What Are the Most Popular Slot Machine Themes?

When you think of old-school slot machines, you can probably picture a big machine with a manual lever and symbols like 7s, bars, or fruit. And while games with similar themes still exist today, slots have come a long way since then. 

Nowadays, dozens of software providers create immersive online slots with hundreds of exciting themes, including animals, Asia, Egypt, adventures, and even your favourite film and TV franchises.

The different themes ensure that all players can find a game that appeals to their tastes. Often, the special features, background, and music are also themed, just like the game’s symbols, to create a really special experience. 

Here at Betsquare, we have a whole team of casino experts, so obviously, we all have different preferences when it comes to slot machine themes. We’ve created a complete guide to the must-try themes at Australia’s best online casinos.

What Is a Slot Machine Theme?

Slot machine themes are pretty self-explanatory. They basically define the look and feel of the game, including the symbols, special features, animations, background graphics, and soundtracks.

There are a few main themes that a lot of slot games use, like retro-themed games, where the symbols take the form of 7s, bars, or fruits. Other popular themes include Ancient Egypt, where you’ll go on adventures through tombs and temples with adventurer characters, and mythical gods, where you might be transported to Zeus’s temple to try for a win.

No matter the theme, most online pokies work similarly in that you need to align symbols on certain paylines to trigger a win, and some symbols pay out more than others. Whether or not a game is themed, you can be certain that you have a fair chance of winning because all reputable slot game providers test and audit their games before they’re released to players. 

 

The Most Popular Slot Machine Themes

With so many different slot machine themes, trying all of them is impossible. We’ve compiled a list of the most popular themes you’ll find on slot machines at top online casinos, so we’ve got options for you whether you love animals, Asia, or anything in between.

Best of all, no matter the game’s theme, it might have many special features, such as progressive jackpots, Megaways, or free spins rounds. 

Fruit Theme

Fruit machine slots are nostalgic. These games don’t tend to have a huge amount of special features like bonus rounds and free spins, as they try to mirror retro slot games, where all you had to do was match symbols on one of the paylines to trigger a win.

Symbols to look out for on fruit-themed games include cherries, lemons, watermelons, and oranges, and they might also have bars or 7s. Some slot game providers make fruit online slot machines with a modern twist. For example, they might have striking graphics or animations.

A few of the best games to try with this slot machine theme include Pragmatic Play’s hugely popular Fruit Party and titles from other major providers, like Fruit Million by BGaming and 777 – Fruits Fire Blaze by Retrogaming.

Animal Theme

Animal-themed slots are popular at pretty much every online casino worldwide. And no matter what type of critters you prefer, there’s certain to be a game that suits you. While some slots feature domestic favourites like cats and dogs, others transport you deep into the jungle to spot jaguars or take you on an African safari.

Fish-theme games are so popular that they almost deserve their own category. When you play animal slots, you can expect fully themed music and bonus rounds, and the animals might appear as standard symbols or as special ones that trigger free spins. 

Our top recommendations for animal slot machines include Pragmatic Play titles like The Dog House Megaways and the massive progressive jackpot Mega Moolah, which has a safari theme; you might also want to try out games in the Big Bass or Fishin’ Frenzy series to see if you can reel in a win. 

Asian Theme

Many Asian-themed slots are based around wealth, so you’ll look for symbols like special gold coins and lucky animals like koi fish. The other side of Asian games is that they can feature fiery dragons or other symbols of the Lunar calendar. You can expect opulent graphics, usually in red or gold, when playing Asian-themed games.

88 Fortunes is one of the most popular Asian games, and if you like it, you might want to try similar titles like Fu 88 or 888 Dragons. If the bright colours of the Chinese slots are a bit overwhelming and you’re looking for some calmer slot machines, you might prefer the Japanese-themed Sakura Fortune or Sakura Fortune II.

Horror Theme

If you’re into all things spooky, you might want to try one of the horror slots available at all good online casinos. These creepy games have everything from ghosts and zombies to witches and werewolves.

Expect eerie background visuals like a haunted house or a cemetery, and look out for monster character symbols on the reels to trigger a win. Horror slots can have sub-themes like animals, romance, or your favourite film.

Horror slot machines online often star vampires, as is the case with Immortal Romance and its sequel (ideal for Twilight fans) and the Blood Suckers slot. 100 Zombies and Zombie Party are both themed around the undead, while Serial and Mental bring things a bit closer to home with some crazed killers. 

Mythology Theme

There’s something exciting about ancient gods and goddesses, and Greek mythology slots tend to be packed with special features and stunning graphics that transport players to a different world.

Zeus is one of the most popular gods that slots online tend to be themed around, but he’s not the only one. You might encounter anyone from Poseidon to Athena, plus some slots are even based on Norse mythology so that you might catch a glimpse of Thor.

