Buffalo King Megaways Demo and Review

With Pragmatic Play’s Buffalo King Megaways we’re heading into the heart of the American wilderness. This isn’t just an online slot; it’s a stampede of pure, untamed power. It’s a wild ride that takes the spirit of the original Buffalo King and unleashes it with the explosive Megaways engine. It’s a game of raw potential, where a single bonus round can change everything.

Buffalo King Megaways Slot Summary

Buffalo King Megaways Demo

Before you face the stampede with real Rands, I strongly suggest you spend some time with the free demo version. This is a highly volatile game, and playing for free is the best way to understand the rhythm of the tumbles and the sheer power of the bonus round without risking your cash.

Game Overview

Pragmatic Play unleashed this Megaways version of their popular slot in April 2021, and it’s been a player favourite ever since. It’s played on 6 reels, plus a top tracker reel, offering up to a massive 200,704 ways to win. The RTP is a very healthy 96.52%, but the real story is the extreme volatility. For South African players, the bet range typically starts around R3.00 and can go up to R1,500 per spin, with a max win potential of 5,000x your bet.

Theme and Storyline

The game transports you to the vast, sun-drenched plains of North America. The backdrop is a majestic canyon, reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, with towering rock formations and a golden sunset. The reels are populated by the lords of this wilderness: majestic eagles, cunning cougars, powerful wolves, and of course, the mighty buffalo itself. The theme is all about the raw, untamed beauty of nature.

Graphics, Sounds and Animations

Visually, this is a big step up from the original Buffalo King. The graphics are sharp, vibrant, and packed with detail. The animations are smooth, especially the cascading symbols of the tumble feature. The sound design is an epic, cinematic score plays in the background, but the highlight is the thunderous sound of a buffalo stampede that kicks in when you hit the bonus round.

Gameplay

The gameplay is driven by two exciting features working together: first the Megaways engine, which changes the number of symbols on each reel with every spin, meaning the ways to win are always different and unpredictable. Witch combines with the Tumble Feature, whenever you get a win, those symbols vanish and new ones fall from above. This combination is what makes the game so action-packed, as it can create a chain reaction of wins all from a single paid spin, keeping the base game exciting while you hunt for the all-important Bonus symbols.

How to play

The game might look complex, but it’s surprisingly straightforward. You’ll use the familiar plus and minus buttons to set your total bet for each spin. You don't need to worry about paylines; wins are formed by landing matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right. While the canyon rock Wild symbol helps complete wins, your main goal is to land four or more of the golden buffalo Bonus symbols. This is your ticket to the main event: the Free Spins round.

Buffalo King Megaways Bonus Features

The bonus features are what elevate this game from a simple slot to an epic adventure.

The Megaways Engine & Tumble Feature

The game runs on the revolutionary Megaways engine, licensed from its creator, Big Time Gaming. This system ensures that every spin is unique, with reels 1 and 6 holding up to 7 symbols, and reels 2-5 holding up to 8 symbols (including the top tracker reel). This creates a staggering maximum of 200,704 possible ways to win. This is paired perfectly with the Tumble Feature, where winning symbols vanish and new ones fall into place, allowing for multiple consecutive wins on a single spin.

Free Spins with Multiplier Wilds

This is the heart of the game. Landing 4, 5, or 6 Bonus symbols awards you 12, 17, or 22 free spins, respectively. During this round, any Wild symbol that lands will have a random multiplier of x2, x3, or x5. If you get a win involving multiple Wilds in a single tumble sequence, their multipliers multiply each other! For example, if you win with an x2 Wild and an x5 Wild, your win for that tumble is multiplied by x10. This is how you can land those truly massive, screen-filling wins.

Ante Bet & Buy Bonus

For those who want to get to the action faster, you have two options:

• Ante Bet: This feature lets you increase your bet multiplier from the standard 20x to 25x. This will cost you an extra 25% on top of your normal bet. For this extra cost, the game doubles your chances of triggering the Free Spins round naturally by adding more Bonus symbols to the reels. It's important to know that while your bet increases, the symbol payouts remain the same as a normal 20x bet. Activating the Ante Bet also disables the Buy Bonus option.

• Buy Bonus: For a cost of 100x your total bet, you can instantly trigger the Free Spins feature.

Payouts & Volatility

This slot is a beast, and you need to understand the risks and rewards. The very high volatility is the most important thing to know. The base game can be a grind, with many smaller wins, but the Free Spins round holds the potential for explosive payouts. The theoretical RTP is 96.52%, which is a strong and fair number. The symbol hierarchy is clear: the Buffalo pays the most, followed by the eagle, cougar, wolf, and moose. The standard A, K, Q, J, and 10 symbols are your lower-value symbols. Remember, with Megaways, the goal is to get as many matching symbols on as many reels as possible. The max win is capped at 5,000x your stake.

Tips for playing Buffalo King Megaways

• Respect the Volatility: This isn't a game for small bankrolls. Before you start, set a "stampede-proof" budget. The high volatility means you can have many spins without a big win, so your bet size should be small enough to ride out these dry spells.

• Understand the Multipliers: Use the demo mode specifically to see how the Free Spins multipliers work. Seeing how an x2 and x3 combine to make an x6 multiplier will help you understand where the real potential of the game lies.

• Consider the Ante Bet: If your budget allows, activating the Ante Bet might be a worthwhile strategy. It costs more per spin, but doubling your chances of hitting the Free Spins round, where the biggest wins are, can be a smart trade-off.

• The Base Game is for Survival:  The goal in the base game isn't to get rich; it's to stay in the game long enough to trigger the bonus. Celebrate small wins that keep your balance steady.

• Don't Overvalue the Buy Bonus: While instantly triggering the bonus is tempting, 100x your stake is a very high price. There is no guarantee you will win your money back. Use this feature very cautiously and only if it fits comfortably within your budget.

What is the RTP for Buffalo King Megaways?

The theoretical RTP (Return to Player) for Buffalo King Megaways is 96.52%. This can vary slightly, with the Ante Bet feature offering a 96.49% RTP and the Buy Bonus feature offering a 96.50% RTP. These figures are all strong and sit nicely above the industry average.