.
- Slot Game: Pirates Pub
- Developer: Pragmatic Play
- RTP: 96.03%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 5,000x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 100.00
- Minimum Bet: 0.20
- Paylines: 9
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, Sticky Wild Symbols, Mobile Friendly
Play at: NYSpins Casino
2. MEJUICEA (RTP: 94.18%) BY THUNDERKICK
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 8.5/10 volatility
- 9/10 bankroll requirement
- 7/10 big win potential
MeJUICEa is one of the best slots we have ever played at SlotsHawk. The Crush feature is absolutely brilliant, as well as looking fantastic, every time it happens, you will likely see the Global Multiplier increase which means that multiple wins can spiral into bigger and bigger payouts.
Although big payouts in the base game are completely possible, it is the bonus game where the level goes up another notch. During the MeJUICEa free spins, the Global Multiplier is persistent, so it will not reset after each spin.
- Slot Game: MeJUICEa
- Developer: Thunderkick
- RTP: 94.18%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 5,000x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 35
- Minimum Bet: 0.10
- Paylines: Cluster Pays
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Cluster Pays, Respins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, Global Multiplier, Crush Feature, Bonus Boosters, Mobile Friendly
Play at: Casumo Casino
3. FIRE IN THE HOLE 3 (RTP: 94.08%) BY NOLIMIT CITY
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 9/10 volatility
- 8/10 bankroll requirement
- 10/10 big win potential
Fire in the Hole 3 is one of the top recent slot games with high volatility released by the Kings of volatility, NoLimit City. This one is a little more straightforward in comparison with some other NoLimit slots, so it’s a good choice for those who are new sot slot machines. With that being said, it is still packed with some top-quality and unique features including the xHole and the exceptional NoLimit Boosters which we recommend using in order to trigger the Lucky Wagon spins.
When our slots analyst Stephen played Fire in the Hole 3 for real money, he managed to trigger several bonus games, one of which triggered a 372x win. This is currently our favourite NoLimit slot game with high volatility and with a maximum payout of 70,000x, it is also one of the best payout slot games around and is certainly one of the top slots to play and features in our guide to the slots with the highest multiplier potential. You can play Fire in the Hole 3 at most UK casinos including Casumo Casino.
- Slot Game: Fire In The Hole 3
- Developer: NoLimit City
- RTP: 94.08%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 70,000x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 1.20
- Minimum Bet: 0.20
- Paylines: 46,656
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, Exploding Reels, xSplit, xBomb Wild Symbols, Mobile Friendly
Play at: Casumo Casino
4. KILL EM ALL (RTP: 96.06%) BY NOLIMIT CITY
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 9.5/10 volatility
- 9/10 bankroll requirement
- 6/10 big win potential
Arguably the most unique online slot machine ever created, the excitement as well as the volatility is insanely high in Kill Em All from NoLimit City. If any developer was going to create one of the most fun slots of the year from a one reel and three row slot it was NoLimit City. In addition, this slot revolves around defeating monsters and the more you defeat in a single round, the higher your rewards will be.
The more wins you hit, the more rewards and special features you will unlock. Kill Em All is an extremely moreish slot and is the most volatile slot game in the world right now.
- Slot Game: Kill ‘Em All
- Developer: NoLimit City
- RTP: 96.06%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 11,916x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 5.00
- Minimum Bet: 0.20
- Paylines: N/A
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, Respins, Boosters, Sticky Multipliers, Mobile Friendly
Play at: Casumo Casino
5. BRUTE FORCE: ALIEN ONSLAUGHT (RTP: 96.01%) BY NOLIMIT CITY
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 9/10 volatility
- 9/10 bankroll requirement
- 10/10 big win potential
Brute Force: Alien Onslaught is the successor the the original Brute Force and this one comes with more payouts, more free spins and more xNudge Wilds! The xBoost in particular is a brialliant addition as it ensures that activating any of the free spins games is eight times more likely.
