There are plenty of attractions at your typical big top show, and you can expect to see the whole range of them in slots based on this theme. In most of these games, you’ll find bright, vibrant colors along with upbeat music that might just include some of the most famous tunes that are associated with circuses today.

This theme lends itself to a lot of iconic symbols as well. You’ll find animals like lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) performing all sorts of stunts on the screen. There’s also plenty of room for the human performers, who you might just see on the high wire, acting as clowns, or breathing fire. These famous acts could also be used for special features, as any of the many attractions could be used as the backdrop for a second screen bonus round.

If you want to play an Internet slot machine that features this theme, you’ll have plenty of titles to choose from. While this isn’t one of the most prolific thematic backdrops in the industry, it is still quite popular, with many developers having at least one machine that fits in this category. The following are some of our favorites, but there are many more options out there for you to explore.

The Twisted Circus (Microgaming): If you’re looking for something a bit different, this Microgaming title features a truly twisted take on this concept, putting the emphasis on the creepier aspects of these traveling troupes. You’ll see freaks and some rather creepy looking animals along with dark, foreboding music – a combination sure to creep out anyone who had nightmares about creepy clowns as a child. However, it’s not all scary: you’ll love the 243 ways format, which allows you to win on any left-to-right matching combination.

Circus Brilliant (EGT): With bright purple coloring accentuating the entertaining theme, this machine is exactly as brilliant as its name suggests. You’ll be matching clowns, bears, seals and more, being entertained by big top music each time you score a win. We especially like the free spins feature: rather than being triggered by a scatter symbol or some other combination, you’ll instead enter this bonus round when you hit any five-in-a-row winning payline.

5 Reel Circus (Rival): This five-reel, 15 payline slot machine takes a more classical view on the theme. You’ll see reels populated by old-timey clowns, roaring lions, contortionists, and the always popular unicycle-riding bears. The sounds of a happy crowd serve as a backdrop while you’ll look to earn free spins, each of which comes with a 3x multiplier designed to maximize your winnings.

Happy Circus (Topgame): If there’s one word we could use to describe this game, it would have to be “adorable.” Cartoonish and childlike graphics abound on this title, especially when it comes to characters like the elephant and the strong man, which look like they could have been drawn by a small child (albeit a very talented one). Wild clowns, a free spins feature, and a “Hidden Secrets” bonus game all serve to spice up the action and make this a game worth coming back to time and again.