We went into Buffalo King Megaways expecting another loud animal slot, with running buffalo and dusty plains, but Pragmatic Play gives this one more movement than the average wilderness title. This game uses the Megaways system, tumbling wins, free spins, and multiplier Wilds. For those who enjoy diverse mechanics in their online slots, there's more to watch out for in this title than just a large animal looking very serious in the background. It’ll certainly feel familiar; in a good way.
This game takes place in an American wilderness. The reels sit inside a wooden frame, suiting the frontier style. During the base game, the background is bright and open, with a daytime sky behind the reel set. Once free spins start, the scene shifts into a darker night setting. Animal symbols are easy to recognise, which matters in Megaways online slots where the reel layout changes constantly. The buffalo is the top regular symbol, followed by the eagle, mountain lion (cougar), wolf, and moose. Standard card ranks fill out the lower end of the paytable. The soundtrack has a western tone, but thankfully it’s not overdone and complements the theme nicely.
Values below are shown as payout multipliers.
| Symbol | Payout Multiplier (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of a kind) |
|---|---|
| 10 | n/a, 0.10x, 0.20x, 0.40x, 0.60x |
| J | n/a, 0.10x, 0.20x, 0.40x, 0.60x |
| Q | n/a, 0.10x, 0.20x, 0.40x, 0.75x |
| K | n/a, 0.20x, 0.30x, 0.50x, 1.00x |
| A | n/a, 0.20x, 0.30x, 0.50x, 1.00x |
| Moose | n/a, 0.30x, 0.50x, 0.75x, 1.50x |
| Wolf | n/a, 0.30x, 0.50x, 0.75x, 1.50x |
| Cougar | n/a, 0.50x, 0.75x, 1.25x, 3.75x |
| Eagle | n/a, 0.75x, 1.25x, 2.50x, 6.25x |
| Buffalo | 1.00x, 2.00x, 4.00x, 10.00x, 20.00x |
When scoring a winning combination, involved symbols are removed from the reels so that new symbols could fall into the empty spaces. This process repeats as long as wins keep coming. Since the reel height changes with every spin, the tumble mechanic works well with the Megaways setup.
As in most modern slots, the main action is carried by Bonus symbols since they usually unlock the most interesting features. In the case of Buffalo King Megaways these symbols award 12, 17, or 22 free spins, depending on how many symbols land in one spin. During free spins, Wild symbols land with random 2x, 3x, or 5x multipliers. When a Wild is involved in a winning combination, the multiplier applies to the win from that tumble sequence.
It’s also possible to extend the feature. Retriggers are unlimited, though every extra spin still depends on the symbols that actually land.
This slots game uses six reels alongside an additional horizontal reel positioned above the middle section of the grid. Reels 1 and 6 can display up to 7 symbols, while reels 2, 3, 4, and 5 can display up to 8 symbols each. The horizontal reel contributes additional symbol positions and helps create a maximum of 200,704 ways to win. Wins pay from left to right across adjacent reels, starting from reel 1. The highest win is paid for each symbol combination, and wins from different ways are added together.
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The base game in Buffalo King Megaways is fine and the tumbling reels help it avoid feeling too still. Where the game finds its identity is through the free spins feature. We found ourselves watching for Bonus symbols far more often than we were admiring the scenery. That's probably the strongest compliment we can give it. Could the theme have been a bit more unique? Yes, perhaps. Even so, the gameplay remains entertaining, the mechanics are easy to understand, and the bonus features give this slot enough personality to stand on its own hooves.