Some of our favourite myth slots are the games in the Age of the Gods series by Playtech, which hold huge progressive jackpots. Other fun titles include Gates of Olympus, Thor of Asgard, and Amazing Link Zeus. 

Egypt Theme

If you’re familiar with online gambling at all, you’ll probably know that ancient Egypt is one of the most popular themes for casino slots online. These games tend to be thrilling, as you’ll usually join an adventurer character as they travel through tombs and search for mummies and hidden treasure.

To land a win, you might be looking for sarcophagus symbols, hieroglyphics, or one of the many Egyptian gods, such as Horus or Anubis. Most of these games are set against a luxurious backdrop inside a pyramid but might also occur in the desert. 

Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead is, without a doubt, the most popular of all the Egypt slots. There are also lots of other “Book of” games, including Book of Atem and Book of Anunnaki, plus other Egyptian titles like 9 Pyramids of Fortune, 4 Secret Pyramids, and, of course, the land-based favourite Cleopatra, which is also available online.

Holiday Theme

Holiday-themed slots are seasonal, but the great thing is that you can play them all year round. Often, around the holiday season, online casinos will boost the relevant games to the top of their lobbies or even run special promotions around them.

Christmas slots are pretty popular and are found at most online casinos. Expect lots of red and green, animated falling snow, and characters including reindeer, elves, and Santa Claus himself. Some game providers also make a few Halloween slots, although technically, most horror games could fit into that category.

Quickfire is a good provider of Christmas slots, and their selection includes Fiona’s Christmas Fortune and 9 Gifts of Christmas. Santa vs Rudolph by NetEnt and Naughty Nick’s Book by Play’n GO put a unique twist on a classic Christmas tale. 

Historical Theme

Historical slots often take the form of adventures; for example, you might journey to ancient Greece to join the gladiators as you play towards a win. The symbols on these games are often made to look ancient, and you might be playing against a background that looks like a treasure chest or an old map.

The Gladiator slot from BSG is one of our favourite historical games, and you’ll find it at most online slot casino sites. There are also several slots based on Leonardo da Vinci, including Da Vinci’s Fruits and Da Vinci Dice, and the high RTP classic 1429 Uncharted Seas takes place on an old pirate ship. Egyptian games like the Book of Dead can fall into the historical category.

Movie Theme

If you’re into pop culture, we have good news: there are many movie slots online, and you might even find one that takes its cue from your favourite film.

Only a few slot game providers have rights to make movie-themed online slots, and they’re not found at all online casinos, so they’re all the more exclusive. When you play a movie slot, the characters might appear as symbols on the game grid, and everything from the background animations to the soundtrack could be themed with clips from the movie.

In general, we recommend movie slots for fans of the particular film, but you can play even if you’ve never seen the movie.

Playtech’s Rocky and its spin-off, Fire Blaze Rocky, are great examples of this theme, as are the various Jurassic Park games by Quickfire and Microgaming. 

Music Theme

Music fans often find many appealing slots online, including games themed around popular artists. Depending on the game, the band members might appear as symbols on the game grid, and you might even hear your favourite song as the backing track. Plus, there are many general music slots with symbols, including instruments and other music-related items.

A few of the best music themed slots to try include Jimi Hendrix, Kiss: Reels of Rock, Alice Cooper and the Tome of Madness, and Def Leppard Hysteria. You don’t need to be a fan of the band to play, but it helps – what could be better than saying your favourite band helped you on the way to a win?

Fairytale Theme

There’s a reason why fairytales are so popular – people just love the stories they tell. Slot games manage to put a unique spin on classic stories and give you the chance to win while you’re enjoying them.

Some games are themed around princesses and castles, while others play on tales like The Three Little Pigs. The symbols are usually themed, so you’ll see the characters and their accessories appearing as symbols on the game grid. 

Many of the classics are represented in the form of fairytale slots. You might want to try Jack and the Beanstalk, Big Bad Wolf or one of its many variations (including a live casino version), or one of several Alice in Wonderland-themed slots like Wonderland Wilds or Adventures Beyond Wonderland. 

Underwater Theme

Humans have always been intrigued by the sea and what happens underwater, so it’s no surprise that this is one of the most popular slot machine themes.

Some of these games have a mythical theme, where you’ll be heading off searching for mysterious lands like the lost city of Atlantis or joining gods of the sea as they rule the underwater world. Other games are more straightforward, featuring fish, turtles, and other sea creatures – watch out for mermaids too.

Underwater pokies usually feature plenty of animations, including bubbles and waving seaweed; the sound effects might even take on a watery tone. 

There are a few online slot machines that stand out in this category. Atlantis Megaways is a great option, as your ways to win are always changing, and other underwater games include Gods of the Seas and Deep Sea Riches. Plus, the games in the Big Bass series take place underwater, too.

