Theme, Design, and Audio
Pragmatic Play revisits the familiar lands of American prairies, inhabited by wild creatures of all kinds, though there are none in the background. However, spotting a beast is relatively easy, as most of them are instantly available on the slot reels. The reels feature a refreshing layout courtesy of the Megaways engine. This time, we get 6 main reels and an additional horizontal reel positioned above, housing 4 cells evenly distributed between reels 2 and 5.
Design-wise, the buffalo-themed slot is a replica of its predecessor with a few tweaks here and there. Even the background score is borrowed from Buffalo King, with that same adventure score mixed with guitar twangs. So, while the game offers nothing new, it isn't a surprise since the slot is a Buffalo King franchise, with the Megaways engine being the new driving point.
Symbols and Payouts
A segment where Buffalo King Megaways differs from the original game is in the number of pay symbols. While Buffalo King had 11 pay symbols; the sequel cuts short one low-pay symbol: 9 royal. Interestingly, the slot overcomes this discrepancy by making bonus symbols payable.
Now, coming to the paytable numbers: 10 to A royals offer 0.60 to 1x the stake for hitting six matching ones on adjacent reels. Players get 1.5x to 20x the stake among the high-paying animal symbols for hitting 6 matching icons.
While the buffalo occupies a major position, the bonus symbol offers the highest symbol payout of up to 100x the stake. The slot also features a wild symbol that lands only on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th reels and substitutes for all paying symbols except the bonus one.
RTP, Volatility, and Paylines
Buffalo King Megaways RTP of 96.52% is quite a leap from the original game, which offered 96.06%. While any score above 96% is generally deemed good, Buffalo King Megaways boasts a solid score, which might help players in the long run.
As denoted by Pragmatic Play, the slot is highly volatile and comes with a rating of 5 out of 5. Slots with high variance pay less frequently but offer a better chance of hitting big wins in a shorter span, making it ideal for high rollers.
The game title shows that the slot uses a Megaways engine where paylines keep shifting with each spin and can jump to a maximum of 200,704 ways to win.
Features and Bonuses
Buffalo King Megaways keeps the gameplay simple but does enrich the base game with the tumble feature, and then there's the classic free spins feature.
Tumble
Once a winning combination lands, symbols involved in the win are removed from the reels, and the remaining ones drop to the bottom. Meanwhile, a random set of new symbols fills the remaining reels. If this tumbling event leads to another win, the process repeats and continues until no further wins appear. Once the tumble feature ends, the total win amount accumulated is paid out.
Free Spins
Hitting 4, 5, or 6 bonus scatters in the base game pays 5x, 20x, and 100x the stake and further awards 12, 17, and 22 free spins, respectively. Wild symbols might land with a random multiplier of x2, x3, or x5 during free spins. Whenever a wild multiplier is part of a winning combination, its multiplier value is added to the tumble meter.
During a tumble sequence, if additional winning multipliers that appear, they are multiplied by the current value on the tumble meter. When the tumbling sequence concludes, the cumulative multiplier gets applied to the total win amount achieved in that sequence.
Furthermore, achieving 3 or more bonus symbols during free spins grants 5 additional spins, allowing the feature to be retriggered endlessly.
Ante Bet and Buy Bonus
Activating the Ante Bet requires an additional 25% on top of your initial bet. The feature doubles your likelihood of triggering the bonus feature. Alternatively, you can opt for the Buy Bonus option to access the free spins bonus feature immediately. The feature entails a payment equivalent to 100 times your current stake. It's important to note that the availability of the buy bonus feature may be restricted in certain jurisdictions.
About the Game Provider
Pragmatic Play is a well-established name in the iGaming industry. It is known for continuously delivering innovative slots and casino games to various online and cryptocurrency-based casinos. Their diverse game portfolio supports multiple languages and has gained a prominent presence in top-notch casinos around the globe. The game provider strongly emphasizes providing a seamless gaming experience for users on mobile phones and tablets. Some of the most notable Pragmatic Play slots are Gates of Olympus, Wolf Gold, Sweet Bonanza, and Great Rhino.