High Volatility Pokies

Eager to just get to a list of high volatility slot machines worthy of your time? Allow us to introduce some of the most interesting ones packing quite a punch in the rewards department.

Cat to the Future

Cat to the Future is a pokie by High 5 Games released in 2021. With high volatility and a decent RTP of 96%, it brings you two jackpots with the possibility of winning up to 5,000 of your total stake. Humanoid cats from the future… space travel… all that translates into a highly enjoyable gaming experience. You will love the nicely drawn cool cats that show up on the reels – and the payments they bring with them.

The game comes with 243 ways to win and enough cool features to keep you engaged for a while. The game also features a wide range of bets, min to max, making it enticing for all categories of players. For landing a different combination of high-paying symbols, you can get multipliers between x2 and x60 (the latter multiplier requiring five Cats with Skateboard on a payline). Add to that their Racing up Riches feature and Blinking Bucks bonus that leads to one of the two jackpots available, and you’ve got yourself a great pokie to play at any moment.

Captain Payback 2

Captain Payback 2 is a superhero-vs-villain-themed high variance slot by High 5 Games. Released in 2019, it features an impressive RTP Of 96.5% and 50 lines. The maximum win here is x1,274, which, combined with a maximum bet of 50, can render a nice win at some point. The pokie’s hunky cartoonish guy seeks justice all across the reels, that mission bringing rewards to the player spinning them.

As players familiar with the first part of the pokie point out, this one features an improved soundtrack and visuals. However, the jackpots that could be found in the original game are missing. Captain Payback 2 also features a different reel formation – 3-4-4-4-4-3 and can be played through a mobile app, if this is how you like it. The game's Scatter Buck feature is triggered by a wild and can win you up to 5,000 credits, and the fact wilds can expand on certain reels makes the action even more enjoyable.

Wild Wild Bananas

Wild Wild Bananas is a pokie that comes from one of the best-known software providers with a jaw-dropping portfolio. This pokie released as recently as in 2023 does not disappoint – it’s vibrant, playful, and packed with features. Featuring an unusual 3-3-4-4-4 layout and an RTP of 95.1%, this high volatility pokie offers a maximum win of x12,000. Given the fact the bet range is between 0.3 and 125, it should appeal to most categories of players looking for a fun theme that’s easy on the eye.

The pokie’s cheerful background and juicy symbols make the gameplay more engaging and overall enjoyable. But wait until you see what else is in store for those that appreciate generous features. You are in for lucrative wild adventures with instant cash prizes, free spins, and three jackpots to be won.

TNT Tumble Dream Drop

TNT Tumble Dream Drop is one of the 2022 slots with high volatility from Relax Gaming, it’s got 5 reels and 7 rows. The pokie features a fun pay system – you can land a win for a line of 3 symbols no matter if it’s horizontal or vertical. With the bets ranging between the minimum of 0.2 and the maximum of 100, it can be enjoyed by both novice and veteran players. Granted, the pokie’s high volatility combined with an RTP of 94% leaves space for improvement.

But if this pokie falls short in some of the aspects, it compensates for that in full in other ones. Landing the maximum win in the free spin feature can result in x12,279 your stake, while the progressive jackpots offer millions in rewards. The mine backdrop lends a certain charm to the game, and the gorgeous symbols do justice to the provider’s excellence. Overall, the stats for this game are excellent and quite promising.

Sweet Power Nudge

Sweet Power Nudge is a 2023 release by Pragmatic Play that takes you to Candyland and delivers on all expectations, from graphics to rewards. With high volatility and an RTP of 95%, this is a well-balanced pokie with 7 reels and quite a few neat features. Vibrant colors, delicious treats, modern graphics, and sound effects – this is just the wrapper of an exciting new release by Pragmatic Play, a company that knows how to inspire players.

As the case is with most high volatile slots, you can buy free spins, plus there is the double chance feature, as well as multipliers and scatters. The maximum win in this pokie is 5,000 and the bets are between 0.2 minimum to 125 maximum. You can land multipliers of x10 to x100 depending on the symbols landed and their count. The cluster pays and power nudge mechanics combined with the possibility to buy a bonus make it an enticing and potentially very lucrative game to enjoy, on desktop or mobile.

High volatility stands for big wins that are spread apart in time. Compared to low volatility games that tend to pay out more frequently but in larger amounts, high-variance slots offer very generous payouts. However, they do not come as often as one would want them to, placing pokies with high variance out of many players’ reach. How come? Infrequent but large wins take time and patience. That and the money, of course. If your bankroll is not very large in size, you may run out of it before a win of any significance comes along.

Granted, high volatility is not the only parameter one should consider. It should be evaluated together with a given pokie’s RTP, which stands for return to player. RTP means how much of your bets will return to you as wins, and good RTP starts around 95%. High variance and high RTP are good, so everyone is looking for a perfect combination of those two. That means bigger payouts in the long run and the possibility to recoup your losses in the process.

High volatility slot machines seem to make the bulk of modern releases. They are usually loaded with features, boast incredible graphics and audio effects, as well as offer hundreds or even thousands of ways to win. A pokie’s volatility is one of the key indicators that allows players to plan their strategy and adjust their expectations. In short, such a pokie can render a win thousands of times your stake. But to achieve that, you may need to play hundreds of spins and even place maximum bets in some cases.

Is there a strategy for playing pokies? Just like with any game, there is. Granted, high volatility slot games are powered by random number generators with outcomes being random. However, there is always certain order to randomness of any sort, and knowing some rules of thumb can help you succeed with more likelihood.

Plan your budget and stick to it

You can win significantly more compared to low volatility pokies if you get very lucky. High-variance games pay out less frequently, but the amounts are a lot more impressive. However, that very fact makes it tougher to judge how much money you will need to stay in the game, especially if it's not a big one to begin with. This only adds more significance to keeping to the original plan and only playing for the funds you can afford to lose.

Evaluate the RTP

High variance is great, but there is another factor to consider that can have some influence on the likelihood of your winning. RTP, which stands for Return to Player, is a parameter showing how much of the money bet you will win back. This usually applies to hundreds of bets, so it should not be taken as a guarantee of winning after, say, 20 bets or so, but it still gives you a better idea. If possible, you should choose a pokie with a higher RTP. 96% and over is clearly a lot better than anything less than that.

Don’t be afraid of claiming bonuses

Bonuses are offered by most if not all modern casinos. And bonuses mean you can enjoy the best high volatility slots for longer. These usually offer a certain percentage of your deposit – as a welcome bonus or a reload one. Bonuses do come with strings attached - in form of a wagering requirement. You need to wager the amount of bonus claimed a certain number of times to be able to withdraw the winnings obtained with the help of those extra funds. But before that even becomes an issue, you can get from 50% to 100% of the deposit offered as extra cash, plus some free spins on top.

Feel free to switch to lower variance from time to time

A bigger bankroll is crucial for playing highest volatility slots. But claiming a bonus and starting off with a certain pokie machine does not mean you have to stick with it all the time. In fact, some players recommend switching to a lower variance machine once you’ve landed that big win. Wagering your bonus on a pokie that tends to pay out more frequently, especially if it comes with a decent RTP, is a sound strategy.