Popular Slots Themes and Best Themed Slot Games

There are more slot games than anything else in the casino world.

Wouldn’t it be helpful to know what kinds of slots are out there so that you’re always a click away from finding your next favorite machine?

We think so too. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive list of slot machine themes and some of the best themed slots games.

This list includes dozens of slot themes and hundreds of related games from the best slot developers in the business.

You won’t find a more comprehensive guide to themed slot machines anywhere else. This list (and all the slots we recommend playing) will keep you busy for months!

Gambling is an adults-only pursuit anyway. But even so, there a few slots you might not want to play in front of the younger ones.

We’re not talking about X-rated adult themed slot machines, but a game like A Night with Cleo, which shows off more of Cleopatra than you’ve ever seen before.

Cleopatra encourages you to use the optional double-up gamble opportunity whenever you receive a payout by holding out two lotus flowers. Pick the right one, and off goes a piece of her clothing.

You double your winnings too, but who is paying attention to money at that point?

Here are some adult themed slots for your eyes only.

A Night with Cleo is an unforgettable classic, but there are more adult-themed slot machines you may want to check out. This list of the adult slots you can play online should keep you occupied for a while.

What better imagery than Gladiators and Colosseums to show off the ferocity of a slot game’s potential?

Ancient Rome themed slots rely heavily on those visuals and use them in all kinds of creative ways.

The Gladiator slot is based on the movie with Russell Crowe but, even though other characters circle the reels, Crowe is missing.

You won’t miss him too much when you play the Roman themed slot, though, as it has a progressive jackpot that you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for instead.

All hail a list of ancient Rome slot themes for you to play.

When you think of animal themed slots, what images come to mind?

It’s probably different for everyone, as slot machine themes about animals are all over the place.

For example, you’ve got cartoon animals on slots like ThunderCats or The Pink Panther. There are also dozens or more jungle-themed animal slots, including Jaguar Temple and Ride the Tiger.

Of course, slot developers also get into more obscure slots with animal themes. Have you played Ace Ventura Pet Detective, Pied Piper, or Banana Rock?

There are more animal slots where those machines came from too.

Could the Marvel Avengers be the reason why so many slot games produced in the last decade feature Norse gods in Asgardian theme slots?

Playtech lost the licensing rights to its Marvel slot series in 2017, so the “real” Thor is off the table.

But Thor, Loki, Freya, Odin, and the Valkyries still circle dozens of different Norse god themed slot machine reels.

You don’t have to cross the Bifrost bridge to play these Asgardian themed slots with Norse gods for real money.

Another Asgardian themed slot machine is Riches of Midgard: Land and Expand. It was released in 2021 by NetEnt.

Riches of Midgard looks like a five-reel game, but game symbols only circle the middle three reels. The end reels rotate in features like hot spot re-spins.

One of the most consistent traits of Asian theme slots is that they tend to be beautiful and relaxing. The soft music, combined with lotus flowers and pagodas, creates a soothing environment for your pursuit of big money payouts.

Slots with Asian themes are another category that dominates virtual slot banks. It’s highly unlikely that you’d visit any casino and not come across at least one Asian themed slot machine.

Here are some of the best Asian theme slots.

Magic Journey by Pragmatic Play is another Asian inspired slot game but with a unique approach. What makes it different?

It’s more like a bingo game on slot reels. You get paid for every line you create on a tic tac toe-like board. It’s nothing like any other Asian themed slot you’ve experienced.

It not always obvious when you come across book themed slot games, as they take an indirect route to the slot screen, typically with the big screen in between.

Many slot machine themes based on books take on the characters and images from their movie counterparts, so there’s a crossover between movie and book themed slot machines.

Here are a few book themed slots based on bestsellers.

Many of the books these slots are based on were also made into movies. So, like some other games, they could fit into more than one of the most popular slot themes.

Unwrapping sweet treats for cash, does it get any better?

Slot designers are tasked with enticing players to spin the reels, so yummy visuals of chocolate and other sweet treats in candy theme slots will do the trick.

Enjoy the sweet stuff with these candy themed slots.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is one of the most popular candy themed slots (aka chocolate slots) in casinos today.

It’s a candy-covered land-based game with four sequels and a Wonkavator taking players to new bonus heights with progressive jackpots.

If you happen to be in a casino that carries Wonka chocolate slots, give one a try. Many games have motion chairs, so, as Veruca, Augustus, and Charlie sail down the chocolate river, you’ve got a seat in the same boat.

They’re furry and cute, and, for some reason, they show up on slot reels throughout land-based and online casinos.

Like the YouTube videos with cats flushing toilets or playing pianos, cat themed slots attract attention.

Here are some slot machine themes with cats for you to check out.

Miss Kitty and Kitty Glitter are two of the most played slots, regardless of the format.