When the SlotsHawk casino team played this slot for real money, we triggered two wins of over 1,000x! The Blu Genesis bonus game is especially a good one thanks to the sticky xNudge Wilds.
- Slot Game: Brute Force
- Developer: NoLimit City
- RTP: 96.01%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 80,000x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 5.00
- Minimum Bet: 0.20
- Paylines: 30
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, Exploding Reels, Sticky Symbols, xNudge Wild Symbols, Mobile Friendly
Play at: All British Casino
6. TANKED (RTP: 96.04%) BY NOLIMIT CITY
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 10/10 volatility
- 10/10 bankroll requirement
- 9/10 big win potential
Tanked reminds me of the classic ‘Worms’ video game series, which is exceptional praise from my point of view. This is one of the most immersive and technically excellent online slots on the market. It is in the Carnage Spins and Mayhem Spins bonuses where the huge wins are available though.
Utilising the xBet feature will increase your chances of triggering the bonus by four though, so we do recommend that at the cost of three times your base bet.
- Slot Game: Tanked
- Developer: NoLimit City
- RTP: 96.04%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 25,000x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 4.00
- Minimum Bet: 0.20
- Paylines: 30
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, Exploding Reels, xSplit, xBomb Wild Symbols, xNudge Wild Symbols, Grid Expansion, Mobile Friendly
Play at: Casumo Casino
7. OODLES OF NODDLES (RTP: 96.58%) BY PRAGMATIC PLAY
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 8/10 volatility
- 7.5/10 bankroll requirement
- 7/10 big win potential
A slot which hasn’t quite had the publicity that we perhaps expected it might have had, Oodles of Noodles is nonetheless one of Pragmatic Plays best releases for along time with its high RTP of 96.58% and maximum multiplier of 5,100x. For example, if you play Oodles of Noodles at Pub Casino, you will be able to play with the max RTP.
The bonus game is the highlight here as the revolving Sushi reel at the bottom of the game will become active. There are also repsins during the bonus game. The base game is not the greatest, but all in all, Oodles of Noodles is an excellent slot machine to try out if you haven’t already.
- Slot Game: Oodles of Noodles
- Developer: Pragmatic Play
- RTP: 96.58%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 5,100x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 12.00
- Minimum Bet: 0.10
- Paylines: 10
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, Respins, Instant Wins, Mobile Friendly
Play at: Voodoo Dreams Casino
8. SKATE OR DIE (RTP: 96.03%) BY NOLIMIT CITY
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 8.5/10 volatility
- 9/10 bankroll requirement
- 8/10 big win potential
Millennials rejoice, Skate or Die takes much of its inspiration from the 90s era of skateboarding and kick-ass music. Packed full of features which includes three different free spins games and a special ‘crasher’ game which allows you to win the maximum 30,000 payout, Skate or Die is a truly unique high volatility slot.
With that being said, there is so much happening in this video slot that you won’t be too focused on trying to trigger the crasher game.
- Slot Game: Skate Or Die
- Developer: NoLimit City
- RTP: 96.03%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 30,000x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 4.00
- Minimum Bet: 0.10
- Paylines: 243
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, xNudge Wild Symbols, Crash Game, xZone Wild Symbols, Mobile Friendly
Play at: Casumo Casino
9. PIGGY RICHES 2 MEGAWAYS (RTP: 95.71%) BY RED TIGER
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 8/10 volatility
- 7/10 bankroll requirement
- 7.5/10 big win potential
A huge improvement on the first slot machine in the series, this is a real gem of a slot and is fairly widely available at UK online casinos. In fact, our team believe Piggy Riches 2 Megaways to be one of the best slot games currently on the market due to its simplicity mixed with remarkable features, the best of which being the Hold and respins features. If interested, we recommend you to compare highly volatile reel expansion slots as there are plenty of them.
Like most slot machines, the bonus game is where the biggest payouts are won. This mirrors the findings from our 10,000-spin RTP investigation, where the slots that massively outperformed their advertised RTP all triggered multiple bonus rounds during the session. It is possible to activate more rows in the bonus too which increases your chances of bigger wins even more. When we tested this game, we triggered 351x across our free spins.
