As a portal engaged in pokies reviews, one of our favorite things to do is bring you top ten lists. Besides getting to show our expertise, and share our top picks, it’s a great opportunity to jog our memories and come up with all sorts of gems we’ve encountered along the way. Do it yourself for a moment, and you’ll quickly see what we mean. While you may not have invested any thought in it before, when you suddenly strive to build say a top 10 food pokies list or a selection of your favorite superhero games, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself rediscovering old titles you hadn’t considered in a while, alongside some of your regular go-to’s.

All this, perhaps is a rather wordy intro to the topic at hand – the top 10 villains themed pokies – but it’s always fun to consider the process as much as the list. So, after a fair bit of thought and consulting across the team, we came up with these ten games which we’re happy to recommend. But before we do, as always, we need to start from the beginning and qualify our theme.

What is a villain?

A villain, according to its dictionary definition is any evil character with either wicked actions, evil intentions, or sinister motives. As a central figure helping carry the plots in which they appear, being bad is not enough. Usually, they also come accompanied by any number of intriguing traits such as a malicious end goal, exceptional intellect, a twisted sense of humor, a crazy style of dress, and often, an interesting backstory to draw us in. Some are magical in nature, while others are simply bad human beings. But once they show their face in whatever form they take, we know what we’re dealing with. And oftentimes, we can’t help but love them, even rooting for them against the forces of good. So who are our favorite pokies villains and why? Let’s explore the dark side and see which anti-heroes make for a pretty good spin.

1. Victorian Villain (Microgaming)

First, on our list of recommended villainous games, we’re going with a rather literal interpretation of the theme. And so we bring you Victorian Villain by Microgaming. The basic stats for this virtual machine are 5 reels, 243 paylines, and a 96% RTP. But of course, this isn’t why you’ll be playing per se. We’re looking for the evil side, after all, so we’ll give you this. The storyline is set in Victorian England. Basically, a female detective is on the lookout for one certain scoundrel reaping terror throughout the streets of London when night falls. Help her catch the criminal and you can win some pretty hefty rewards throughout the search. For example, there’s an aptly named Villain free spins feature, which includes both free spins and plenty of multipliers. Plus, everyone enjoys the Search for Clues bonus game in which you pick through objects in a cluttered room, collecting as many prizes as you can until you find one with the word Collect printed upon it, at which point the game ends and you walk off with your collected prizes. While this is not one of Microgaming’s best-known pokies, with its user-friendly setup and terrific storyline, it is certainly a great pick for those in search of the villain theme.

2. Nightmare on Elm Street (Random Logic)

If villain and horror are synonymous in your books, then the Nightmare on Elm Street online pokies machine from Random Logic makes for an excellent bet. Faithfully frightening like the cinema version itself, this game stars none other than Freddy Krueger spreading chaos and fear. If his presence alone isn’t enough to freak you out, the creepy background music helps get you in the mood, as well as the blood-spattered card symbols and other movie characters. As for features, you’ve got the Never Sleep Again bonus game and the Pick Me bonus as well. The crème de la crème, however, is the free spin bonus round in which you receive 10 free spins for 3 scatter symbols, 20 free spins for 4 scatter symbols, and 30 free spins for 5. There are also two progressive jackpots that can be randomly won, though they’re not known to be of the millionaire-making level. Still, they add a nice extra layer to a well-animated game and help land Nightmare on Elm Street pokies high on our recommended list.

3. Blue Beard (Belatra Games)

Next up on our top villain themed online pokies list we’ve got the Blue Beard game from Belatra Games. If you’ve never heard of Blue Beard, or his name simply rings a bell, but you can’t quite recall, he’s basically a seriously evil guy made famous in a French folktale from way back in 1697. Definitely not a story we’d read to our kids these days, this horrifying story features Blue Beard, all the previous wives he’s murdered (yes you read that right) and his current wife who is attempting to avoid a similar fate. That being said, this game of Blue Beard is actually more likely based on the pirate Black Beard, as perhaps the developers didn’t quite do their research right. Or maybe it’s intentional. Either way, the swashbuckling action, somber atmosphere and matching animation make for engaging play, complete with 40 paylines packed with up to 72 free spins, two gamble games, and a potential progressive jackpot prize worked in.

4. Twins of Evil (Gamesys)

Back to the horror film genre and its villains, we’ve got Twins of Evil from the developers at Gamesys coming in next. Video pokies based on the classic horror flick of the same name, this is one spooky experience which may well give you goosebumps with every spin. Set in a haunted manor inhabited by evil twins, the atmosphere is dark and demented, with an air of horror hanging over the reels which are etched in a massive gravestone. But while it certainly is frightening, Twins of Evil isn’t all doom and gloom. It’s a pokies machine after all, so it’s also got its good sides. For example, while any winning combo of 5 in a row pays well, 5 wilds will reap you 20,000 coins. There’s also a mini-game lurking within, set free by a bonus symbol on reels 1,3, and 5. And finally, there’s a special extra symbol that may pop up above the reels granting you a multiplier of up to 22X. Scary yes, but worthwhile as well.

5. Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters (iSoftBet)

We all know the story of Hansel and Gretel and we all know who the villain is here, right? So here we have it now set along the reels in the terrific Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters game. The movie this game is actually based on (released circa 2012), unlike the fairy tale itself, didn’t get rave reviews. But the pokies game version we’re talking about from iSoftBet deserves a bit more credit than that. Plugged with an RTP of a decent 96.51%, it’s actually a rather simple machine with just 5 reels and 10 paylines. What it does have, however, is great graphics that generate a suitably dark feel. Plus, there’s a rather grim monster as the game’s wild which when it lands in the middle of a reel can expand and boost your winnings accordingly. And of course, there’s a decent free spins round which helps you keep the action going.

6. The Dark Knight (Playtech)

One of the darkest superhero tales to hit the big screen, the Dark Knight pokies from Playtech do the film justice with gorgeous graphics, familiar video clips, and adrenaline-packed play all within. The villain here, of course, is Batman’s nemesis the Joker, who gives us the creeps with every spin, even when doing good deeds like helping deliver valuable prizes. While there is a seemingly endless stream of Batman prequels and sequels on the market, we really like this version best for its steadfast recreation of the dark sinister feel of Gotham City and its fantastically menacing theme. In addition to the unique effect of a 6-reel game, it’s got 50 paylines and pays both ways. Plus, there are 4 progressive jackpots – Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand – that tend to build up quite well, making this game even more worthwhile. In fact, this game is so good it has made our top 10 superhero slots list as well, though thanks to the Joker’s starring role, it gets a top place on our villainous pokies list too.

7. Batman and the Penguin Prize (Playtech)

While we chose to feature Batman and the Penguin Prize here, we could just as easily have chosen any one of the titles in this progressive jackpot pokies series like Batman and the Joker Jewels, Batman and the Riddler Riches, or Batman and Mr Freeze Fortune. These games are all more or less the same, especially since they’re all tied to the same rather large progressive jackpot prize (for example, at last look, it was well over $1,000,000). In addition, each of these games featuring Batman and one of his nemesis contains a lot of familiar fun including classic animation from the 1960s television show, the theme song we can all easily summon up, re-spins, free spins, huge symbols, stacked symbols, and mega symbols to boot.

8. Dungeon Immortal Evil (EvoPlay Entertainment)

Dungeon Immortal Evil by EvoPlay Entertainment is more than original; it virtually reinvents the pokies genre. In fact, it is more like a cross between a role-playing game (RPG) and a pokies machine to be more precise. And it is absolutely stunning! If you’ve ever played 3D pokies, multiply that experience like a thousand-fold really. That’s how immersing the environment is here, complete with a dark dungeon and evil lurking creatures within. There are no reels to revolve, but there are symbols and spins, coins and real cash prizes. And it does have the pure luck elements of pokies with results entirely based on an RNG. Any description we give it, simply won’t do it justice, it is really that unique. So while it may feel totally unfamiliar at first, we definitely recommend overcoming any fears of the unfamiliar and giving the mesmerizing Dungeon Immortal Evil game a try.

9. Lucky Little Devil (Red Tiger Gaming)

No list of top villain themed pokies could possibly be complete without a little devil action. And although the devil in Lucky Little Devil developed by Red Tiger Gaming may be a bit too cute to be feared, we chose him nonetheless for displaying his rather saucy side. Your minimum bet here is $0.20 per round and high rollers can go up to $500 in a go. In terms of interesting aspects, there is somewhat surprisingly no wild symbol in this game, but there are some nice features like the Little Stroke of Luck that loads the reels with Little Devil Coins, which in turn reveal a range of interesting prizes. Similarly, there is what’s called rather ominously the Devil’s Work feature, but rest assured, it only brings good things. Overall, we’d say if this is hell, it’s not a bad place to be.

10. Wicked Witch (Habanero Gaming)

And finally, we round out our best online pokies with a villain theme list with one of our top picks, and that is Wicked Witch from Habanero Gaming. Inspired by the magic and secret rituals as much as witches, this highly entertaining game has top-notch graphics and a terrifyingly dark setting with shadows, a brewing cauldron, and ominous light to match. But it’s not just ambiance that rates this game so high. You’ve also got the standard features we most enjoy like bet max, autoplay, and a gamble side game mixed in. And of course, there are the big wins of up to 10,000X, which are spellbinding enough on their own.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve given you our top 10 picks for villain themed online pokies it’s time to go out there and give them a try. If their evil powers don’t work for you, fear not. There are plenty of more sinister games from which to choose. Whether you like pirates or monsters, witches or creepy creatures, devils, dark masterminds or a simple tyrant, there is a world of virtual villains out there waiting for you to explore.