They don’t go over the top with unique features. Instead, it must be the cuteness factor that keeps slot players returning for more of these cat themed slot machines.

Does it really have to be December to play Christmas-themed slots? Players don’t think so, as slots themes revolving around the holly jolly holiday have reels spinning year-round.

While many Christmas slots revolve around Santa and his elves, RealTime Gaming has a different take on them. All you need to know are names like Rudolph’s Revenge and Swindle All the Way to get the gist.

Here are some Christmas themed slot machines, unwrapped and ready to play for real money.

Good old Ebenezer Scrooge stars in quite a few Christmas slots, too.

But Play ‘n Go’s 2020 release, Holiday Spirits, is one of the best with Win Spins that attach to all three ghosts – Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

It would be impossible to cover all of the best diamond slots as there are so many.

Diamonds, gold, gems; they don’t just circle the reels but are featured in the title too.

While cats attract attention for their lovability, diamonds signal wealth, and what’s better for slot players spinning for big-money payouts?

Here are a few sparkling diamond slot themes worth playing.

Online slot developers use dragons similarly to land-based studios with diamonds and fruit. Just the appearance of a mighty dragon gives players a feeling of power.

They breathe fire, fly across the screen, and a close-up of one of their eyes usually signals the start of a feature or mini-bonus.

Want to play a fiery dragon themed slot machine? There are a lot of great dragon slots to consider, but I’d try these games first.

iSoftbet released Dragon Match Megaways in 2019, combining the mighty dragon with thousands of ways to win.

Instead of five reels, though, the board is cut to four to accommodate nice, even positioning of the two-spot reel on top.

Matching symbols on the board below to the pair above turns them wild, and two halves of the dragon coming together as one is the bonus trigger.

Cleopatra is everywhere in the slot world. But for the most part, she keeps her clothes on, unlike in A Night in Cleo (scroll up to adult themed slots for details).

Of course, the Queen of the Nile is only one of many stars of Egyptian themed slot machines. After all, how many pyramids do you come across as you browse the slots section of your favorite casino?

With King Tut, Cleopatra, pyramids, and hidden treasures, a casino could be dedicated entirely to Egyptian theme slots.

Here are a few Egyptian themed slots to get you started.

Cygnus by Elk Studios is one to check out if you’re looking for a slot with an Egyptian theme that takes a different direction.

Not only does it provided 262,144 ways to win, but the symbols drop in and roll around like marbles until they settle into position.

NetEnt is fond of slot collections. It’s the developer behind NetEnt Rocks music themed slots and the Universal Monsters movie theme slot series.

Sleeping Beauty and Hansel and Gretel might not have musical abilities, but they’ve shown up on the big screen and the slot screen many times over the years.

NetEnt’s Fairytale Legends series pays homage to our favorite childhood characters that sometimes turn sweet dreams into nightmares.

Fairytale Legends doesn’t corner the market on fairytale theme slots, though, as you’ll run into all sorts of Snow White interpretations, with the dwarves in tow.

The cool thing about fairytale slots is that the rabbit hole feels endless. Speaking of that, you can play Alice in Wonderland slot games online, and there’s also all kinds of Disney-related options.

The aforementioned Snow White and the 7 Features is probably one of the better options available to you online, but it’s worth checking out all of the top Snow White slots if you’re into this slot game genre.

When it comes to progressive jackpots, game show-themed slots are toward the top of the list.

Wheel of Fortune has been turning players into instant millionaires in land-based casinos, and Deal or No Deal pays whether in-person, online and in pub fruit machines.

Game shows are ideal slot machine themes. The bonus rounds can effortlessly convert to slot bonuses.

For example, pick and win rounds work whether you’re on stage with game show hosts Pat Sajak or Steve Harvey or on a themed slot machine hosted by your favorite mobile casino.

The point being, if you enjoy watching or playing game shows, you’ll love playing game show themed slots – especially the slots listed below.

If you doubt that you can win big money playing game show slots, Wheel of Fortune might just convince you otherwise.

During the month of August 2020, IGT paid two jackpots worth more than $1 million each to Wheel of Fortune slot players.

The first jackpot was worth $1,255,071 (CA). Someone won it playing the Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Exotic Far East slot game.

The second was worth $1,739,205 – that jackpot was triggered on the Wheel of Fortune Triple Diamond machine.

The point – don’t ignore game show slots. These machines can pay out just as much as the game show it’s based on, sometimes more. For more options, check out this post on game show slots.

5 Game Show Slots You’ll Want to Try Online – Reels & Wheels and More

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Like Christmas slots, Halloween slots aren’t limited to once a year. They’re creatively designed and work wherever and whenever you want to play them.

One of the all-time best in online casinos is Microgaming’s Halloween, based on the movie of the same name starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

The game features an eerie representation of the Myers house in Haddonfield in 1978. As soon as the familiar music starts playing, you’ll get chills up your spine. But they’ll go away quickly if you conquer The Boogeyman Bonus.