Vegas Theme

As Vegas is probably the most famous gambling destination in the world, it’s no surprise that many slot games are based around Sin City. While some games are themed around parties and general debauchery, many just have subtle Vegas references, like lots of neon lights and symbols like cards and poker chips. 

We have a few recommendations if you want to try out Vegas slots online. You might enjoy retro-style games like Lucky Vegas, animal impersonators like Elvis Frog in Vegas, or even zombie slots like the Lost Vegas series. 

Of course, besides the main theme, some online casinos have a “Vegas” section in the games lobby dedicated to slots you’ll find in land-based casinos, like Buffalo and Cleopatra. 

Mexican Theme

It’s time for a fiesta! Spicy Mexican-themed slots might be set out in the desert with lots of cactuses and donkeys, or they might feature bright colours, dancing, vibrant music, sombreros, and chillies. Mexican slots tend to be very impressive when it comes to visuals, and they often come with special features like multipliers and bonus rounds. 

Wild Chapo by Relax Gaming is set in a saloon and features a cast of characters, including a chihuahua, a donkey, and the gun-slinging main man. If you want something more light-hearted, opt for Pinata Smash, or if you prefer creepy vibes, Skull Bonanza might be for you. Plenty of celebratory slot games exist, so you might want to try your luck at Grand Mariachi or Hot Chilli Fest. 

Irish Theme

With the Irish being known for their good luck, it’s no surprise that there are so many Irish slots out there. These games tend to be really colourful, often featuring visuals like rainbows and pots of gold, and they almost always come with a fun and jaunty theme tune to set the mood. 

If you want to give leprechaun slots a chance, there are plenty of them to choose from at our top online casinos. One of the most popular games is Rainbow Riches and all of its spinoffs, but if you search your online slots casino for “rainbow”, “Irish”, or “leprechaun”, we’re certain you’ll find several dozen games that fit the theme.

A few of our recommendations include Irish Luck or Leprechaun’s Luck Cash Collect, both by Playtech, and the progressive Rainbow Jackpots by Red Tiger.

There are so many different types of online casino players, so it makes sense that different people seek out different slot machine themes. There are several reasons why that might be so.

 

• Different interests: Everyone is interested in different things and has their own unique hobbies, so in a similar way to how music fans all love different bands and film buffs like different movies, slots players have their own preferences too. If you love animals, it’s obvious that you might gravitate towards animal-themed slot online slot machines, while if you like fantasy, you might choose your games accordingly, too. Luckily, slots come with hundreds of themes, so finding one that suits you is easy. 

 

• Fans of a franchise: If you’re big into a certain movie or TV series (like Game of Thrones), you might want to play games that fit in with that. There are plenty of branded slot games that will appeal to you. Slot games themselves are also franchises – for example, if you love Mega Moolah, you might want to try all of its spinoffs, too.  
• New vs returning players: As a new online casino player, you might want to stick to simple fruit machines, and as you get more experienced, you could brand out into games with more complex themes and special features. 

 

• Seasonal games: Some slot machines are themed around holidays like Christmas or Halloween, so it’s more likely that people will choose to play those pokies around the occasions. Of course, you can always get some escapism by playing these games year-round, too. 

The Bottom Line

There are so many different slot machine themes, so no matter what you’re into, you’re guaranteed to find one that suits you.

And if you love a specific slot, you’re likely to be able to try out others with a similar theme. Most of the best gambling sites in Australia offer a selection of hundreds or even thousands of slots, so the range of themes is almost limitless. Before you play for real money, you might even be able to try out the games for free in demo mode so you can find the theme you like best before you commit to playing with real cash.

If you’re ready to explore a range of slot game themes, you might want to sign up at one of our recommended casino sites now. We can promise that these sites offer the best online pokies, and you might even stand a chance at a real money win. 

FAQs

What were the first slot themes?

If you go back several decades to retro, land-based casinos, the first slot game themes were fruits. For example, to trigger a win, you might need to align a certain amount of cherries, watermelons, or grapes on one of the paylines, and other symbols could sometimes include bars and 7s. Plenty of games still use this theme, but the gameplay tends to be a lot more modern.

How does the slots theme affect the gameplay?

Usually, every aspect of the slot will be themed. For example, the symbols are generally all based around a theme (although lower-value symbols might just be letters and numbers from a deck of cards), and even the soundtrack and bonus rounds could be based on the theme. For example, if you’re playing a fish-themed game, you might need to reel in the fish in the bonus round, or if you’re playing a Wild West game, you might have to aim at a target to win a special prize. 

What is the most popular slot theme?

As there are so many online slot machine themes, it’s difficult to say exactly which is the most popular, but a few stand out. If you’re playing at an online casino, chances are you’ll encounter at least a few games with a fruit theme and maybe some ancient Egyptian or animal-themed slots. Other popular themes include wealth, luxury, adventure, mythical creatures, and gods.