- Slot Game: Piggy Riches Megaways 2
- Developer: Red Tiger
- RTP: 95.71%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 20,000x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 20.00
- Minimum Bet: 0.10
- Paylines: 117,649
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, Exploding Reels, Hold and Respins, Cash Symbols, Mobile Friendly
Play at: All British Casino
10. RAZOR WAYS (RTP: 96.36%) BY PUSH GAMING
SlotsHawk Variance Score:
- 7/10 volatility
- 7/10 bankroll requirement
- 8/10 big win potential
Razor Ways is certainly one of Push Gaming’s best slot releases so far this year. They have done an excellent job of improving and revitalizing the original slots in the ‘Razor’ series. So, what makes Razor Ways so special in comparison with other slot games reviews, I hear you ask? The expanding reels certainly help to ensure that the base game is exciting. The more wins you manage to trigger, the more reels you get to play on which will create more and larger wins. Winning symbols explode too, so there is always the possibility of unlimited wins.
The bonus game is where the biggest wins occur due to the level up meter and the glowing mystery symbols which help to fill the meter up, resulting in larger multipliers.
- Slot Game: Razor Ways
- Developer: Push Gaming
- RTP: 96.36%
- Maximum Payout/Multiplier: 25,000x
- Volatility: High
- Maximum Bet: 4.50
- Minimum Bet: 0.10
- Paylines: Scatter Pays
- Bonus Features: Bonus Game, Scatter Symbols, Free Spins, Wild Symbols, Multipliers, Expanding Rows, Expanding Wild Symbols, Mystery Symbols, Multiplier Level Meter, Cascades, Push Bet, Mobile Friendly
Play at: NYspins Casino
BEST NEW HIGH VARIANCE SLOTS
Due to the fact that slots with high variance are now the most common slots released, new ones are developed on a weekly basis. Below, you will find a list of our favourite high variance slots which have been released within the past few months:
ARE HIGH VARIANCE SLOTS BETTER?
Put simply no, high variance slots are not better per say than any other slot. It really depends on your definition of better. Certainly, games with high variance are more likely to trigger a single big win in comparison with low variance games. However, this does not mean you are more likely to win paying high variance games.
HIGH RTP HIGH VARIANCE SLOTS
Ideally, if you are a fan of high variance slots, you will also play one which has a high RTP of above 96%. Here are some high variance slots with high RTP for you to check out below:
| New High Variance Game | RTP |
|---|---|
| Aztec Tribute | 96.14% |
| Retro Verse | 96.24% |
| Monopoly Megapots | 96.45% |
| Punk Rocker 3 | 96.04% |
BANKROLL TIPS FOR HIGH VARIANCE SLOTS
You should not just dive head first into playing high variance slots – to give you the best chance of having an enjoyable experience, you should commit to a length of time per session and a session time limit.
Session bankroll and time – Our recommended session in terms of spins would be a minimum of 300 spins. On average, it takes around 10 minutes per 100 spins so you want to give yourself at least 30 minutes per session.
Lower stake sizing – We also recommend a lower stake size but this depends on your bankroll. For a bankroll of £500 or lower, you should bet £0.20 per spin. The high volatility aspect means that there are likely to be plenty of spins where you either won’t win or your payout will be smaller than your actual bet. Therefore, you need a high bankroll relative to your bet size so that you can ride out the variance without losing all of your money in less than an hour.
Avoid chasing bonus buys – Sometimes after a winning free spins round, you will be given the option to spin again for a percentage of your winnings, don’t take this option. When you hit a win, take the win and don’t feel tempted to gamble.
Demo mode testing first – It never hurts to play in demo mode first. By doing this, you o not waste any of your bankroll playing a slot that you may not end up enjoying.
EXPECTED SESSION EXPERIENCE
To give you an illustrative example of a high variance slots session, here is a visual block of what you can expect from a 100 spin session playing a high variance game.