You can find some (tricks and) treats in these Halloween themed slot machines.

One of the best Halloween slots to come out over the past few years is Horror House by Booming Games. It features 3,125 ways to win, expanding reels, and Chucky hiding behind spiderweb-covered doors.

Of course, this is arguably just scratching the surface when it comes to sending a shiver down your spine and also trying to cash in. For some extra goosebumps – and hopefully some profit – take a look at these scary horror slots.

Holiday themed slots can be two things, depending on where you live.

In the US, the word holiday conjures up a calendar with Christmas, Valentine’s Day, New Years’, Easter, and other special occasions.

But in other parts of the world, it’s interchangeable with vacation.

Regardless of which definition you’ve adopted, there’s a holiday themed slot to fit the occasion. Here are a couple of travel and holiday themed slots we think you should play first.

Birthday! is a bit of a stretch in the holiday theme slot category, but it’s a fun celebration.

Elk Studios pulled together all its popular slot characters like Wild Toro, Taco Brothers, and Electric Sam for a “star-studded” party.

You don’t have to be superstitious to gravitate to slots with horseshoes, four-leaf clovers, and pots of gold. Luck of the Irish theme slots simply inspire game success, plus they’re fun to play.

You’ll sometimes get an entertaining leprechaun host cheering you on or working some magic on the reels to your benefit.

Spread the luck around with these Irish theme slots.

While Barry the Disco Leprechaun is one of the more unusual Irish themed slots, you might also enjoy 9 Pots of Gold.

It doesn’t have the same name appeal, but the pots of gold add up to valuable bonus prizes.

Presto, change-o, magic themed slots can turn your credit balance into something life-changing.

The beauty of playing a slot machine theme based on magic, magicians, and illusions is there’s a lot to work with for custom bonuses and special effects.

No illusions, here are a few awesome real magic theme slot games we think you’ll enjoy.

Rabbit in the Hat by Microgaming is a fun magic themed slot for players who like non-stop features.

The magician passes his hats across the top of the board. When magic hats match up with wild symbols below, the rabbit hiding inside the hat leaps out to distribute game features.

It’s simple but entertaining, and no one is getting cut in half or tied in chains.

The movie theme slots list goes on and on, just as Celine Dion sings in the Titanic slot that dominates many casino floors.

Online movie slots aren’t just as plentiful. You don’t have to go far to search through virtual slot banks and find some of your favorites from the big screen.

For example, Sylvester Stallone stars in Rocky, The Expendables, and Rambo. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in Terminator. And Gene Wilder stars in Willy Wonka.

Here are a few more movie themed slots worth playing.

Many movie themed slots, like Ghostbusters and Jurassic Park, end up with sequels that coincide with new film releases.

Ghostbusters Plus came out in anticipation of the 2021 Ghostbusters reboot, and the Jurassic World sequel came out following the 2015 blockbuster starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Wouldn’t it be fun if music started playing as soon as you arrived at the music theme slot section?

Well, we don’t have an auto-start on some of your favorite bands and singers, but licensed brand slots with music themes more than accommodating.

When you play music slots, it’s a twofer with audio and visual entertainment.

Crank up the volume with some of these music theme slots.

Once again, we turn to NetEnt for a music themed slot collection (NetEnt Rocks). But you’ll find that more online slot studios, like Play ‘n Go, are getting into the licensed brand slot game.

Play ‘n Go’s Twisted Sister is the perfect combination of audio, visuals, entertainment, features, and payout potential.

From fun imagery of captains with parrots and monkeys to all-out slot battles amongst fleets of ships, pirate theme slots use watery imagery to create immersive gameplay.

Here are a few of the best pirate slots you’ll find online.

Playtech’s Bombs is another pirate themed slot that followed its release of Baam Boom. It features bombs dropping from the ship to the watery reels.

Instead of deadly explosives, though, the artillery consists of free spins, multipliers, cash prizes, and wilds.

Plus, if you’re a risk-taking player, this unique pirate slot lets you pay 150% of your stake for a second boat full of feature bombs.

Not much explanation is necessary when it comes to sports themed slots. But it’s always helpful to have a few recommendations to narrow the field.

Knockout Football Rush is Habanero Games’ sequel to the original. But surprisingly, the payline count drops instead of rises, which is typically the follow-up game scenario.

This particular sports slot plays on a 3 x 3 board with six ways to win, as vertical matches count along with horizontal. Penalty kicks put the ball and wild symbols in play, with nine leading to a payout worth 60 times your stake.

Sports themed slots favor football (aka soccer). But you don’t have to be a fan of the game to enjoy the slot game version, and there are plenty of options for other sports.

Slots with sports themes tend to be feature-rich with unusual bonus rounds.