100 Spins:
- 70 losing spins
- 20 small-sized wins
- 8 medium-sized wins
- 2 larger feature-trigger wins
These are not exact probabilities.
WHO SHOULD PLAY HIGH VARIANCE SLOTS?
| PLAYER TYPE | SUITABILITY? |
|---|---|
| Bonus Hunters | Yes |
| Casual Players | No |
| Low-risk players | No |
| Big Win Chasers | Yes |
| Small Bankroll Players | No |
REAL TESTING DATA
Our RTP testing found that high variance games often require significantly larger sample sizes before performance begins approaching theoretical RTP.
Short-term results can vary massively from advertised RTP figures. Some high volatility slots returned as low as 54.90% during a 500-spin session, whilst others exceeded 170% RTP due to large bonus payouts.
- If you are looking for the biggest payouts: The higher the volatility of the slot, the higher the chance of hitting the highest multipliers. Of course, this is by no means guaranteed, but if that’s what you are after then these slots should appeal to you.
- It helps to either bet small or ensure that you have a large enough bankroll that can withstand the swings.
- Experienced slots players: Players who already know the ins and outs of slots as well as the pros and cons of the different slot features are at an advantage when it comes to high volatility slots.
Bet smart. A strategy which we always use is changing the size of your bets based on how well you are doing. We always start by betting small but if we hit some early wins, then we will increase our bets in the hope that we keep getting lucky but because we have increased our bets, our payouts will be worth even more.
YOU SHOULD PLAY HIGH VOLATILITY SLOTS WITH HIGH PAYOUTS AND STANDOUT FEATURES
Playing the slots which come with features such as Global Multipliers and Instant Wins are your best shot when it comes to the higher-paying slots.
- Bonus buying – Slots such as Brute Force: Alien Onslaught will allow you to buy another spin after you have finished a particularly successful bonus game.
- Use casino bonuses: Always compare casinos with welcome deals for online slots which you are entitled to. Even bonuses with high wagering requirements can still be used to test new slots without having to spend your own money.
THE BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR EXTREME VOLATILITY SLOTS PLAYERS
Our slots analyst has picked our his choice of our recommended slot gaming platforms which he regards as the best ones for extreme volatility slots players. In addition, you can play high volatility slots for free at all of these casinos. All you have to do is register an account first to play for free.
- All British Casino – An online slot site dedicated to UK players only, All British Casino has a games library of hundreds of the highest volatility slots. In addition, everyone who plays at All British Casino will receive 10% cashback on losses at the end of every month.
- NYSpins Casino – One of the newest sites here at SlotsHawk, NYSpins comes with a unique collection of high volatility games, many of which cannot be found at other casinos.
- Casumo Casino – With a library of over 3,000 individual video slots, Casumo is, in our opinion, one of the best all-round casinos in the UK. You can play all of the high volatility slots on this page at Casumo Casino.
WHAT ARE THE BEST PROVIDERS FOR HIGH VARIANCE SLOTS?
There are certain game providers/slot studios which continue to produce excellent slots known for their high volatility.
- Hacksaw Gaming Slots – a prolific slot provider in the UK market, Hacksaw Gaming are known for slots such as Le King, Le Santa and Le Pharaoh. High-risk Hacksaw slot games are well-developed and usually have base games that payout quite often too, especially in comparison to other high variance slot providers.
- Push Gaming Slots – known for their Shark series of slots such as Razor Ways, Push Gaming are perhaps the hipster choice of top providers for highly volatile slots.
- Red Tiger Gaming Slots – one of the top five most well-known slots providers in the world, Red Tiger continue to develop ground-breaking games and are well-known for their high variance Red Tiger games including Piggy Riches Megaways 2.
- Pragmatic Play Slots – one of the kings of casino gaming scene, Pragmatic Play are the developers of our favourite high variance slot, Pirates Pub. Some other of the best Pragamtic Play high variance releases includes Oodles of Noodles.
THE EXTREME AND INSANE VOLATILITY SLOTS BY NOLIMIT CITY
Over the past couple of years, NoLimit City have ramped up the boundries of high volatility slots with their creations of ‘extreme’ and ‘insane’ volatility slots. These are not just marketing either, NoLimit City found a gap to cater to the many high roller slots players as well as the players who are looking for one huge payday. Games such as Tombstone RIP, Duck Hunters and Golden Shower showcase this perfectly.
- Extremely long stretches without wins
- Long stretches without triggering the bonus game
- Lucrative bonus games
- Maximum wins up to 300,000x
These slots are created for a specific type of slots player who aren’t shy to experience the ups and downs of wins and losses. You can expect volatile features specific to NoLimit City slots too such as xNudge, xBombs and xWays – you can find more information about these features if you browse our collection of No Limit City games.
HIGH VOLATILITY SLOTS WITH PROGRESSIVE JACKPOTS
High volatility slots are rather perfect when combined with the possibility of a progressive jackpot win. Having the chance to win a seven or eight figure payout is always alluring and progressive jackpot slots will give you such an opportunity – see our picks of the latest jackpot slots for more details.
Here are two standout jackpot slots with high volatility:
GRIM THE SPLITTER DREAM DROP (RELAX GAMING)
Get ready for a scary adventure as you spin the reels to reveal different cards. The Dream Drop jackpot is always available here and can rise up to eight figures. The Splitter feature is a lot of fun and provides some of the bigger multipliers. A hit rate of 20.02% is quite good here which means you will hit a winning spin twice in every 10 spins on average in this high volatility jackpot slot.
BANANA TOWN DREAM DROP (RELAX GAMING)
The scatter pays mechanic makes Banana Town Dream Drop a slightly easier high volatility slot to understand given you don’t have to worry about paylines. Thanks to the Dream Drop, the jackpot here can reach up to eight figures too. The maximum win outside of the jackpot is 10,000x your bet too which is excellent.
COMMON MISTAKES
There are certain mistakes that a lot of casino players make when it comes to playing slots with high variance. Here are some mistakes to avoid:
- Playing high variance slots with a tiny bankroll
- Assuming RTP is the same as volatility – it’s not
- Raising betting stakes after losses
FINAL THOUGHTS
High volatility slots are incredibly popular as they offer huge thrills and the highest payout opportunities of all slots. They are best suited to thrill seekers though and it is imperative that you always play responsibly. Make sure to explore the top slot sites too for the best playing experience.
FAQS
There are hundreds of high volatility slot machines. We consider the best ones to be those which are high volatility and high RTP such as Medusa Megaways. However, a slots RTP and volatility is a different thing completely.
2. What does slot volatility mean?
The volatility of slots means how often you are likely to hit winning combinations and how big the wins will be. If you are playing a slot which does not land wins very often but has the potential for large prizes, then this means you are playing a high volatility slot.
3. Is it better to play high volatile slots?
Put simply, the higher the volatility, the less often you will win, but when you do win, the win will likely to be on the higher side.
4. How do you know if a slot machine is high variance/volatility?
The volatility/variance of a slot game will be stated on the information section of the slot. All online slot sites are required to state the volatility level of a slot. If you are unsure, you can contact the customer service team of the casino.
5. Do high volatility slot games guarantee a profit?
No.
6. Which online casino has the best high volatility slots?
There are lots of online casinos in the UK which stock a variety of high volatility slots. Our pick of the bunch is All British Casino which has a fantastic selection of high variance casino slot machines you can play.
7. Is it important to check a slots volatility?
This depends on how important turning a profit is for you. In our opinion, knowledge is power. Therefore, it is in your best interests to know as much about the slot game that you are playing as possible.
CONTRIBUTORS
Greetings, I’m Stephen Cummings
Stephen Cummings is often referred to as ‘The Oracle’. What he doesn’t know about slot games isn’t worth knowing. He’s our genius slot machine analyst who spends most of his time reviewing new games & sites.
Slots analyst since 2020