It’s a bird; it’s a plane, it’s a superhero-themed slot machine.

Yes, Superman slots bear both Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill’s likeness, courtesy of Playtech’s DC Superheroes collection. But no cape is required, as Aquaman and the Suicide Squad also have dedicated slot games.

Here are some of the best superhero slots you’ll find at casinos.

When it comes to slot machine themes in online casinos, the branded superhero theme is in a league of its own, dominated by Playtech. The most recognizable heroes reside within the DC and Marvel Universes.

Playtech had a Marvel Comics agreement and lost it but remains on top with a DC licensing agreement.

So, there’s no Iron Man slot anymore, but Batman and Superman battle it out on the slot screen attached to a progressive jackpot network to boot.

Holy millions, Batman!

All aboard, as unique travel themed slots are taking off in online casinos around the world. They cover trains, planes, and automobiles, and you may even catch a boat here and there.

Stamp your passport with these travel slot machine themes.

Titanic might have the land-based casino floor covered, but Play ‘n Go’s Cash Vandal is an excellent pick for travel slots online.

You wouldn’t know it by the name, but it’s based on a graffiti-covered train that travels through Europe. A golden paint sprayer leads to all kinds of custom spin rounds.

It might not be the trip you planned, but it’s one to remember.

You can call them explorers or archaeologists, but treasure hunter themed slots are good business for casinos, as players get to know the names of the unlikely heroes.

John Hunter, Rich Wilde, Cat Wilde, they’re all slot-invented characters that became household names in the slot industry. Each has prompted sequel games that get bigger and better.

You can go on around the world adventures with these treasure hunter themed slots.

One of the best parts of many slot games with treasure hunter themes is the expanding symbol bonus they tend to adopt.

The chosen one stretches to cover the reel, and wins are determined based on the number of reels instead of positioning.

It’s not uncommon to completely cover the bonus screen with one symbol for ten or 20 five-of-a-kind payouts.

Of all the slot themes, TV shows are one of the most entertaining. It’s fun to see favorite characters like Peter from Family Guy or Gopher from The Love Boat on the slot reels.

As TV-themed slots require a branded license, they’re not in every online casino. But most online slot developers are jumping on the bandwagon.

Recent rollouts include Blueprint Gaming’s Rick and Morty and Narcos, which jumped from Netflix to NetEnt.

Here are a few more entertaining TV-themed slot games worth playing.

Some TV show-themed slots come in Megaways versions, so you’ve got thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of ways to win.

We recommend you check out the Pickle Rick bonus round in Rick and Morty Megaways or the tribe leader wilds in Survivor Megaways.

Mermaids, pearls, and Poseidon, oh my. Under the Sea theme slots take you on treasure hunting journeys with sea creatures, bubbles, and fun special effects.

Here are a few under the sea slot themes with buried treasure.

Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolah is a 2020 addition to Microgaming’s world-renown progressive jackpot series. Mega Moolah is behind Guinness World Record-breaking payouts in online casinos and mobile devices.

The new Atlantean Treasures is a ten payline Under the Sea themed slot machine that’s not as feature-rich as some but has life-changing jackpot potential nonetheless.

Like superheroes, movie-themed slots, music slots, and other premium brands, video game themed slots require a licensing agreement.

That’s why you won’t see very many titles in online casinos. Game developers already have virtual dominance and don’t need to muddy things in the gambling realm.

That doesn’t mean that video game themed slot machines are out of the realm of possibility, though. There are a few fun video games turned slot games that have become player favorites.

Tomb Raider was the first Microgaming branded slot.

Microgaming’s 15-year licensing agreement with Square Enix is the longest-running and provides video game themed slot sequels like Lara Croft: Temples and Tombs.

The howl can make wolf-themed slots feel powerful. But wolf slots come in all shapes and sizes with werewolves, singing wolves, and wild wolves.

You can check out these wolf theme slots – even without a full moon.

Rockabilly Wolves is a fun music-inspired game by Microgaming with a 50s style all-wolf band. It features stacked wilds, multiplier wilds, stacked symbols, and re-spins for a second shot at bonus admission.

You’ve got a better shot at five-of-a-kind success in Rockabilly Wolves than any other wolf themed slot featuring singing canines.

We’d be surprised if you didn’t find several slots themes that caught your eye.

From Thunderstruck II in the Norse Gods themed slots to Wonky Wabbits in the animal slot theme area, these categories cover pretty much every unique feature available in slot gaming today.

Every slot we’ve listed is from a top-notch licensed and regulated software provider, so you should have no worries about fair and safe gaming.

But that doesn’t mean you should take your decision about where to play slots online lightly. We still recommend that you choose the best online casinos to play these themed slot machines.

Do that, and nothing is stopping you from having a great time playing and winning money from games based on your favorite slot themes.

For help with deciding where to play, check out the following pages.